How is powdered milk made

Why You Need to Know About Powdered Milk

I have a love affair with dairy products. Seriously. I am a milk snob. I had to give up dairy while breastfeeding my twins and it was miserable. So hard. I did it because my son was allergic and I loved him dearly, but as soon as he was weaned, I went right back to my cheese, liquid milk and ice cream.

But dairy in my food storage? Man that intimidated me! All I could think was “GROSS!” Being the milk snob that I am, drinking gross milk sounded worse than not drinking it at all. So, I avoided the subject. Even after I began seriously working on our food storage I still avoided the subject for about a year.

In fact, I tried all sorts of different types of food storage over a few months period of time and decided based on quality and taste that I wanted to store Thrive. A few months later, I actually decided to become a Thrive consultant and sell their products. But I still hadn’t tried their milk. I just couldn’t imagine that it could possibly meet my standards. I wanted it to taste amazing and I wanted to be able to make ice cream and ricotta cheese and yogurt using it. I was just sure that was too high an order! It took me a full six months after becoming a consultant to try their milk. But when I did, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was actually good!

Now, I love having dry milk to mix up at a moments notice. When we go on vacation, I put a gallon of water in the fridge. When we get back I don’t have to run to the store. I just add some powder and we have instant COLD milk! I don’t ever run to the store for milk. Dried milk saves a lot of time . You can have Thrive instant milk shipped to your house by purchasing it at a discount on the How Does She Thrive page.

Maybe you feel like I did about powdered milk. Does it scare you and intimate you? Maybe you have some stored and you use it occasionally in baking. Maybe you don’t use it at all. Maybe you don’t store it at all. Maybe you’ve never even thought about storing it. Well, today, I’d like to answer some common questions about powdered milk and clear up some misconceptions.

Why Should I Store Milk?

Having commonly used items stored in a shelf stable form in our homes can reduce a lot of stress! How many times a month do you run to the store for milk (or eggs or bread etc). I’ll bet you rarely leave the store with just milk (especially if your husband makes the run and he is anything like my husband). So, having it stored at home can save you time and money.

But what if the grocery store ran out of milk for a time? This happens more often than you might think. Most grocery stores have less than a 24 hour supply of food available for all the people in their community. On a normal day, not everyone is shopping every day, so it works out. But what if there was some sort of disaster in your area…even a small disaster? There would be a lot more people at the store and the milk would be gone pretty quickly. Even if the disaster were not local it could affect the transportation of milk to you for a period of time. So, store a bit just in case. The best part of storing dehydrated milk powder is its expiration date, which is longer than whole liquid milk. And the great way to store is using air-tight containers so that the powder does not trap moisture.

And if you are only going to store one food item, milk is a good choice. It provides hydration and a good amount of nutrients as well. You can sustain life for quite a while drinking just milk.

How is Powdered Milk Made?

Milk can be turned to powder by spray drying, drum drying or freeze drying. Spray drying is preferred as it produces much more even particles than the other two options which allows it to be far more soluble. In addition, the heat treatment is not as intense as with drum drying so the taste is not as altered. Thrive Instant Milk is turned to powder by spray drying. You can see what a fine powder spray drying creates:

What Milk Should I Store?

There are a LOT of different powdered milk options out there! Many companies offer powdered milk, but it is often called lots of different things. You will find Instant Milk, Powdered Milk, Milk Powder, Non-fat Dry Milk, Non-Instant Dry Milk, Powdered Milk Alternative etc.

The only way to be sure you are actually getting real milk is to read the labels. Some powdered milks are REAL milk made from fresh, pasteurized skim milk. Other powdered milks are not 100% milk, but unfortunately their name doesn’t always clearly indicate that. So read the label. If you find one of the following ingredients on the label,

What is the difference between instant milk and powdered milk?

Once you’ve found a real milk option, you will need to decide between instant and powdered milk. Many companies offer both and both options can be real milk or a milk alternative. The difference is how easy they are to use.

Instant milk is spray dried since milk dried in this manner is more soluble. In addition it is usually puffed with air as well which makes it even easier to mix with water. It typically tastes better than non-instant powdered milk, but is a less cost effective option since you need more powder per cup of water.

