Pantry Staple: Powdered Milk

When it comes to milk consumption in a household, there are usually two camps. There’s the “Gosh! We’re out of milk again!” and the “Ugh, I knew it would go bad before I could finish it.” By and large, I’ve found the difference between the two is determined by how many people are in the house, how many of those people are dedicated cold cereal eaters, how often biscuits and gravy are slotted for breakfast, and if the coffee drinkers are a cafe au lait caffeinator.

No matter where you and your household falls on the milk scale, I’m always going to advise keeping a bag of dried milk powder in your pantry. Just like flour and cooking oil. Always with the powdered milk. Why?

Well, first… we’re not drinking it. I mean you can if you want to, or you absolutely need to. But I have had my share of drinking powdered milk as a very poor child and these are not fond memories. Although, you have quite likely drank powdered milk before and not even realized it. It’s how hot cocoa is often packaged, with the milk powder already included. Which also means if you have a stash, you can absolutely whip up your own batch of homemade hot cocoa mix for pennies on the dollar.

That being said, there’s a lot of ways to use powdered milk, provided the dairy isn’t the star of the show, as in making a creamy pudding. Otherwise? Some of the best uses for it are in place of the fresh milk when cooking.

Now get this because it’s gonna fly in the face of the suggestion that milk shouldn’t be the star of the show…

Country Gravy

Yeah, I know. I sound crazy, but when you have a hankering for biscuits and gravy and you’re out of milk? Works great!

I also use powdered milk to approximate a condensed “cream of XYZ” soup, and add some to my homemade yogurt, as it thickens the final product to approximate Greek-style yogurt.

Directions for rehydrating the powder for liquid use are typically available on the container. However, it’s a fairly easy formula to remember:

⅓ cup powdered milk + 1 cup water

Now from my price research, I will say that powdered milk isn’t really the discount bargain for dairy that it once was. Depending on the brand you buy, the cost is approximately the same whether you have powdered or liquid moo juice. That said, it’s a great cost savings if you’re unlikely to use the entire container of fresh milk before it spoils. Having it at hand allows you to use only what’s needed for your cooking needs. There’s also the added benefit that it lets you add in another protein source, like when added to your morning oats or to enrich that yogurt.

One more word of caution. Most dry milk powders are non-fat milk. As such, as long as you take precautions for long term storage, it won’t go bad. However, if you elect for a full-fat milk powder, the fats present in the powder can, and will, go rancid over time. If you’re banking on storing your powdered milk for a long time and only using it in case of a ran-out-of-milk emergency, elect for the common non-fat variety.

Do you have other ideas for how to use the powdered milk? Let me know in the comments!

Eat well! Momma