powdered milk and the puke factor

Over the years I have seen much discussion on the subject of powdered milk. Primarily, I have seen discussion on how horrible it tastes, and the various individual's advice on how to make it taste better. Everything from "add sugar" to "let raisins soak overnight". Just recently, on another blog, there was a discussion about adding fats to powdered milk in order to get the milk fat that small children need.

I haven't tried the fat trick yet. And frankly, none of the tricks to making taste better worked.

I'll admit it...we're food snobs. My husband, with five siblings and a step father that worked for the phone company, grew up being forced to drink the nasty stuff, and thus now as an adult refuses to drink it. Truth be told, his mother used the lowest cost brand she could find. And me...well, I grew up with homesteading grandparents, great aunts and uncles, and even some of my parents friends had hobby farms despite their executive jobs. I simply grew up knowing what real food tastes like. Powdered milk just tasted...burnt. And greasy. The two boys had always rejected it.

So during the time that milk prices soared, I went looking to get other people's opinions on what brand might taste better. It took me a few hours, but I had finally found a discussion on the subject.

The problem is that most people are purchasing "powdered milk". Of course, often, its the only type available at the store. What one should be purchasing is "dry milk". Is there a difference? Yes. Its the market's clever little labeling. Powdered milk is heated up until its dry, and thus the burnt taste. Dry milk is "blown" until its dry.

So, we finally tracked down a store that sold the suggested brand of dry milk...Sanalac. That's the brand of milk, not the store. It was a bit more expensive than powdered milk, but it would still save some per gallon over the "fresh" kind. Fresh, of course, being a relative term...I don't know how fresh something could be if its shipped to a central location several states away, processed, then shipped back to sit on the store shelf, waiting for someone to purchase it. To me, fresh is milked that day....but that's my opinion.

So I purchased the Sanalac premium dry milk. Took it home, made it up. Sanalac doesn't disolve as easily in water as powdered milk does. I used the cold water from the water filter we keep in the fridge, and had to really whip it with the wisk, then let it sit for a while.

Now came the first victim. Ms. Pretty Princess, the milk sucker, just recently weaned from mom to sippy cups and, for comfort, bottles. No ick face. No throwing the bottle across the room.

Second victim...Little Man, then aged 8. He's the picky eater...just the age, I suppose, but he'll turn his nose up at even the family favorite foods. He takes the cup and gulps it down. No ick face.

So, my third and final victim...Mr. Man, then aged 13. It is rare thing for Mr. Man to find a food he doesn't like. At the same time, though, we're mostly talking moms garden goodies and home baked yummies. I remember seeing his face at the first taste of a McDonald's salad...totally rejected....and this was a kid that would make himself a salad for a snack.

Mr. Man took a sip, weighed it, and took another. Then he shrugged, teenager fashion, and finished it off.

It passed the kid test. And recently it even passed the test enough for hubby, who manufactures reasons to hate certain foods from his childhood, to put it on his cereal.


Now, as to the fat content in milk. Honestly, you really shouldn't worry about that. Very small children do need fats for brain development, but then again...very small children shouldn't be drinking cow's milk. They should be drinking mom's milk. Fat can be added for cooking, at the time you are actually cooking. On top of that...well, heck. The average American diet is resplendent with fat, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Remember the name...Sanalac. Its whats for breakfast.