Non-instant powdered milk is typically drum dried and is not puffed with air which makes it difficult to mix with water. It requires more stirring and chilling before it can be served as milk and typically doesn’t taste quite as good as instant milk. However, non-instant milk is a more cost effective option because the lack of air in the particles means you can fit more in each can. You need less powder per cup of water. However, both of these contain a good source of protein.

Many people don’t think that instant milk will work as well as regular powdered milk in baking, but this is not true. As long as it is 100% milk, and not a milk alternative, it works just great. Plus, it has the added benefit of dissolving in cold water. Most non-instant powdered milks must be dissolved in warm or hot water (which again, affect the taste!).

Personally, even with the slightly higher cost, I only store instant milk. I don’t like the taste of non-instant powdered milk, so I don’t want to use it. I’ll never rotate it and not enjoy using it when / if I have to. I want my milk to look, taste, and pour just like fresh milk from the grocery store:

Can Powdered Milk Taste Good?

Yes! Some of the milk alternatives taste good (b/c of the addition of whey, oils and corn syrup), but they aren’t as healthy for you and won’t work as well for cheese or in baking or yogurts.

Milk that is made through drum drying has been through an intense heating process which changes the taste quite a bit. Dried milks that are spray dried taste much better since there is less intense heat applied. I’ve tried quite a few different brands of powdered milk and I like the Thrive instant milk the best. We drink it often in our house.

If you already have another brand of milk stored that was drum dried or simply doesn’t taste as good, you can use it in baking where the taste won’t be as noticeable. If you actually need to drink it, mix a bit of sugar and vanilla in with the milk and make certain it is cold!

Why is most powdered milk fat free?

If you really must have whole milk, I’ve hear good things about Nido. But it is not 100% milk and it has a much shorter shelf life, so make sure you like it before you buy it. Try it in your baking and then make certain you rotate it.

How should I store powdered milk?

Make sure any powdered milk you buy is packaged for long term storage with an oxygen absorber. Like most food, powdered milk will do best when stored in a cool dark place. The 20-25 year shelf life on most milks assumes a relatively stable temperature around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. For every 10 degrees above that, you cut your shelf life in half.

How can I use powdered milk?

Use your milk in baking! If a recipe calls for milk, just add the appropriate amount of powder to the dry ingredients and the water to the wet ingredients. No need to mix it up first! And if a recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk or buttermilk, you can use your milk for that too!

Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1/2 cup hot water, 1 c. of powdered milk powder (or about 1.5 cups if you are using instant milk), 1 c. of sugar, 1 T. of butter. Blend very well.

Buttermilk: Mix up one cup of milk according to the directions on the can. Add 1 T. lemon juice or vinegar to the milk. Stir it in and wait for 5 minutes.

Evaporated Milk: 1 1/2 c. water with 1/2 c. + 1 T. powdered milk powder (or 3/4 cup if using instant milk). Whisk together thoroughly.

Or, simply enjoy a glass of milk with your favorite cookies!

How to Make Powdered Milk at Home (with and without a dehydrator)

Powdered milk is one of the essential survival foods to have stockpiled in case of an emergency.

If you aren’t happy with the existing options for powdered milk or have a lot of excess milk on hand, you can make your own powdered milk with one of the three methods below.

Table Of Contents

Notes about DIY Powdered Milk

Before you get started, it’s really important that you know a few things about making powdered milk. Otherwise, your powdered milk will probably go bad quickly, which kind of defeats the point of making it in the first place.

Only Use Pasteurized Milk

It’s not smart to use raw milk to make your powdered milk. There is simply too high a risk of bacteria growth during the drying process. Use pasteurized milk instead. The exception is if you have a freeze dryer; these are safer for raw milk.

Low Fat Is Better than Full-Fat

Fat doesn’t dry out as other liquids do. Even after the water content of the milk has been dried out, the fat will remain in the powdered milk. The fat will start to oxidize and eventually go rancid. The more fat there is in the initial milk, the faster the powdered milk will go bad.

If you only have full-fat milk, consider taking steps to remove the fat first. This is fairly easy to do with raw milk. You can even use the skimmed fat to make yummy kajmak cheese (something my Serbian in-laws do all the time).

