Powdered milk (or dry milk) is a powder made from dried milk solids. Powdered milk has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and does not need to be refrigerated due to its low moisture content.
It is less expensive and easier to store than fresh milk but has a disadvantage in that it never tastes quite like the real thing.

History

Powdered milk was first made in 1802 by Russian doctor Osip Krichevsky. It is found abundantly in many developing countries because of reduced transport and storage costs (as it does not require refrigeration). Like other dry foods it is considered nonperishable and is favored by survivalists, hikers and other people in need of nonperishable easy to prepare foodstuffs.

Uses

Powdered milk is often used in baking, in recipes where adding liquid milk would render the product too thin to be used. It is also a common sight in UN food aid supplies, fallout shelter, warehouses and wherever fresh milk is not a viable option. Powdered milk is also used in Western blots as a blocking agent to prevent nonspecific protein interactions.

Types of Dry milk

  • Nonfat Dry Milk: This is pasteurized skim milk reduced to a powdered concentrate. It can be found in two forms, regular and instant. They are both made from milk in a spray-drying process, but the instant variety has been given further processing to make it more easily soluble in water than regular dry milk. Both types have the same nutrient composition. The regular variety is more compact and requires less storage space than the instantized variety, but it is more difficult to reconstitute. The most easily found variety is the instant, available in nearly any grocery store. The regular variety has to be sought out from baking and restaurant suppliers and storage food dealers. It takes about 3 tablespoons of instant nonfat dry milk added to 8 ozs of water to make 1 cup of milk you can drink or cook with just like fresh milk, albeit with a considerable flavor difference. Combine the dry milk with water at least several hours before you plan to use it to give it time to dissolve fully and to develop a fresher flavor. Shaking the fluid milk vigorously will incorporate air and will also help to improve flavor. I don’t care for the stuff to drink, but instead add the powder to baked goods, gravies, smoothies, hot cereals, casseroles and meat loaf as a nutrition booster. It can also be used to make yogurt, cheese and most any cultured dairy product that does not require a high fat content.
    • Flavored Nonfat Dry Milk: This may be found packaged in a variety of forms from a low calorie diet drink (artificially sweetened) to the other end of the scale, as cocoa mix or malted milk. The key ingredient is the dry milk so buy and store these products accordingly.
    • Dry Whole Milk: This dry milk has a higher fat content and therefore a shorter shelf life than nonfat. Other than that, it can be used in exactly the same way. Dry whole milk is difficult to find, but can sometimes be found where camping and outback supplies are sold.
    • Dry Buttermilk: Dry buttermilk is for use in recipes calling for buttermilk. Since it has a slightly higher fat content than nonfat dry milk, it generally does not keep as long.

    Reconstituting Powdered Milk

    To equal this amount of liquid milk

    Use this much
    Fresh Water

    And this much Instant Non-Fat Dry Milk Powder
    1/4 cup 1/4 cup 1-1/2 tablespoons
    1/3 cup 1/3 cup 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
    1/2 cup 1/2 cup 3 tablespoons
    1 cup 1 cup 1/3 cup
    1 quart 3-3/4 cup 1-1/3 cups
    2 quarts 7-2/3 cups 2 -2/3 cups
    1 gallon 15-1/2 cups 5-1/3 cups

    Buying Dry Milk Products

    1. Be sure the dry milk you are buying has been fortified with vitamins A and D. All of the nonfat dry milks I’ve seen come fortified with these two vitamins. The dry buttermilk does not come this way, at least the SACO brand does not. I don’t know if the flavored mixes and the dry whole milk do or not.
    2. There should be no artificial colors or flavors. I believe it is illegal to add preservatives to any dry milk sold in the U.S. so a claim of “no preservatives” on the label is of no consequence. Other nations may be different, however.
    3. “Extra Grade” on the label indicates the manufacturer has held to higher processing and quality standards and the milk is somewhat lower in fat, moisture and bacterial content, is more soluble, and has fewer scorched particles.
    4. There are still some manufacturers of dry milk that sell ordinary Grade A product, but they are becoming fewer. Every brand of instant powdered milk in my local grocery store is the “Extra Grade”, even the generic store brand. This, too, may vary outside of the States.
    5. Try to buy your dried milk in containers of a size that makes sense for the level of consumption in the household. Once it is opened, powdered milk has a short shelf life before undesirable changes in flavor and nutrient content occurs. If you buy large packages and do not use much at one time, consider breaking it down and repackaging into smaller containers at the time of purchase.
    6. As with any storage food you buy, try to deal only with reputable dealers. It is particularly important to do this with dry milk because of its short shelf life and sensitivity to storage conditions. Check expiration dates, then date and rotate packages.

    Negative aspects

    Compared to fresh milk, powdered milk (and powdered eggs) are stated to be exceptional high in oxysterols (oxidized cholesterol). The free radicals have been stated to have atherogenic (”causing atherosclerosis”) and carcinogenic (”causing cancer”) properties. Powdered milk is frequently added to 1-2% pasteurized milk to give it more body.

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