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24 Comments

  1. Although this is not powdered milk my wife froze a half gallon of regular milk back in December of 2018 and got it out last week and let it thaw. I tasted it and then proceeded to use it until it was gone. I am pretty picky about my milk and this experiment satisfied me. The one thing I noticed was it started going bad sooner than fresh milk. We figure that we will be caught with our freezers full in a SHTF event and have stored enough fuel for our generators to run them for a few hours several times daily until all of our perishable refrigerated foods are used up. I like the article on powdered milk and will print this off and note book it.

    1. I have heard that you can extend the life of milk by microwaving it to a point. I have never tried it and I do not have directions for how to do so, but would be an interesting experiment.

  2. We also store and use it. Whenever a recipe calls for milk I make it from the dry.

    No waste 🙂 as we don’t drink regular milk that much anymore.

  3. The Home Storage Center has their dry milk on sale for the month of July. Instead of $4.00 per pouch, it is now $3.50, making it 11 cents per serving.

  4. I grew up outside the United States without most of the conveniences that many American families have. Non-fat dry milk was the only milk we had until we returned to the U.S. When my kids were small I mixed NF dry milk at night so it was cold in the morning and they could not tell any difference between store bought milk. Grand kids are very spoiled so I mix vanilla and a little sugar in the NF dry milk when they come. We still use it today and never buy anything but cream for certain recipes.

  5. Under “cost” what is the unit of weight? Are the nutrients expressed as milligrams or as something other?

    As much as I’d like to learn to use non-fat dry milk it runs $4-5.00 per pound when it’s available in a store near me. I’m hoping the author will provide sources in the next installment.

    1. I went with a cost per serving for comparison rather than weight because the milk weight will vary depending on how it was processed.

      As for the nutrients, they are percentages of the US recommended daily allowances.

      The Home Storage Centers are located all over the country in major cities. The address following will provide Home Storage Center locations across the US. https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng Most of the other brands are available on Amazon or elsewhere on the internet. Residents of Utah and Idaho may have better prices in their grocery stores.

  6. As I understand the procedure, the lactating mother ‘expresses’ her milk, then dehydrates it, then stores it, then re-hydrates it to feed the infant(s).

    Then, as the infant’s teeth come in, the parents transition their child to solid foods.

    After the child is on solid foods, it has no need for its mother’s milk. Is this accurate?

  7. Animal House is right that letting the milk sit and cool overnight helps tremendously. And if you add just a pinch of salt (about an eighth of a tsp/qt), it helps as well.

  8. Peak brand whole powdered milk is good also, and Meyenburg powdered Goats milk is good to have on hand for babies who cannot tolerate cows milk, and it has a richer taste, but is pretty expensive.

    1. I had an interesting discussion with the man who runs a business providing zoos with nursing formulas for baby wildlife (try making formula for a baby blue whale!).

      He told me that goat’s milk is considered to be a universal nurser for almost all mammals. If you are going to give your baby formula, don’t. Use goat’s milk. God already figured out the ingredients.

      I mostly use it for kittens and pregnant cats, who thrive on it.

  9. I grew up poor in the 40’s and 50’s and that is very different from being poor today. No welfare, no help from the government. Powdered milk was common in our house. I never “liked” it but I can certainly drink it and would choose to drink it if no fresh milk was available. I think most people who treat it with disdain are spoiled by our society/economy with plenty for all. When I went into the military we got powdered eggs overseas and I saw a lot of people turn their noses up at them refusing to eat them. They weren’t what I would call great food but certainly edible. Mostly the perception people have of food is tainted by their lack of experience with these foods AND by their peers talking them down.

    By the way concerning “instant oatmeal”, I eat regular oatmeal uncooked or prepared in anyway just add milk and sugar to taste. I actually find it better than cooked oatmeal. Certainly more solid but not in a bad way.

  10. Nestle Nido. On the hispanic aisle at our store. (Not the “kinder” product, which is sweetened).

    Powdered whole milk. Tastes just like the real thing. Stores well for at least 5 years (and going).

    1. One hundred percent agreement with CPA Prepper on Nido.

      REQEST TO THE AUTHOR OF THE POST: please pick some Nido up in the Hispanic aisle, and compares it to the other brands you tested.

      It is the best dry milk I’ve ever had. It is good both as a drink, and for adding to coffee.

      Nido is a whole milk with vitamins, it really tastes very good (I’m picky), and really does last for five years or more.

      I foolishly kept mine in a poorly insulated upstairs bedroom which is very hot all summer. It tasted fine after five years. It might have lasted longer, but I gave it to a friend who didn’t have much money. She was very happy with it.

