Do you absolutely love milk but hate liquid? Well then buddy, have I got the product for you! We’re diving into the wonderful world of milk powder, as in powdered milk. But what is milk powder? Are there different kinds like oat milk powder, soy milk powder, skim milk powder, and goats milk powder? Let’s find out.
What is milk powder?
Milk powder is exactly what it sounds like: It’s milk in powdered form. It is milk that has been pasteurized and then dried via evaporation, leaving behind a mix of milk protein and milk sugar, or lactose. This dried milk powder is different from evaporated milk. Milk powder is literally in powdered form while evaporated milk is still a liquid. Milk powder can be reconstituted back into regular old milk simply by adding water and leaving to sit for a few minutes in the fridge.
How to make milk powder
Most milk powder is made using a technique called spray drying. Pasteurized milk is evaporated and heated, then it’s sprayed into a heated chamber where it reduces into fine particles. If that sounds a little complicated, don’t worry, you can make milk powder at home using a basic food dehydrator. If you don’t have a food dehydrator, you can use a regular oven, but you will lose a little bit of that milk taste. Just about any kind of milk can be made into milk powder. Skim milk powder is a popular option as is the slightly fancy goats milk powder. There are even non-dairy options like oat milk powder and soy milk powder.
How to use milk powder
There are a lot of ways to use dried milk powder, including humanitarian relief efforts. It’s much easier to transport than regular milk, so milk powder is often shipped to areas where fresh milk is not available. Milk powder is used in infant formula. It’s also an ingredient in many breads and candies. Milk powder is great for any recipe that could use a little milky flavor without any dilution or extra liquid.
Survivalists love to stock up on milk powder as it has a much longer shelf life than regular milk. Most milk powder boxes suggest using it within 18 months, but that is really more of a “best by” date. Powdered milk does not really go bad. The USDA suggests that milk powder can be stored indefinitely.
In an emergency situation, milk powder is an easy way to get vitamins A and D, calcium, and protein. Some movies and TV shows use milk powder as a prop in place of drugs. Don’t ever try to use milk powder in this way to trick any powerful crime families. I tried that and lost two fingers. Typing this article was very hard.
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!