Instant vs noninstant powdered milk

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) Preparation Forum : One Thread

A friend of mine said that noninstant powdered milk is what I should be storing. What's the difference? Why bother with noninstant? Forgive me for asking a question that's probably been covered but I haven't found the answer anywhere.

-- Steve A (albrecht@ndak.net), July 23, 1999

Answers

I found some details here:

Dairy Science and Technology: Evaporation and Dehydration

Dairy Science and Technology: Concentrated and Dried Dairy Products

So far as I can make out, instant dried milk is made from ordinary dried milk by sticking a few of the little grains together to make clumps. It's more fluffed up - more space between the clumps than between the grains in ordinary dried milk, so when you add water (or add it to water) it wets MUCH faster, more thoroughly, and more easily. The only disadvantages I can see are that it takes more space, and it costs more. OTOH, it's much easier to use. Your call. A comment: the butterfat in whole-milk skim milk will go rancid after a while. Skim milk won't be affected by that, so if you want some of your dried milk to last longer than whatever the limit is on whole- skim-milk, you would need some skim milk powder (I don't know the numbers - I only use skim milk).

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 23, 1999.


That should have read "the butterfat in whole-milk powder will go rancid ".

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), July 23, 1999.

I had recently read that dried milk or non-instant milk is the preferred type to get, also. This was in the James Steven Talmage book _making the best of basics_ (now back at the library). I was reading in a hurry, but I got the impression that the nutrient value of the non-instant milk is considerably higher than that of the instant milk. It maybe holds its nutritional value for a longer storage time, too. Until I read that in the book, I had no clue that there were different types of powdered milks.

-- winterwonding (winterwondering@yahoo.com), July 23, 1999.

Steve, Winter, are you talking about dried whole milk powder? I used to use this years ago, it is harder to mix with water (need an egg beater) but tastes far better than non-fat instant kind. It's easy to throw into baked goods, bread, cooked cereal etc. Adventure Foods (www.adventurefoods.com) has it $5.74/lb, or check with your local natural foods supplier. Regards,

-- Deb (deb@needhelp.com), July 23, 1999.

I am not thinking about storing dry milk of any kind. I am buying a cow and will have fresh milk two times a day plus beef growing on the hoof when the cow freshens. I am not worrying about powder eggs either. I should have about 40 layers by the time winter comes if no more of my hens take an urge to sit on a nest. Oh, bacon, they are running around in the pig lot now and I have 100 pounds of salt in the pantry waiting for them. No, I am not very worried about what I will eat next janurary. I love my Saturday morning breakfast of fried country ham, red ege gravy over home made biscuts made with flour I grind myself from the wheat I grow. Two fresh eggs scrabled with cheese, cheese I press my self and blackberry jelly on another biscut from blackberries I picked this morning. Oh plenty of butter and lots of fresh milk to wash it all down with. Yes sir, next January I will tell my wife who has to stay home because gas is $5.00 a gallon that life sure is good to us. Oh, I picked up a 55 gal barrel today for free which I will fill with kerosene for all of our lamps. This summer is the first time in 30 years I have any animal other than a dog. It just goes to show what one can do if he sets his mind to it.

-- chicken farmer (chicken-farmer@ y2k.farm), July 24, 1999.


Moderation questions? read the FAQ