Do you use it?

No. They're still in the sealed packaging waiting for a decision.

How old?

Is your milk powder the same as powdered milk? I know that sounds dumb to ask, but I’m wondering if milk powder is something more esoteric than powdered milk.

Does it have a ”best by” date on the bag?

Is it whole fat or non-fat? From what I’m reading, the greater the fat content, the more likely the product is to turn rancid.

If the milk powder is still white, it should be OK for consumption. If it's discolored, it makes great fertilizer.

I'm stumpted and really surprised, as i'm sure you were, to find un-opened powders clumping.

These are rather inexpensive and used sparingly in other cooking needs....so i would toss. Clumping is usually due to moisture.

Long storage people double or tripple pack. Moisture absobers, then into 5 gallon air-tight pails.

I suppose you could break off a clump of the milk powder, then into water and do a smell test. Personally i avoid holding onto anything that clumps. Especially a dairy product. Potential for molds and bacteria?

My issue is adding suspect pantry items to expensive proteins. Or a labored recipe.

Last year i had a few sealed jars of Gochugaru, Korean chili flake, one 2 lb bag and two smaller jars, to test different heat levels for kimchi. The two pound bag went into the freezer after bottling a bit for the spice cabinet. Food savered in 1/4 pound bags. After testing, one of the small jars had a mold clump in the bottom. Tiny pea size but obvious a gray mold. From the factory not dried properly?,

I know things like brown sugar are a whole other issue. They are moist, then dry out in a pantry if not double bagged. (put the opened original bag into a freezer zip-lock, then back into the cardboard box.)

I dislike wasted spice and food like most do. Purchased spice blends that include seed that go rancid rather quickly. Especially sesame seeds.

I tackled my pantry a few months ago. A sealed package of nori for sushi rolls, factory packed with an oxygen absorber, was rancid. And a few packages of the seaweed snacks un-opened were rancid. Smelled horid.

What i've read is lots of packaging, especially plastics, foils, are not thick enough for a long shelf life. Bob'sRedMill new packaging is brilliant, so far, i think. The top seal is a mico velcro and so easy to re-seal. And re-usable. MountainRoseHerb bags are so thick and easily washed for re-use.

My pantry still needs another pass through. I did the obvious first pass...it did let it thin a bit last year but some restocking with glass produced products like Raos marinara, capers, olives, anchovies, tinned brats, sardines, good tuna....

Linda, I think I've had it about a year. No best by date.

Bbstx, This is the kind of milk powder that's used as is, a spoon at a time, in cooking and baking, not the kind that you reconstitute as milk, but I'm sure you could. The make it back into milk powder we took on trail rides when I was a kid was non-fat, I think for the rancidity issue you mentioned. I'm pretty sure (too tired to go look) that this is full fat. That would be part of the point of having milk powder. I use buttermilk powder a lot, but had a reason for buying the milk powder, not that I remember what.

Carol, many thanks on the what to do with it!

Sleevendog, I appreciate your reasoning. That helped a lot.

Decision: I'm going to open the milk powder and if it seems just fine, I'll use it up. If it seems good for the garden, I'll do that or give it to a better gardener. If it's rancid I'll throw it out.

Still not sure about the pomegranate powder, but I guess it'll be about the same.

So far, I've only found one other thing, besides the clumps and hazelnut meal that wasn't good. I'm frankly surprised since it's been a year since I went through the pantry.