SavvyShopperDeals.com

This was posted under the crock pot lasagne recipe thread, but it applies here as well - Thanks Stacy!

Homemade Cottage Cheese
This is the best and easiest recipe.  Tastes just like the stuff you get in the store for a fraction of the cost.  The best part - it only takes 5 minutes or less to make!

2 cups water
3 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar (vinegar is cheaper and stores better,
             either one is fine to use, the taste isn't affected either way)
3/4 cup dry milk powder (non-instant like from LDS cannery)
    OR 1 1/2 cups instant (country pride or stuff from grocery store) 

If using dry milk powder, blend water and dry milk together and heat in a saucepan until it starts to steam, stirring constantly, then remove from heat; or place in microwave and heat until it foams and rises to top of bowl.  If using instant milk, bring water to a boil and remove from heat, then stir in milk with a wire wisk.  DRIP juice/vinegar around the edge of the pan and gently stir, milk will immediately start to curdle, separating into curds and whey.  Let rest 1 minute.  Pour into a colander, rinse with HOT water, then rinse with cold water and break apart into as small of curds as you want.  (do this for about 1 minute until no whey drips.)  Makes about 1 1/2 cups curds.  Add sour cream or yogurt to cream.  Add salt to taste.  Use non-instant dry milk powder for ricotta and instant for table use or when you are in a hurry.

Stacy

Did you know that you can use powdered milk to replace fresh milk in practically any recipe?  Because it is usually baked or boiled in, your family will never know the difference!  I made cream of broccoli soup the other day as well as potato soup and they didn't even comment.  Try it in your mac n cheese.  Post your ideas as well!

Just thought I'd post this for those who are just starting to learn how to use their powdered milk.  Rotation is essential.

There are several varieties of powdered milk (of course, there are flavored ones as well -- like chocolate!). Storage temperature is very critical in the long term keeping of powdered milks. The cooler, the longer it will keep the flavor on the palatable end (of course, using nitrogen pack/oxygen absorbers as well). Using a bucket or very large container for storage does work -- but it must be used more rapidly than that quantity in smaller containers due to exposure to oxygen upon opening. Mylar pouches or cans are ideal for most people. Keep sealed tight once opened -- moisture in the air will cause clumping.

Regular nonfat (non-instant):

• more expensive, but you use less product
• averages about .80 cents per gallon of skim milk when reconstituted

This is the product sold by the LDS Cannery and several other companies. It is a dense dairy dehydrated milk powder that generally takes a bit of good mixing to get it to dissolve back into water without lumps -- using a blender or a whisk. It is milk that is basically spray-dried and put through one pass in the dehydration process. For the best flavor, shelf life is 3-5 years. After that, the flavor can start to definitely go down hill, although it is still usable for up to 10+ depending on storage environment. It can be used in all cooking. Do make sure it is well blended into dry ingredients when added in as a powder, or you can get powdered milk lumps. This can be sold as fortified and not fortified with vitamins A and D. Be sure and get one fortified, as these vitamins help with proper nutrient absorption.

Instant nonfat:

• cheaper to buy, but you use about twice as much in the long run

There is large crystallized versus small crystallized that is more of a powder in appearance. The product sold by the grocery stores is mostly large crystallized granules (Carnation, Albertson?s brand, etc.) and milk purchased this way is the most expensive per pound. In large bulk bags, like Maple Island, Country Cream, Country Pride, Best Pack, and Walton (Humboldt) brands -- these are just dehydrated like the regular, but run through the process a second time in order to make a slightly larger size of the powder than the regular -- so it is lighter and airier and thus dissolves into water more readily than the regular. For the best flavor, shelf life is 3-5 years, after that, the flavor does start to change, but just as with the regular, it still can be used for years even if the flavor is off. Can be used in all cooking. Same as with regular nonfat milk, this can be sold as fortified and not fortified with vitamins A and D. Be sure and get one fortified, as these vitamins help with proper nutrient absorption.
Whole: This is powdered milk with the milk-fats left in and usually runs around 4% milk fat when reconstituted. Because of this fat, it has a very short shelf life -- closer to 3 years nitrogen packed. Several sources recommend storing this powder refrigerated. Maple Island does make a whole milk powdered product in addition to their nonfat products (www.maple-island.com). This would be an excellent item to have on hand with younger children or children with health concerns requiring higher caloric intake.