Consider Maltodextrin

If you read the ingredients on powdered milk products, you’ll see that many of them include maltodextrin. Contrary to common belief, maltodextrin is not added as a filler. Rather, it binds with the fats in the milk and helps dry them out. The result is a better product that lasts longer.

Because DIY powdered milk can go bad so quickly – especially if you used fatty milk or are storing it in a warm environment – it might be smart to add some maltodextrin to your milk before drying.

Based on various industry papers I read, maltodextrin should account for 3-15% of the final dry milk product. (1, 2, 4, 5) That means adding approximately 1-7 teaspoons of maltodextrin per gallon of milk. Add it to the milk before drying. (It can be found on Amazon here.)

*Fun fact: You can add maltodextrin to peanut butter to make peanut butter powder.

Don’t Dry Milk Which Is About to Go Bad

If you have milk that is about to go bad, you might want to dry it as a way of preserving it. Unfortunately, this is generally a bad idea. The milk might already have higher levels of harmful bacteria, and these could multiply during the drying process. If you want to save milk that is about to expire, it’s safer to freeze it instead. (Learn how to freeze milk)

The Powder Must Be Completely Dry

For powdered milk to be shelf-stable, it must be completely dry. It should crack easily when you touch it. Likewise, no moisture should come out when you squeeze the milk.

How to Make Powdered Milk At Home

There are three ways to make your own powdered milk. All of these take a long time and can get pretty messy. If you want to add maltodextrin to the milk, make sure you add it before drying out the milk.

Method 1: Powdered Milk with a Dehydrator

Method 2: Powdered Milk with a Freeze Dryer

If you have a freezer dryer, you can make powdered milk which will last much longer than dehydrated milk powder. Below are the instructions.

Read more about home freeze dryers here.

Method 3: Powdered Milk in the Oven

You can also make powdered milk in your oven. I don’t recommend this method because it takes more work, but it is an option if you don’t have a dehydrator.

Ready to use your milk? See our milk powder to water ratio charts.

Making Powdered Milk Probably Might Not Be Worth It!

While I’m a big advocate for DIY, making your own powdered milk probably isn’t worth the effort. It takes a very long time to dry milk into a powder, and it can be pretty messy too. You’ll only get about 1-3tsp of milk powder per cup, so that’s a lot of effort for a little bit of milk powder.

Because there are so many good emergency food brands available, you are probably better off just buying powdered milk instead of making your own.

The only time making your own powdered milk might make sense is if you have your own dairy cows or goats or if you bought milk in bulk because it was on sale. Even then, it usually makes more sense to use alternative methods of preserving milk.

Alternatives to DIY Powdered Milk

Shelf Life of Homemade Powdered Milk

The shelf life of homemade milk powder will depend on how much fat is in the milk, how dry you got the milk, and whether you added maltodextrin. While some websites claim that DIY milk powder will last months, that hasn’t been my experience.

The fats in the milk (even if it is skim milk) will usually start to go rancid in about 4-6 weeks. If the milk powder is stored somewhere warm and humid, it will start to go rancid long before then. Ideally, you should keep the milk powder in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. You’ll know the milk powder has started going bad if it gets a sour smell or taste.

Do you make your own powdered milk? Share your tips in the comments section below.

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How To Make Powdered Milk

Table of Contents

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Finding whole milk powder is a challenge in itself. There are more options than before but there are far more brands of nonfat and low-fat powdered milk out there than whole. Buttermilk can easily be dehydrated as well. For those that are lactose intolerant, this is a way for you to put back some powdered dairy.

Know when it is worth it and when it is not worth it to dehydrate your own powdered milk.

Dehydrating your own milk makes financial sense if you find a sale on milk or want whole milk and not non fat. Standard non fat powdered milk can be bought for a much lower price than the whole powdered milk you will find plus you can just watch out for sales at any grocery store.

That gives you some idea of the price point so you can determine if the work of dehydrating your own is worth it. Remember that there are packaging costs, too.

Hoosier Organic Whole Powdered Milk

Peak Whole Powdered Milk

If you have your own dairy animals or friends that have excess milk then that can also be a lucrative opportunity to dehydrate and put back some food. I recommend pasteurizing any dairy that you intend on dehydrating. Fresh milk can spoil rather quickly, especially during the hotter months of the year.

