When we think of essentials for survival, milk doesn’t often show up at the top of the list.
However, whenever there is an incoming storm, the grocery stores sell out of milk in a blink of an eye.
The problem is, dairy milk must stay refrigerated.
It has a short expiration date.
And you can’t stock it for long-term emergencies.
But there is a solution.
Powdered milk is an effective substitute for traditional dairy milk.
Ready Hour’s Powdered Whey Milk can last for up to 25 years in storage, and it does not require refrigeration!
All you need to do is add water and stir to create a glass of milk for drinking or cooking.
Plus, this unique powdered milk contains whey protein, which provides the body with needed energy.
In an emergency, powdered milk is an excellent substitute for milk and can even be used in several ways outside the kitchen.
Check out these 20 uses for powdered milk in an emergency.
1. Dethaw Frozen Fish
Whether the power is out or you’re prepping for tonight’s dinner, try dethawing fish in a bowl of powdered milk and water.
Not only will this help the fish dethaw, but it will also remove the fishy smell.
2. Chalk
Should you ever need to signal for help or leave a message at your bug-out meet-up location for a family member that hasn’t shown, you can use powdered milk to make chalk.
DIY milk paint is easy to whip up.
Simply combine 1/2 cup milk powder, 1 teaspoon pigment, 1 dash calcium hydroxide, and 2 tablespoons water (and scale up as needed).
3. Insect Bite Relief
The last thing in an emergency you want to be dealing with is itchy, burning skin.
Combine powdered milk with water to create a paste, then apply to bites for quick relief. The whey protein calms inflammation and reduces redness.
4. Cottage cheese
You can even use powdered whey milk to make your own cottage cheese.
Here is a recipe from Instructables.
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered milk
- 6 cups water
- Vinegar
Instructions
- Reconstitute your dried milk, either follow the directions on the milk package or combine 3 cups of powdered milk with 6 cups of cold water in a large stock pot.
- Stir until the milk is totally dissolved in the water.
- Heat the milk over medium low heat until it reaches 120 degrees F.
- Turn off the heat and add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the milk.
- Stir and let the milk sit for 10 minutes.
- You should see the curds separate from the whey, if not add an additional 1/4 cup of vinegar and wait another 10 minutes.
- Place a sheet of cheesecloth in a colander. Pour the curds into the cheesecloth. If desired, set the colander over a large bowl and collect the whey.
- Rinse the cheese curds under cold running water and let drain.
- Transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator.
5. Hot Chocolate
There’s something about a piping hot mug of hot chocolate that calms the nerves and soothes the soul. Whether a storm hits and you have no milk in the fridge or the power is out for days, you can use powdered milk as a milk substitute.
Just add powdered milk to the hot chocolate powder and add water, or you can reconstitute the powdered milk and mix it into the hot chocolate.
6. DIY Buttermilk
My mother always jokes about what she would do if the grid went down and she couldn’t keep buttermilk. Good news, mom. Powdered milk makes it possible.
Whether the power is down or you just ran out of fresh milk, you can easily substitute powdered milk.
Simply combine 1/3 cup powdered milk with 1 cup of water and add 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
7. Plant Fertilizer
If an EMP happens and you're forced to live off what’s growing in your garden, you need to have a way to fertilize your plants.
A surprising use of powdered milk is found in the garden.
A study published by the Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition found that using milk powder on plants “can increase the yield, growth, and production by significantly increasing N, P, and K uptake by 45, 73, and 95%. It also increases the total chlorophyll by more than 22%.”
Dilute one part of milk powder in two parts of water and add it to the growing medium.
8. Smoothies
When emergency strikes, you need to make sure you and your family stay hydrated and have fuel to face whatever happens. Use powdered milk to make creamy smoothies.
9. Creamed Spinach
If the power goes out and you have spinach in your freezer or fridge, don’t let it go to waste! While everyone on your block is eating canned beans, your clan can enjoy creamed spinach made on your Inferno PRO Outdoor Biomass Stove. Instead of using milk, you can use powdered milk and water to make the creamy sauce for creamed spinach.
10. Gravy
Another comfort food that helps calm the nerves in an emergency is gravy. There are many gravy recipes that only require ingredients, such as powdered milk, water, and fat.
