Powdered Milk, how long will it last?

5 years.

My house...... forever.

I'd rather get the vitamins another way than drink that swill..

If you're storing it in the original box, I wouldn't expect more than maybe 2 years. Packed in a reduced oxygen environment, it lasts a long time. I just opened a bucket that was stored 10 years ago in the hot (west Texas!) shed. Compared side by side with a fresh box, it's almost identical even though heat is it's biggest enemy.

If you find the right mix ratio (hint: the box recommendation isn't it), it's actually very good to drink. If you store it in the box, I suggest rotating it into your meals.

Dirt Fisher said:

5 years.

My house...... forever.

I'd rather get the vitamins another way than drink that swill..

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Sounds like you either got a crappy brand (brand makes a big difference in taste) or didn't find the right mix ratio. Good powdered milk isn't half bad once you figure out the right ratio. It'll never taste as good as fresh, whole milk, but it's not the nasty tasting stuff that it used to be years back.

Thankks for the post

Don’t the vitamins or nutritional value degrade after some time?

As long as it says on the side of the package?

All depends on temperature. The ratings on the side of the package will relate to the product still either maintaining the same texture and taste etc or retaining a reasonable amount of nutrition. Normally for a dried product that life is assumed at an average stored shelf temperature ~15-20 degree C. Half that temperature and you might triple the life span of the product or more. It's not a Linea progression of shelf life / temp. Same if it's packaged in an oxygen free environment.

3 Main food killers when stored:

1)Moisture content
2)Oxygen content
3)Temperature (could probably be called the catalyst)

I was just wondering this the other day. I just recently started using powdered milk. So far I like it.

For drinking or cereal milk, I agree you need to find the right ratio. Also, you can "sweeten the deal" if you have children especially, by adding a touch of sugar to it and/or vanilla - helps to get them used to it. Make sure you mix it the night before you want to use it, if you're using it for cereal because being cold seems to help it a lot.

Full-fat (whole) milk has a much shorter storage life than does skimmed milk powder, but I still get some.

Learn to rotate your milk powder. Even if you don't drink it, it's useful in a lot of different ways. Recipes often call for milk or buttermilk - you can use powdered milk in these and save money.

Here's a page with lots of tips and hints for using powdered milk in all sorts of ways, and it even has a conversion chart (like, if your recipe says use 1/2 cup of milk, it gives you the number of tablespoons of powdered milk to use plus the amount of water)
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/training-cooking/powdered-milk

I have been using organic,non instant non fat dry milk for years. I rotate it as often as I can- I recently went through a small bag from 2006. Absolutely no problems with it. I don't drink it straight- use it for cooking and coffee mostly. I notice it needs to be warmed up a bit in order to mix it up without lumps. Use a good whisk and heat it then chill it. works great. I now buy it, date it, and vaccuum seal it. should last for years.

ColoradoWildcat said:

I have been using organic,non instant non fat dry milk for years. I rotate it as often as I can- I recently went through a small bag from 2006. Absolutely no problems with it. I don't drink it straight- use it for cooking and coffee mostly. I notice it needs to be warmed up a bit in order to mix it up without lumps. Use a good whisk and heat it then chill it. works great. I now buy it, date it, and vaccuum seal it. should last for years.

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Rubbermaid makes mixing pitchers. They have a handle with a shaft. At the bottom of the shaft is a flat plat with angled openings. As you raise and lower the handle, the plate on the bottom swirls the liquid through it. It mixes powdered milk better than anything I've ever used. I don't know if any stores sell them. I ordered mine from Walton Feed years ago.

I keep mine in the freezer. It will last for several years.

I don't drink milk, but I do use it in cooking, so it comes in handy when you need milk for recipes.

Powdered milk plain is nasty. On cereal I can choke it down. And yes, in 2006 I tried some from a fresh box and it was nasty.

I was wondering how to store it? I buy the ones in the boxes. Should I repackage it? If so... how?

mithprnt said:

I was wondering how to store it? I buy the ones in the boxes. Should I repackage it? If so... how?

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If you rotate through it, you'll always have at least a couple years worth, even stored in the boxes. Otherwise, it needs packed in a sealed container with O2 absorbers. Mylar bags are a good, inexpensive way to package it.

Also you will find it fairly well sterilized in it's original packaging. If you are going to repackage with o2 and moisture absorbers etc, make sure the working environment is sterile as well. You can easily add nasties and contaminants that could leave you in trouble years down the track when opened / consumed.

shag said:

Also you will find it fairly well sterilized in it's original packaging. If you are going to repackage with o2 and moisture absorbers etc, make sure the working environment is sterile as well. You can easily add nasties and contaminants that could leave you in trouble years down the track when opened / consumed.

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One of the reasons dried foods can last so long is because germs and other nasties can't grow in that dry of an environment. The canneries that pack long term storage food aren't sterile environments. Visit your local Bishop's Cannery some day. It's ran the same way the big canneries are. They open bags of the products, pour it into open cans, and when they have a bunch of cans full, send them to the lidding machine. Of course the cans are clean, but the food is exposed to the open air for a long time before sealing. Of course, it's always wise to keep everything as clean as possible whenever handling food, especially your hands.

I would think that in cardboard boxes nasty things would get in there eventually. The stuff I use comes in simple plastic bags. I then vaccuum seal those bags in another one and they are air tight.