Expired Or About To Expire Milk and Cream

If you find a sale on milk that is about to expire then I recommend turning it into yogurt and drying that. Milk that is close to expiration or even a few days expired can be used to make yogurt. I do want to point out the distinction between non-organic and organic in terms of fresh shelf life.

I have noticed that organic milk turns bad faster than regular milk. I think that part of this is the difference between pasteurization techniques. Lightly pasteurized milk do not keep like those that are pasteurized regularly or ultra-pasteurized.

Dehydrating milk products can cause a little bit of odor. I am typing this about 10 feet away from my Nesco and I can just slightly smell buttermilk. I am only using two trays at once which equals maybe 40 fluid oz of buttermilk.

This is a project you might want to set up in a back room if you are planning on entertaining. I have a small house so it was more noticeable for me than it may be for a lot of readers.

Food Dehydrator Method

Supplies:

It takes some time to dehydrate milk. This is not something you just do in 4 hours dry time with a food dehydrator. The more trays you fill, the longer it will take overall.

A lot of DIY types recommend only doing 2 trays at a time. That is not much. I would not try to do more than 4-5 at a time regardless. My Nesco will hold 12 trays but it would be a bad idea to completely load it up with a food as perishable as milk.

1. Turn dehydrator to 135 degrees F if you have a temp control.

2. Set a tray with a liner into the dehydrator and pour full of milk. Repeat the process for up to 4 – 5 trays.

3. Dry until totally brittle. One reason people recommend that you only use 2 trays the first time is so that you can learn how well your dehydrator does with a few trays and then adjust temps and get a better idea of how long it takes.

My dried whole fat buttermilk crumbled really easily. It tasted like a lot of the good quality powdered buttermilk I have bought. Bob’s Redmill Sweet Cream Powdered Buttermilk comes to mind.

4. At this point, you can powder the milk using a mortar and pestle or just break it up enough to get it in a bag.

Long Term Storage

Dump into a mylar pouch or use a vacuum food sealer and add a moisture absorber for long-term storage. Make sure to add a date with a Sharpie and rotate it out from your food supply.

In case you didn’t already know, any survival food with animal products is going to have less shelf life and be most at risk for spoilage. Keeping powdered milk at a moderate temperature increases shelf life. Keep out of sunlight and extreme temperatures to maximize shelf life.

Dehydrated Sour Cream

This is a delicious thing to have on hand and you can definitely make your own if you catch it on sale. Sour cream stays good a long time. If there is no mold on it then it is probably fine to dehydrate.

Regular Cream

Like regular milk, unless it is ultra-pasteurized use caution dehydrating expired or about to expire cream. If it is well within the best by date then go ahead otherwise you should use culture and make it into sour cream before dehydrating.

You can use a standard plain yogurt to inoculate it, other sour creams that have active culture in it, or buy some starter like that below. Remember that you can keep a sour cream culture going for a while by inoculating a fresh batch with a few spoonfuls of a previous batch. I usually only do this with yogurt for a few batches before getting a fresh start.

Sour Cream Starter Culture

Reconstituting

This is something that you can just do by taste. For flavoring very rich dishes, you may not want to use the same amount of liquid you would if you wanted a glass of milk to drink.

Shelf Life

Powdered dairy products can vary in shelf life. Part of the equation depends on storage conditions. A moderate or cool temperature helps your dairy keep longer. Exposure to light and heat are your enemy when it comes to food preservation.

Oven Method

You can use an oven to dehydrate milk and other dairy but you need to keep a close eye on it and check how hot your oven really burns. An aftermarket oven thermometer should make this easy. You just don’t want it to get so hot it can scorch.

If your oven runs a little hot or if you want to help out the evaporation a little then you can leave your oven cracked open a bit.

Solar Oven

Some solar ovens may be used to dehydrate dairy products under good conditions. Results and time required will vary based on what type of solar oven you have. It might take a few attempts to get your desired results. I will say that you should wait until you know that you will have a good stretch of sunny weather so the dry time is not stretched out so much that your end product is spoiled.

