On the shelves in grocery stores, along with dairy products familiar to us, you can also see milk powder, which differs from the classical one in its powdery consistency. This product has found application in various areas of cooking. It is often used to make bread, whole milk, and sausages. In the field of animal husbandry, this powder is used as animal feed. Many people prefer to use this product due to the long shelf life of milk powder. Let's take a closer look at this product, as well as the features of its storage.
general description
Before answering the question of what is the shelf life of milk powder, it is necessary to understand in more detail what exactly this product is.
Dried milk is a dry concentrate (milk powder) obtained from a simple pasteurized drink. The undoubted advantage of this product is that it eliminates various disadvantages of liquid milk. For example, the shelf life of milk powder is much longer and easier to transport to suppliers. In addition, milk powder retains its excellent composition, contains all the necessary vitamins and nutrients necessary for the body.
The prototype of this modern product was the lumps of milk made by the inhabitants of Siberia. They froze milk and received a concentrated product that was stored for a long time.
For the first time, milk powder, the shelf life of which will be described below, was obtained by the Russian doctor Krichevsky, who for a long time evaporated the liquid using a special technology, thanks to which all the beneficial properties of milk were preserved. After several decades, this powder began to be used in cooking, as well as in the food industry. Now milk powder is included in the nutrition menu of not only adults, but also children.
Classification
Milk powder is divided into 2 types. It can be fat-free or whole fat content:
- Whole dry (20 and 25% fat).
- Skimmed milk powder.
- Instant.
- Milk for the production of baby food.
Low fat
A subtype of powdered milk is considered a nonfat dry product, which in its composition contains 25 times less fat. Due to its low fat content, the shelf life of skimmed milk powder is quite long. In addition, this powder does not require special storage conditions. If it is mixed with water, then you can get an instant product that barists use to add to coffee.
Whole
The increased calorie content and long shelf life of dried whole milk are the distinctive features of this product. Powdered milk is a creamy powder with a uniform consistency. This product is obtained from whole cow's milk. It can be dissolved completely without sediment. As a rule, whole milk powder does not have any inclusions of brown or yellow color, it is easily rubbed between the fingers in the hands.
The composition of the product
What is this product made of such that the shelf life of milk powder in accordance with GOST is so long? The classic version includes only pasteurized whole cow's milk. This raw material is subjected to a 5-stage complex drying procedure, and then homogenization, thus preserving the original composition almost unchanged.
The finished powder in its composition has a large amount of fats, proteins, lactose, vitamins, nutrients and trace elements. Additional components in the composition are not present, for example, soy protein, starch, sugar. These products only worsen the taste and quality of milk powder.
What is the shelf life of milk powder?
And now it’s worth talking in more detail about the shelf life of this product. If you observe the storage conditions correctly, then the shelf life of powdered milk in bags will be no more than 8 months. Skimmed milk powder in metal containers is stored no more than 3 years.
You should also pay attention to the fact that the shelf life of powdered milk in open form will be less than in closed form. If the powder is kept in heat, then it will quickly deteriorate. For example, a dried product stored at an air temperature of 20 degrees can only be consumed for 30 days. Powder diluted in water can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The shelf life of powdered milk in vacuum packaging will be slightly longer after opening - approximately 7-8 months. It is best to store it on a shelf in the refrigerator. Shelf life of powdered milk in sealed glass containers will also be about 8 months. As for fat-free, it can be stored in a closed container for one year.
How are they made?
The production of this product is carried out in 5 stages at Russian plants. The raw material is fresh cow's milk, which undergoes the following changes:
- First, normalization is carried out, during which the fat content is brought to an average value. For this purpose, the product is mixed with cream or with less fat milk. This stage is necessary in order to achieve the correct fat ratio in accordance with GOST.
- The next step is pasteurization, which is the heating of raw materials. This process cleans milk from various viruses and bacteria. Pasteurize cow's milk for a short time, after which it is cooled to the required temperature.
