Add to enrich cream soups

Puddings

Yeast dinner rolls that include milk and eggs

I think I have about three or four large boxed of the powdered milk envelopes. Maybe more.

Do you like custards? It should be good with powdered milk. If you prefer full fat, you can add a little cream, sour cream or butter. Use for French toast/bread pudding, pie filling, pudding. Make cake mixes. I haven't done it, but Grainlady recommended Ova-Easy brand of dry eggs, saying they're most like fresh (though pre-scrambled). Use in baking in general. Pancakes/waffles. Some people fortify milk for baking with dry milk. Add to bath salts. I wonder if you could make dulce de leche with it? Some kind of caramel, at least. If you were thinking of marinating chicken in milk, why not powdered? Is milk good for pets? Sprinkled on their food? I don't use much milk other than for baking, so that's where my head goes. I'm more like to use egg than milk for glaze on bread, etc., but the great thing about powdered is you can mix it thicker, which I think would make a better protein wash.

You're wise to consider that a food pantry might not take it. Ours here wouldn't, and they would toss it if left on their back loading dock after hours.

It is fine to use it in baking. Add some to your flour mix for bread dough, crackers, or cookies.

Whizz some (dry) in your blender with cinnamon (and/or Cocoa) for a coffee creamer.

Use some for strongly flavored quiches, custards, puddings.

Add dry to coatings and breadings.

One thing I would do, too, is use one envelope for an experiment to see how the stuff behaves. Try mixing water into the powder in various ratios, such as one part milk powder to one part water; one part powder to 2 parts water, and so on, that will give you an idea how it would affect fluid absorption in your recipes.

Lastly, if you happen to have a vacuum sealer, you could vac-seal it to extend the shelf life even more, as you work your way through it.

If I had my ”druthers,” I would eat a homemade (my) custard pie every day; 3 big slices a day. I would enjoy cider donuts, clam and corn chowder, cheeses, lobster with drawn butter, steamers, Salt and pepper calamari, country paté, fresnch fries, ice cream sundae, apple pie with cheddar, …..

I am a tad overweight and should be on a ”live longer, whydoncha” diet, darn it.

We used to make Happy Meals for our opossums and got very creative. We’d put milk, cheese, spoiled milk or cheese over kibble or sunflower seeds or chicken bones. They loved it.

I don’t know about dawgs. These days many dogs eat much better than do their owners/masters. I thought about making cheese, but I think cheese wants FAT and I should not be chowing down on fatty yummy stuff.

I have heard of dog kennels accepting freezer burned beef and so on.

Last week we had to toww 3 Lbs of boneless chicken thighs that got left out on the counter for 15 hours. A coyote, fisher, raccoon or bear might have liked it, but we don’t want them around ;-)

Thanks

PS Maybe I will create something new — a whole new market item — like DRIED MILK JERKY 🤣😁🤣

Open a packet and check - if the color's off, then it's no longer going to taste good or dissolve properly, IMPE.

I've used powdered milk as a liquid fertilizer for veggies - mainly peppers and tomatoes. It does make a good fertilizer for heavy feeders, even if it's no longer in good enough shape for human consumption. There's even a recipe for a spray made from nonfat milk for powdery mildew - not sure if that's still a thing or not.

And I used to love it mixed up double/triple strength in coffee too.

If you make homemade yogurt, you can add it in to increase the protein and as a thickener.

Good idea about testing it. Or composting or fertilizing if for any reason it’s ‘off.’

one summer I tried either the milk spray or the baking soda spray on the leaves of zucchini which were very white from powdery mildew. In short order I was astounded by the great results. IIRC it changes the pH for the better.

Do you have Buy Nothing or Freecyle or other free sites on your local FB or Next Door? People post food past its 'best by' dates all the time, of course stating it is past the date, and people snap it up immediately. I would try to give it to someone who actually wants and can use it before making a big effort to use something I don't really have a good use for. The only thing I wouldn't list would be stuff that hadn't been stored properly or baby formula (because that wouldn't be worth the risk, if there was one).