At night, your oven is not going to be producing heat so that can be a challenge. You need to be able to get the dairy dried out while you have sunlight. If it doesn’t dry completely then finish it off in your regular oven.

I would also recommend dehydrating cultured dairy products, not fresh milk. These are less likely to turn bad or get bad bacteria if dry time is more extended.

Powdered Milk Uses

There are a lot of things you can do with powdered dairy products. Here are a few things I can think of that are relevant to those putting back food for the long term and those that just want some convenience food where they have some control over the ingredients.

1. Soup Mixes

Powdered milk can be used as a base for creamy soups, stews, and gravies. You can add some dried mashed potato flakes, veggies, and dried meat and have a very hearty entree. For additional convenience, you can vacuum seal your own dried blends.

It may take you some time to decide the ratio of milk, meat, and veggies that you like but once you do you can create survival food that is suited to you and your family’s dietary needs.

2. Baking

Having flour and yeast put back is great for prepping because you can make bread but that bread can have a better flavor and some extra calories if you have a little powdered milk, sour cream, or yogurt to put in it.

Pancake mixes and other grain-based products can also benefit from the addition of some dairy during preparation.

3. Macaroni and Cheese Mix

I know that a lot of people put back Mac and Cheese but it is a lot cheaper to buy the noodles and then make your own cheese powder mixes that are very shelf stable.

A member of a prepping group I am part of on Facebook shared with the group how her whole family got extremely sick from eating Kraft Mac and Cheese past the expiration date. They had quite a bit of it stashed back. What they found out was that the newer recipe of Kraft is not as shelf stable, and the cheese powder had gone bad.

To make cheese sauce you need your choice of powdered cheese, powdered milk, yogurt, or sour cream, and butter powder (optional). This is not a bad idea for replacing those expensive small boxes in your everyday pantry either.

Practice Your Method For Drying

I have mentioned a lot of different ways to dehydrate dairy products but since ovens and equipment like dehydrators vary in temperature and performance I definitely advise practicing with some small batches and learning how your equipment performs.

Spacing Out Your Drying

One way to space out your drying is to buy milk by the gallon and consume part of it and dehydrate the other. This can be more practical due to equipment limitations.

Two trays of buttermilk in my dehydrator were not near enough to dry out a half gallon of liquid so the other was used for cooking. If you are on top of it you can dry two batches in a 24 time period so I could have dehydrated 1/2 gallon of buttermilk plus a pint in a 24 hour period.

Do you have any favorite recipes using powdered dairy products? What method of drying have you found to have the best flavor when reconstituted for just drinking? Remember to check out my previous post on Prepping With Powdered Milk: The Best Powdered Milk Options for even more info on dairy options for survival food and your everyday pantry!

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16 Responses to “How To Make Powdered Milk”

Can we put milk in mason jar and dehyrate in dehyrator

I read the previous comment about using both moisture absorbers and oxygen absorbers. In the article, though, you only mentioned using moisture absorbers. Is that due to the ‘caking’ that you mentioned in your reply?

I bought 4- 29lb buckets of dehydrated milk which I have not opened. I figured when I open it I will reseal the rest in 7ml Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and desiccant pouches to keep it fresh. Can somebody with experience verify that I’m on the right track? Pretty new to this food stuff. I just bought a freeze dryer and read that I can freeze dry milk with it (something I’ve never even heard of before).

I think you are on the right track with resealing in mylar with moisture absorbers and oxygen absorbers. You may find that this combo with vacuum sealing makes it cake up a little bit but that doesn’t mean you can’t break a chunk off and mix it with whatever you want. 29 lbs is a lot so after opening, you definitely want to do something to keep it fresh unless you have a really big family or group to feed. Also, keep in mind that Vitamins A & D break down over time regardless of how well you store your powdered milk. The calories and fat are still going to be there for you. If you have other good sources of these vitamins than the break down over time is not as concerning. Thanks for reading!

Nestle’s Nido brand powdered milk is made from whole milk. I’ve found the large cans at Save-a-Lot and the local Publix grocery stores and pick them up when on sale.

I just opened a can that had an exp date of 3/2014 and it was still tasty for drinking/cereal use. Once opened, you do need to refrigerate and use within a short period of time. So the smaller size cans may be more convenient, just not the most frugal.