- Cooking or thickening. At this stage, the product is cooked, divided into low-fat and whole subspecies, for which the process differs in parameters and time. If sugar is added to milk at this stage, then condensed milk can be obtained.
- The next step is homogenization, which is the production of a product of a homogeneous composition.
- The final step in the manufacture of milk powder will be drying. During this procedure, the nutritious fluid obtained is carefully dried on a special apparatus until it turns into powder without a single drop of moisture.
How to breed at home?
After purchasing the product in the store for subsequent preparation, it is necessary to observe the proportions of the dilution of this powder. To restore milk powder, you need to take three parts of plain water with a temperature of about 45 degrees, as well as one part of the powder. The liquid is introduced gradually, thoroughly stirred, then left for several minutes. So you can achieve a milky homogeneous consistency, as well as dissolving the proteins included in the product.
Good breeding tips
Before you breed milk powder with water yourself at home, pay attention to some useful tips:
- It is undesirable for these purposes to use cold water, since the particles will not completely dissolve, begin to crystallize and feel strongly on the teeth.
- Boiling water is also not suitable for breeding powdered milk, since the product is curdled in it.
- It is imperative to allow the liquids to stand after dilution for a while, as in this way you can achieve the optimal product, not watery and without lumps.
- It’s best not to use a mixer to stir, as it creates a lot of foam in the drink.
- Dry powder is added to the water gently and gradually.
- If you make natural coffee at home and season it with dry diluted milk, you will get a very tasty drink.
Pancakes with milk powder
A very popular dish among housewives are pancakes made with milk powder. To prepare them, you need to take 1 liter of whole cow's milk, which can be easily obtained if 8 teaspoons of dry product is diluted in one liter of warm water. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that it is necessary to add dry powder to the water, and not vice versa. Stir everything thoroughly, wait 15 minutes to achieve a uniform consistency.
Powdered milk porridge
A very tasty breakfast will be porridge made on the basis of milk powder. To do this, take 25 g of milk powder, dilute in one glass of warm water. About 250 ml of the recovered beverage with a 2.5% fat content is obtained from this amount. As a rule, this amount is enough to prepare one serving of porridge.
To make a healthy breakfast for four, you need to take 120 g of milk powder and 900 ml of warm water. Stir the ingredients continuously until milk powder is completely dissolved in water.
Benefit and harm
As mentioned earlier, the composition of milk powder is not inferior to a pasteurized natural product. It contains such an element as calcium, which is necessary for strengthening bones. Also in the composition there is potassium, which improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Vitamin A, which is part of milk powder, improves vision and overall skin health. In addition, this dry product is useful for rickets, as it contains a large amount of vitamin D. Other useful properties of milk powder are as follows:
- The product is prescribed for anemia.
- Potassium, which is part of milk powder, normalizes the amount of cholesterol in the blood.
- Phosphorus and magnesium provide comprehensive support for overall health.
- Choline protects human cells from damage.
- Milk powder is useful for diabetes, as well as for gastroenterological diseases.
- The composition contains a large amount of vitamin B12 and protein, which are so necessary for vegetarians or people who do not eat meat.
- Powdered milk is well absorbed by the body, and also does not burden the digestive tract.
- The composition does not contain bacteria, so there is no need to boil the product.
- Milk powder is a source of protein, which is necessary for both adults and children.
As for the harm of milk powder, it is not so obvious. The powder is not recommended for allergy sufferers, as well as for people who have lactose intolerance. Also, this drink is not worth drinking for those who have allergic reactions to the components of the product. Do not get involved in milk powder for those who have a tendency to gain weight. The fact is that the high energy value of milk powder contributes to a rapid increase in weight, which is then difficult to get rid of. Therefore, the product is not suitable for people who are on diets.
To summarize, we can say that milk powder is much more convenient than pasteurized liquid. It retains almost the same composition, but at the same time its shelf life is much longer, and it takes up less space.