Do you like to give home made Christmas gifts? One year I made "International Coffee" flavors for stocking stuffers. There are a ton of recipies on line.

There are numerous uses for powdered milk in the garden, not just for PM control.

Thanks, rhizo. Would you list some or point me to a reference?

I just saw a video by a guy who saves his eggshells, grinds them to a fine powder then mixes with water and spreads them on his calcium loving plants...tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, etc. I wonder if powdered milk might provide the same nutrients?

I tried it on blight for my tomatos--it was a fail. I don't think any of that folklore works. Better to make hot cocoa/coffee stocking stuffers.

I would not be making gifts out of something past its best by date. People wouldn't use them immediately and the milk would be even older by the time it is consumed.

^**Especially since the guidance is that it can be ok past the best-by date if unopened and properly stored.

Thanks. I have decided not to give it away for human consumption beyond our household. It is fine, wholesome, but I don’t want the liability. There are imaginative people everywhere. I will likely use it to supplement cooking or compost it. I may ask my favorite animal shelter if they have any use for it, or a pig farm (where are those ice pig farm when you want them?).

As rhizo said, milk and other thing like ? baking soda can help with known acid soils or powdery mildew.

I may make us a few hot chocolate drinks from it,

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the collective wisdom and experience all of you offer.

Gorgeous day here. Like an ”Indian Summer” but no frost yet. So much to do in New England this time of year on the few warm, sunny and cool dry days. I hope all of you have a wonderful and joyous day. Don’t procrastinate. Work, play or whatever. Hug your favorite tree — I am serious. Recent news of a friend’s death. Life is short and fleeting.

As Yogi said, ”It’s getting late early.”

For a lot of years I made my own yogurt and fortified skim milk with powdered milk....made it "creamy" without the added fat. I also added it to breads and cookies and other baked goods....back when I had littles and was adding calories to food rather than cutting down. I could pack a lot of protein into a chocolate milk shake with powdered milk and pasteurized eggs.

add it to your mashed potatoes to make them creamier ... or use it in biscuits, muffins, pancakes, yeast breads, cookies and cakes ...

If your powdered milk is in foil pouches, it will last way beyond the "use by" date. I have some that is several years old and it's still good. I use it in a pinch to make homemade pancakes, bread, etc., when I'm out of milk.

If it is still good and you find you would use it like woodrose says, when you're out of milk, you can freeze the pouches and they will last even longer.

Thanks, good ideas. Most of it is in those foil-lined pouches. So, Maybe I should freeze them to have last longer? All of it is fine. I’ll ask DH if he uses it.

I keep mine sealed in ziplock bags in a cool, dark cabinet away heat. I suppose freezing may be even better.

You could find an animal rehabber and see if they would use it. Wild animals don't care about use by dates.

Someone has suggested mine - add to mashed potatoes.

I often make soups with varying ingredients, including veggies and like to add milk to them.

ole joyful

If you have a friend that makes their own dog food it's often used as an ingredient to up the calcium content. If you know any farmer that has pigs, they'll probably be happy to use it too.

That said, if it's sealed in foil packages and you think you will have a use for it, I'd just toss the packages in the freezer for longer storage, properly sealed it's good for some time after the "best by" or "use by" or "sell by" dates, or whatever the manufacturers have decided to use now.

From the USDA:

"Except for infant formula, product dating is not required by Federal regulations.[1]

For meat, poultry, and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations.[2] To comply, a calendar date must express both the month and day of the month. In the case of shelf-stable and frozen products, the year must also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date such as "Best if Used By."

Are Dates for Food Safety or Food Quality?

Manufacturers provide dating to help consumers and retailers decide when food is of best quality. Except for infant formula, dates are not an indicator of the product’s safety and are not required by Federal law."

So, take that date as you wish, but it doesn't mean the stuff is bad, and many/most states have their own laws and requirements, none of which are standard.

Annie