Thank you for this! It is good to know about other whole milks and your experience using milk that is well past its expiration date. I get asked a lot about shelf life of various prepper foods and it is a complicated question because it depends so much on the conditions each person keeps it in!

How long does home dehydrated whole milk last.

Below is an excerpt from my previous post on powdered milk that explains how to make powdered milk stay good as long as possible. Also please check out USA Emergency Supply for guidelines on shelf life and storage. Generally speaking you can expect at least a couple years but there are things you can do to help increase the time. The main problem with the long term storage of milk is vitamins A and D will dissipate at a rate of about 20% every year under good storage conditions. It might still taste okay and you will get the calories, but the vitamins are just not stable. Keeping it under cool and dry conditions is essential to shelf life and decreasing the rate vitamins dissipate. Thank you for your question and readership. Sorry this was so long winded but storage life of this type of food relies a lot on your storage situation. Hope this helps!

Increasing Shelf Life

A lot of powdered milks come in cans that are sealed and then have a plastic lid. These are nice to have because they are very waterproof and protected against moisture. Some powdered milks now come in plastic pouches which are another way to ensure a long shelf life.

If you catch a deal on powdered milk in boxes, it is best to take some steps to increase shelf life if you want it to be part of a very long term food supply. To do this, you will need to:

Use a food sealer and have some moisture absorbers as well.
Put powdered milk in your vacuum sealer bag and add your moisture absorber. Larger bags may be best with two absorbers depending on the size of the absorbers you have.
Seal and label with date.

Sealing up smaller amounts of powdered milk also means that you are opening smaller packages each time so there is less risk of spoilage. This can be a factor if your household is just two people or yourself. Opening up a pint of powdered milk powder is far different than opening up a gallon size bag and trying to keep it fresh and dry in a survival situation.

Things happen like spills, bugs, moisture at times so losing a little portion of a small bag is not going to have the impact on your long term food supply that losing a 5 lbs container of powder milk would have.

im going to try dehydrating milk in the oven at 150 degrees and see how it works, thanks Gaye, i didnt know you could do this in the oven. I have a dehydrator but i dont have to many of the solid trays needed and cant seem to find them online or anywhere else that fit my dehydrator.

You’re very welcome! The only thing with an oven is just keeping a watch on it because ovens vary in performance and you don’t want it to brown and gain an off flavor. What type of dehydrator do you have that you cannot find solid trays for? I would be glad to see if I could find a source for you. Thanks for reading!

Thank you! This article comes to me about 3 days after I was thinking I should take on this project!! I have an older model gas stove/ oven that I can get the oven temp down to almost 120°. I’ve dried pureed blackberries, sliced beef and venison for jerky so far. Do you see where I am going with those 2 of three ingredients? Anyway, I was thinking of making my own dehydrated milk powder mainly because in not even close to happy with store bought powdered milk.. what has happened to this stuff since I was a kid? It’s just nasty… thank you again Samantha for your knowledge and passing it on.

Part of the problem with powdered milk in the store is that it is non fat. Not sure of your age but I imagine years ago the milk powder was made of whole fat milk. Peak Milk powder and maybe Hoosier Farm are the only whole fat dried milks I am aware of that are commonly available. Thanks for reading and your kind comments. 🙂

You can store powdered products like milk in Mason jars. Using your canning funnel, put dried mill pieces in the jar and press/crush down with a wooden spoon. Put an oxygen absorber in the jar and screw the lid on tight. Store in a cool, dark place.

I use a Harvest Right freeze dryer, which means you can dry raw milk and preserve all of the enzymes. Just another option to dehydrator or oven.

I found this answer on the Harvest Right site. Perhaps they just put it up because when I wrote about freeze dryers I could not find much either. Thanks for reading. Hope this helps.

From Harvest Right:

Harvest Right has taken every precaution to make this appliance run as affordably as possible.

Small and Standard

Our small and standard freeze dryers use a standard 110 volt outlet.

Our large freeze dryer requires a 110 volt (NEMA 5-20) outlet (see image below).

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What Is Powdered Milk?

