LONG TERM STORAGE: MILK

Several years ago, my parents built a house to accommodate my aging grandparents.  It included sort of a granny flat where they could have their own separate spots.  When they moved in, there was a convergence of so much "stuff" from two households that it filled up the basement and 4-car garage quickly.  My mom and my grandma set out to go through it all--my mom hoping to purge as much as possible.  As they were organizing, my mom came across a can of powdered milk that had expired 30 years previous.  As she went to toss it, my grandma stopped her.  "Wait!" that's food storage, you can't throw it away!"  My mom tried to explain that it was not any good and just needed to be tossed.  "But," continued my grandma, "It might still be good, we could give it to DI."  My mom explained that DI could not possibly want it, and they do not take food anyway.  "Well, " my grandma thought, "How about the food pantry?"  Grandma was not about to let that can of powdered milk go to waste.  I think my mom had to end up pretty much sneaking it into the garbage. 

I often use this story to help people understand the mentality fallacy of "Once I have my food storage, I've got it forever and I can't use it let go of it." This thinking is not healthy--literally.  Food storage needs to be rotated--used and replaced regularly.

But today, we are talking about Milk for your long term storage.  The minimum recommendation is 16 lbs per person.  For my family, that is 152 lbs. 

Dried (or powdered) Milk comes in two forms:  Instant and Regular.  The main difference is that the Instant dissolves in water, well, instantly.  The regular milk needs stirring and chilling before fully reconstituted. 

Dried milk can be found online on a number of websites.  It can also be purchased in bulk from Winco.  You can buy it in a box at the grocery store, but that is usually the most costly way.  Watch out for "milk alternatives" that do taste a bit better (as they add whey, high fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients) but does not have the protein and calcium as your basic dried milk has.

I personally do not drink dried milk.  If you want to try it straight, I do suggest adding a bit of vanilla and sugar just to help it taste better.   My go-to use for dried milk is cooking.  If your recipe calls for a cup of milk, use 1/4 c. dried milk and 1 c. water.  It is especially good for breads.  Dried milk typically costs a bit less than using store-bought milk and can easily store in an air tight container for 3-5 years (Though I try to use and replace mine within 2 years).  30+ years for a can of powdered milk is probably stretching it a bit too far.

I challenge you  to add powdered milk to your food storage and discover how to use it on a regular basis.

If you would like to add other items to your food storage:

Wraps & Bags:  Aluminum foil, saran wrap, ziploc bags, garbage bags, wax paper
Apples:  Pie filling, Applesauce, 
Vinegar, powdered eggs, powdered cheese