Making Nonfat Powdered Milk Palatable

The reason for the off taste to reconstituted powdered milk can be attributed to one or more of the following factors:

Processing.  The quicker and less expensive method of drum drying used by processors occurs at a higher heat and can impart a cooked or burnt flavor to the milk.  Spray drying used by the higher-end dry milk powder companies helps to avoid that off flavor. 

Chilling.  Reconstituted powdered milk must be as cold as possible when drinking.  Storing it in a glass pitcher or jar also helps, as does adding a little granulated sugar and vanilla or almond extract.  (More on that later.)

Storage.  Dry milk powder that is less than two years old (regardless of the use-by date stamped on the can) tastes much better than older milk. 

Nutrition.  Believe it or not, the vitamins and minerals added to fortify dry milk powder significantly affect the taste.  (I suspect vitamin D is the culprit.)  The most expensive dry milk powders contain far fewer vitamins and minerals than the Home Storage Center brand (the most nutritious and least expensive).  All the major food storage vendors offer their own lines of dry milk or milk "drink" powder, and in the quest to produce a better flavor, something has to give, in this case, good nutrition. 

However, we—specifically, the children—absolutely require the nutrition most easily provided by fortified milk, especially the calcium and vitamin D.  Without it, children face the very real risk of rickets, particularly in the northern latitudes where there is little sun exposure (the other significant way of getting vitamin D) in the winter. 

So children need the vitamin D easily obtained from fortified milk, but attempting to entice them to drink that reconstituted powdered milk may just bring about Armageddon.  And you can hardly blame them. 

Here’s how to diffuse the situation and bring about a return to world stability.  It really is easy; you just have to prepare. 

·         Begin by using the freshest powdered milk you have. 

·         Mix according to package directions in a glass pitcher.

·         Then, choose one of the following options.

o   Stir in an extra 25% more milk powder, or

o   Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon almond extract per quart.

·         Chill overnight. 

Obviously, these tips indicate the need to store more dry milk powder, a little extra sugar, and a few large bottles of pure vanilla or almond extract.  (Do not use imitation.)  At this point in time, almond extract is considerably less expensive than vanilla extract. 

If you are lucky, this method of improving the taste of reconstituted dry milk will work.  If not, fear not; we have you covered.  However, you’ll have to take one of the more drastic measures outlined in the post on making powdered milk taste more like whole milk. 

And if those measures still disappoint, there is always chocolate milk mix or banana or strawberry milk.

Links to related posts:

Review--Home Storage Centers

Good Eats at the TEOTWAWKI Cafe--Banana and Strawberry Milk

Vitamin D Deficiency and Rickets

Basic Food Storage--Dry Milk 

In Depth Discussion of Dry Milk 

Basic Food Storage--Coconut Oil
Emergency Baby Formula  

Making Powdered Milk Taste More Like Whole Milk 

The Trick to Making a Great DIY Hot Chocolate Mix—and DIY Nesquik