Powdered milk may not seem like the most appetizing ingredient (who wants a bunch of dried up milk?), but it’s actually part of what makes various breads and prepared foods delicious. Additionally, powdered milk is an important resource for people who don’t have much access to fresh milk and can even help you get essential vitamins and nutrients in the wake of a disaster. There’s a reason survivalists recommend stocking up on powdered milk — it’s reliable and very well may be your only source of calcium, protein, or vitamins A and D after a crisis.

Read on to learn what powdered milk is, how it’s made, how to store it, and how to rehydrate powdered milk. Additionally, learn how powdered milk is different from evaporated milk and malted milk powder, what is powdered milk’s nutritional value, and what substitutes you can use when you don’t have powdered milk on hand.

What Is Powdered Milk?

Powdered milk is milk that’s been pasteurized and then dried via evaporation. Various types of milk, including skim milk, whole milk, and even non-dairy milks, are available in powdered form. Powdered milk is primarily used as an ingredient in infant formula and candies, especially chocolates. It’s also used in baking recipes as an alternative to milk to prevent thinning out the batter. Powdered milk is much easier to transport and has a much longer shelf life than regular milk, which makes it a popular staple among survivalists and in areas where there is very little access to fresh milk.

What Does Powdered Milk Taste Like?

Because powdered milk is simply a dehydrated form of milk, it shouldn’t lose any of its milky flavor. However, many people claim that powdered milk has a bland taste compared to fresh milk. Much of this depends on the type of milk used. If you rehydrated powdered skim milk and compare it to fresh whole milk, for example, there will be a considerable difference in taste. Some people recommend mixing reconstituted milk with fresh whole milk or other ingredients such as vanilla extract or coffee creamer to enhance its taste.

Powdered Milk vs Malted Milk Powder

Powdered milk and malted milk powder are easily confused due to their similar names. However, their ingredients and appearance are quite different. While powdered milk is a dehydrated form of milk, malted milk powder is a dehydrated combination of wheat flour, malted barley extracts, milk, salt, and sodium bicarbonate. Additionally, powdered milk has a white color while malted milk powder takes on a yellowish hue. Powdered milk can be substituted for malted milk powder as long as you add sugar or a sweetener, since powdered milk is unsweetened. However, malted milk powder does not make a good substitute for powdered milk because it contains additional ingredients and has a much sweeter taste.

Powdered Milk vs Evaporated Milk

Both powdered milk and evaporated milk are the product of evaporating fresh milk, but powdered milk is made by completely evaporating water from milk while evaporated milk is made by evaporating around 60 percent of the milk’s water. Powdered milk is a solid product while evaporated milk still retains liquid properties. Additionally, evaporated milk has a slight caramel flavor because it’s been slowly heated for an extended period of time, caramelizing the milk’s natural sugars. Powdered milk can be mixed with an equal amount of water to create a substitute for evaporated milk, but evaporated milk cannot be used in place of milk powder.

Where Can I Buy Powdered Milk?

Look for powdered milk in your grocery store’s baking aisle. It may be labeled as dehydrated milk or dried milk, and is sold in boxes, canisters, and bags.

Is Powdered Milk Healthy?

Powdered milk has the same nutrition as fresh milk, meaning it’s a good source of vitamins A and D, calcium, and protein. However, according to Unlock Food, powdered skim milk is lower in fat and should not be given to children under the age of 2 years because it doesn’t contain enough fat for healthy growth. Additionally, powdered nonfat milk can contain oxidized cholesterol that forms during the dehydration process. According to U.S. Dairy, the presence of oxidized cholesterol in powdered milk is listed on the label.

How to Store Powdered Milk

Powdered milk should be stored in a cool area, either with no access to sunlight or in an opaque container. Dry milk can absorb moisture, so it should be stored in an airtight container. Although the best-by date may indicate that you should consume your powdered milk within 18-24 months, the USDA says that powdered milk, like most other shelf-stable goods, will last indefinitely as long as its container isn’t damaged or compromised.

Once you’ve opened the powdered milk’s container, store it in an airtight plastic or metal container and keep it in the refrigerator. Powdered skim milk will last up to 3 months in the fridge, while powdered whole milk will last for a few weeks. You can also store opened, but not reconstituted powdered milk in an airtight container such as a zip-top bag for up to 3 years.

