SHELF STABLE MILK OPTIONS! PANTRY CHAT!

In our last video we shared how to make oat milk with pantry items. This was a great introduction to how you can have "milk" anytime you need it even if you run out of traditional dairy milk. Today I thought it would be a good time to take a moment and have a chat about they myriad of shelf stable milk options available to you that you may or may not have considered. I believe many of you already have one or two or maybe even all of these on your pantry shelf but may or may not realize what a lifesaver they can all be in their own right given the current situation we are all living with.

Shelf stable milk is not a new idea. In 1865 Borden developed the process for making sweetened condensed milk and thirty years or so later he devised a way to make evaporated milk by eliminating the sugar. Both of these processes were instrumental in keeping soldiers fed and nourished during both the civil war, and world war 1. The sweetened condensed milk seriously lowered infant mortality rates of the day by offering healthy and safe milk for babies and infants who would otherwise have starved.

Both sweetened condensed and evaporated milks have been an American staple in pantries and cupboards for many, many years. If I venture a guess many of you have a couple of cans in yours as well. These are great options for having milk available when there is none to be found.

In the 80's American's were introduced to Parmalat and other shelf stable milk in boxes. Europeans and Canadians have had these for decades prior to them arriving on our store shelves. These milks are "ultra high temperature" pasteurized and have a very long shelf life. They are a great option for your own pantry. You can find whole milk, in the same place as the soy, rice and almond milk on the shelf in your store as well. Look near the baking or the juice aisle. Other companies make whole, 1 and 2 percent as well as half and half and heavy cream with the same process. You can find them online and purchase by the case. I like a company named Gossner Foods. They have a great product and it is consistent as well as made here in the United States.

Canned coconut milk is also another great option. We usually have this on our shelf to put in Thai food or smoothies or just as a great addition to make something super creamy like a soup or stew. You can also find coconut cream which you can refrigerate and remove the fat solids and whip into a beautiful non dairy whipped cream option. I always have a few cans on hand.

Of course there is the old standby powdered milk. You can find this in instant and non instant varieties and if you are a food storage fan you can also find "whey milk alternatives" that act as milk for drinking or using on cereal. Powdered milk is something I always keep in my pantry because I often use it as an amendment to my bread baking. This can obviously be used as drinking milk as well. However if you want to make it delicious, mix only part of the powder with about half of the water called for on the instructions. Make sure the water is super hot from the tap then stir, stir, stir. Even better, use an immersion blender or make it in your regular blender to get this well incorporated and super creamy. Then add the remaining recommended water and stir again. Decant and refrigerate overnight for a much more pleasant dry milk experience than simply mixing and drinking.

Last on my list is buttermilk powder and while this is not intended to be mixed and used as a beverage, it is a nice "milk" to have on the shelf for baking of pancakes, biscuits and muffins as well as creating dry mixes for salad dressing or anything that calls for buttermilk. Since you may not use it very quickly I do recommend that you put it in a mason jar with a very tight fitting lid and then even put that jar in a storage bag or if you have a vacuum sealer, use that to remove any air from the jar. This will help keep the product longer and help to avoid clumping, especially in humid areas.

I hope that this was helpful and I hope you are inspired to use some of these tips to beef up your pantry with milk!

Happy Eating!

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