Like hot chocolate mixes, you can pre-make gravy mixes and store them for several months until ready to use.
11. Feeding Animals
Powdered milk is often used for feeding infant animals, including goat kids and piglets. Should something happen to the mother or she refuses to nurse, you want powdered milk on hand.
Simply mix the milk powder with water to replace a mother’s milk.
12. Sunburn Relief
If you suffer from sunburn, try taking a bath made with milk powder to soothe your skin.
13. Soften Skin
Your skin is something you don’t want to neglect in a time of crisis. Dry, cracked skin can be painful and debilitating in some cases.
Powdered milk is a go-to ingredient for soothing dry skin.
If you are suffering from cracked hands or feet, create this DIY milk bath soak from Byrdie.
Ingredients
- 1-2 cups powdered milk (depending on the size of your tub)
- Warm water
- 1 cup oats
- 1/2 cup oil
- Essential oils
- 1 cup Epsom salt
14. Yogurt
If your family loves yogurt, there’s no need to go without – should the power go out for an extended period of time.
However, to do so, you will need a live culture starter yogurt.
Here is a recipe for yogurt from Food.com.
Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups warm tap water
- 1 cup powdered milk
- 2 -4 tablespoons yogurt starter
Instructions
- Combine the warm water with the powdered milk and place in a medium saucepan.
- You could add 1/3 C sugar and 1 T vanilla extract at this point for vanilla yogurt. Try other flavorings too.
- Heat the milk mixture to 180 degrees or until small bubbles form on the side of the pan and the milk begins to rise up (about 5 minutes.).
- Pour the scalded milk into a pitcher and allow to cool to 100 degrees (about 50 minutes). About half-way through the cooling time, remove your yogurt from the refrigerator and allow to set out or it will shock the starter. When the milk mixture has cooled to 100 degrees, stir in the yogurt starter.
- Pour the yogurt into a clean quart canning jar and cover with the lid. Wrap the jar in a towel or blanket and place in a styrofoam cooler or haybox. Be sure it is wrapped tight without any room for air to circulate around the jars. Pack it snug. Let the yogurt incubate in the box for 9 hours.
- Remove the jars from the hay box and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
- Note: You can add your favorite fruit jam in the bottom of the glass jars before pouring the unset yogurt mixture into the jars.
- Save a bit of the yogurt from this batch to use as the starter for your next batch.
15. Mayonnaise
Sometimes mayo makes everything better. Should you not have milk on hand or the store shelves are barren, you can make your own lean mayo by substituting powdered milk for dairy milk.
Here is a recipe from Edun Club. Simply combine the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- Substitute of milk powder - 6 tsp.
- Vegetable oil - 150 ml
- Water - 80 ml
- Salt to taste
- Mustard - 1 tsp.
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp.
16. Oatmeal
Should an emergency strike in the dead of winter, your family needs a meal that will warm them from the inside out. Make oatmeal even creamier and richer by adding ½ cup powdered milk for each cup of dry oatmeal. Use the same amount of water as required.
17. Hand Soap
Another creative use for powdered milk is making hand soaps. The nourishing properties of milk are great for skincare.
If you are using a cold process soap recipe that calls for water, you can substitute powdered milk.
18. Neutralizes Strong Odors
Let’s say your dog got sprayed by a skunk. One of the best ways to neutralize the odor is to use milk.
If you don’t have a gallon on hand, fret not. You can use powdered milk. Simply apply the powdered milk to the odorous spots and allow it to soak into the skin. Then, rinse and shampoo.
19. Cheese Sauces
Okay, so cheese sauce isn’t probably at the top of your list of things you need in an emergency. But if you need to make a cheese sauce and don’t have dairy milk in your fridge, you can substitute powdered whey milk.
Most cheese sauces, including white cheese sauces and cheddar cheese sauces, can be made using powdered milk.
20. Removes Stains
Did you know you can remove ink stains using powdered milk? Place the ink-stained garments in a powdered milk bath overnight. Then, wash as normal.
There you have it! 20 uses for powdered milk in an emergency. What are you waiting for? Stock up on Ready Hour’s Powdered Whey Milk today.
It lasts up to 25 years in storage unopened, and there’s no refrigeration required.
In liberty,
Elizabeth Anderson
Preparedness Advisor, My Patriot Supply