How to Reconstitute Powdered Milk

Reconstituting powdered milk is very easy — all you have to do is combine water and powdered milk, stir, and let sit in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Depending on how thick and flavorful you want your milk to be, you may want to use specific ratios, but the general ratio for reconstituting powdered milk is one part powdered milk to two parts water. To thicken it up, add more powdered milk, and for a thinner consistency, add more water.

Powdered Milk Substitutes

If you will be adding water to your recipe that uses powdered milk (think soups and certain baked goods), then it’s okay to use liquid milk as a substitute. For every ¼ cup of powdered milk called for, use one cup of liquid milk. Because you’re already using liquid milk, you won’t need to add another liquid, such as water or juice, to reconstitute the powdered milk.

If your recipe calls for powdered milk that isn’t reconstituted with water, you can use coconut milk powder, soy milk powder, rice powder, or cashew powder. If you’re looking for a buttermilk powder substitute, it’s better to use liquid buttermilk than a plain or non-dairy milk powder.

6 Powdered Milk Facts You Didn’t Know

Powdered milk is kind of a weird concept when you think about it. Some people love it, and some hate it. Some might have never tried it before. The idea is actually pretty simple – the milk is dehydrated to the point where most of the moisture is gone and all you’ve got left is this white powder. This way the milk can be stored for much longer and it’s a perfect solution for those people who can’t get through a carton of milk before it goes bad. Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about powdered milk.

1. Kinds Of Powdered Milk

Powdered milk comes in many kinds. You can get regular whole dry milk, you can also get skimmed non-fat milk if that’s what you prefer. There’s also dried buttermilk in case you need it. Whey, which is the base ingredient in many protein powders, is also a powdered milk product. You can also get dry dairy blends which can be used for cooking.

2. Uses Of Powdered Milk

There are many uses for powdered milk. One of the most common reasons for the production of powdered milk is that its way easier to transport it that way as it takes up less space and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and later it can be easily mixed with water and made into liquid milk. Dry milk is also often used in the production of various confectionery goods, chocolate, baby food formulas, breakfast cereals and things like instant coffee sticks and coffee mate.

3. Shelf Life Of Powdered Milk

Powdered milk has a way longer shelf life than regular milk, especially if you keep it in a dark cool place. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be a fridge. In fact, powdered milk can stay fresh in your cupboard for years, as long as there’s no direct sunlight and no moisture. So basically if you have unopened powdered milk in the original packaging it’s good even past it’s “best by” date. However, a thing you should probably keep in mind is that once opened it’s best to either use it up within 3 months or seal it and freeze it if you’re not using it. Also, powdered whole milk has a shorter shelf life than skimmed milk, because of the fat content. Fats are generally less stable.

4. Drying Methods Of Powdered Milk

There are three main methods of producing powdered milk. The first and most common one is spray drying. Spray drying essentially means spraying liquid milk into a special hot chamber where it immediately gets dried with hot gas. The moisture evaporates and you’re left with dry milk particles. Another method is drum-drying. This method requires milk to be spread in a rather thin film onto a heated drum and once it dries, scraped off. This method often changed the taste of milk giving it that cooked and slightly caramelized taste. The third method is freeze-drying, which is the best method when it comes to preserving the nutrients in milk.

5. Nutritional Value Of Powdered Milk

Powdered milk contains the same amount of nutrients and vitamins as regular milk, so you don’t have to worry about it losing nutritional value in the process of drying. In fact, in many countries, dry milk is fortified with vitamin D to make it even more nutritionally valuable. The only thing you remember is that every kind of powdered milk requires different amounts of water in order to become the right consistency, so it’s important to read the package. There’s also a difference between regular powdered milk and instant powdered milk.

6. History Of Powdered Milk

Evaporating milk in order to preserve it and prolong its shelf life dates back to the 13th century. Back in the day, it evaporated until it formed a thick paste. But when it comes to modern methods of making powdered milk the date of first commercial production is somewhere between 1802 and 1855. The first truly powdered milk was invented in 1802 by a Russian doctor named Osip Krichevsky. At some point in the 1830s, it became industrially produced and in the 1850s the process was finally patented.