      Do NOT buy Nido For Children. I wouldn’t feed my dog that stuff. Too many additives. Get the regular Nido for your kids, and for you.

  11. I totally agree with the above posters. Make it the night before to have it fully chilled by morning. I am picky too and cannot tell the difference. Even Walmart has a pretty good selection in premeasured quart packets.

  12. Re: Shelf Life of Powdered Milk
    We are advised not to store in plastic buckets. Do you have a recommendation for what kind of containers are best? It seems I may have to check mine for degradation, they are in mylar in a plastic bucket.

    Thank you,
    TB

    1. WHO??? – is advising not to store dried milk products in a poly container? >>> and as always we are talking about the use of a FDA certified “food grade” container …

    2. I’m sorry, I should have been more clear in the article.

      When I started storing food 30+ years ago, I purchased dry milk in 25 lb bags and emptied the bags into plastic buckets. The plastic buckets let a lot of light through, and light degrades the dry milk faster. If your milk comes in mylar bags, storing those bags in plastic buckets would not be a problem.

  13. CARNATION Instant Nonfat Dry Milk,

    In FL, my folks always had this dry milk, never bought fresh milk in the store.

    If someone wanted some milk, no problem, just go mix some up, but it was better if is sat overnight in the refrigerator.

    It wasn’t until I got to Parris Island that I saw folks drinking milk without ice cubes in it… It was good stuff, and they had chocolate milk too…

    After leaving home, I just didn’t drink milk for years, but then acquired a taste for fresh milk, which has continued to this day.

    Cresson Kearny always recommended storing dry milk as part of the basic survival ration, http://www.oism.org/nwss/s73p920.htm.

    But, that is hard to do down south, even dry milk won’t keep very long in the high temps…

    A few years ago, on this blog, someone recommended storing dried milk and olive oil in a chest freezer to extend the shelf life.

    So, the bottom of my freezer is filled with those two items.

    Dried milk is a lot easier to drink with a bit of chocolate & sugar in it… Of course, that doesn’t help keep your A1C level down…

  14. I will take anyones out-of-date powdered milk as I use it to spray my fruit trees and bushes, also drenching around the base to add calcium to the soil and helps with ‘rust’ that can show up on leaves. I went to my local store to inquire what they do with out-of-date powdered milk and if they would be willing to let me have it. They said “no.” Add some to your compost piles too which adds calcium to the compost. Your trees and plants will love it!

  15. This is a good crowd, that will survive, if hard times come again. A lot of people grew up with powdered milk, being used to stretch the fresh milk. … Check out Survivalblog’s advertiser for a small Gravity Water Filter, that can fit into an Ice Box. (Yes, it is a Refrigerator.) Powdered milk can be mixed in the morning using the cold water. [I gave up a refrigerator shelf to make room for the ‘Traveler’ model Water Filter]

    I used up all my stored powdered milk. It stored a long time. (I switched to storing and using a liquid Milk, that can be stores unopened for I year. I get it at a dollarstore, for a dollar a quart. (I rotate through it) ~ The Milk’s name starts with a G, and is produced in Utah.)

    I also store and use Calcium Tablets. The National Institute of Health, Mayo Clinic and others have information about absorption rates. Calcium tablets work; it’s a medical fact.
    Plus, the tablets are just about calorie free. [I’m a guy, and should change my name to ‘Big Floppy Belly’ = ‘First to run out of breath and collapse during a SHTF crisis.’]

    Calcium is >essential for health.
    Anonymous got it right with, adding chocolate powder to the powdered milk; the finicky people enjoy chocolate, and calories don’t count when it’s chocolate (for the finicky better-half).

  16. Tried Nido. HSC powdered milk tastes much better, but Nido makes a good survival food.

    Get HSC hot cocoa mix to go with your HSC powdered milk, but be forewarned the cocoa mix has high sugar content.

  17. As a youngster my dad worked worked at a large dairy after he returned from service in vietnam. As part of his benefit we got a gallon of fresh milk from the bulk tank every and i credit that to never having a broken bone in my life. Thats after working in the woods for our heating and handling cattle and farming since i was 8.
    I have powdered milk stored away for long term which i consider an asset for both family and young livestock. Remember your feed store carries powdered milk made to human consumption standards too.
    Also consider raising a couple milk cows if conditions allow. My great grandfather did during the depression using a herd of milk cows and storing the cans in a spring fed milk house for keeping them cool. Remember if you do cleanliness in handing your equipment is your friend and bacteria is your enemy.

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