Whey based:
Morning Moo is an example of this type of product. They use the sweet dairy whey as the base and then add in vitamins A & D to fortify the product to come up with a ?milk alternative? drink. This is dissolved into tepid hot water and then cold water can be added. Shelf life usually runs about 5 + years based on temperature stored. It can be used in recipes that call for fluid milk except puddings, ice cream and yogurt (note: Morning Moos milk contains less fat than whole milk and will not set up in products that need fat as a thickener). Although Morning Moos milk takes hot water to mix the ingredients, a very small amount of hot water is needed, only one cup to dissolve the ingredients for 8 c of milk. During freezing temps and if you don?t have ready access to warm water -- you might want to consider a solar cooker set up to warm up your water to dissolve this product.

Soy and rice based:
For those allergic to milk from cows, soy based and rice based products are available. Generally, they are very expensive and hard to come by in the powdered form. It is most often readily available only in the fluid fortified form -- not the powder for making up yourself. However, it is possible to get the powdered product, but it is pricey and hard to come by. You can also just make your own milk from rice or soybeans, but it will not be fortified (directions located in several cookbooks and websites). Alternate sources for calcium intake need to be evaluated.
Sources for those with allergies or concerns: Dixie?s Soy Milk : 1-800-233-3668 ext. 300, www.dixiediner.com; Better Than Milk : Rice or Soy 1-800-227-2320 by Fuller Life Company; Soy Quick by Ener-G 1-800-331-5222; Trophic?s Best (Tofu Delight) by the Blue Chip Group 1-801-263-6667. These can be made yourself, but again, evaluate for calcium levels and supplementation. Foods made with low fat powdered milk will have fewer calories and less cholesterol than those made from whole milk. Adding additional powdered milk to the recipe will enhance the nutritive value of the recipe without increasing fat content. So, for children struggling to eat enough calories, adding extra powdered milk in with the dry ingredients is definitely a great alternative.

To use powdered milk in any recipe calling for fluid milk, simply add water for the milk called for in the recipe and put the powder in with the dry ingredients, or stir up and use as fluid milk before doing the recipe.

Powdered milk has come a LONG way in flavor!

Which brand?  It really does depend on personal taste.  You may have to try a couple of different brands. I grew up next to a dairy farm, so we had "fresh - raw milk" every day and nothing can compare!

The ones we like are:
     Instant - Country Pride (I get it from Harvest House http://www.hrvst.com/)
     Non-Instant - from the LDS cannery
A friend of mine uses Morning Moos exclusively and that's all her children will drink.

Here's some "tricks" to get your family used to it and drinking it.

Use a Blender!  or electric beaters - adding air makes it taste fresher.  Combine 1/2 the required water with all the milk powder - make sure your blender is going on low before slowly adding the powdered milk.  Lumps are gross! Mix only long enough to blend to avoid foam.  Stir in remaining water.  CHILL overnight or at least 8 hours.

I think the number one way to get used to drinking powdered milk straight is to start with 1/4 powdered milk mixed up to 3/4 purchased fluid milk. After 2 weeks, drop to half and half. Another week, go to 3/4 to 1/4 purchased fluid. Do this for 2 weeks. Then you can switch to 100 % powdered milk. The taste is then acquired. Works exceptionally well. Also, be sure and do the mixing in the evenings, so it has the chill time needed and your family doesn't know!!!

Mixing it with fresh whole milk (vitamin D milk) for body and flavor is also a good alternative.

To get good tasting powdered milk make sure you start with fresh dry milk. If your box of dry milk is a year old, then buy a new one and use the old one for cooking exclusively.

Some people add a drop or two of vanilla to their milk to improve the flavor. Other people add a spoonful or two of sugar for the same purpose.

Very Rich Gallon of Milk:
Measure 3-1/2 quarts (14 cups) of water into a gallon size pitcher. Add 5-cups of instant dry milk powder and a 12-ounce can of undiluted evaporated whole milk. Mix all together. Chill and serve. This makes about a gallon. It is richer than plain reconstituted milk. If you must use powdered milk, but prefer a richer product, this is the recipe for you. Children will sometimes tolerate it better than straight reconstituted milk, especially if they are already used to fresh 1% or 2%.

Good luck!
Stacy

AWESOME!!!  This is exactly what I needed.  Thanks Nicole!