A Milk Powder That Tastes Like Milk!

As homesteaders and preppers we are always on the lookout for something great tasting and shelf stable for the pantry.

During the winter months when our breakfasts are mostly oatmeal and eggs, buying milk just becomes an aggravation since I think we waste more than we actually use.  On the other hand, if we don't buy any then I don't have any to cook with!

As a compromise, and because I use it when making wheat bread, I started making up small batches of milk from powdered.  I purchased several different brands and nothing tastes like milk - all of them have had an "off" flavor.  For most cooking purposes it works out fine, but in some things (like mashed potatoes) that flavor is just too noticeable.

My mom recently bought a sample pack of Country Cream milk powder and suggested we try it.  Grandma's Country Foods online had the best pricing, but since we live where we do the shipping was nearly $15!  Seemed silly to pay so much on shipping for a $1 sample pack. 

Since my mom was convinced it was good stuff, I went ahead and bought a #10 can of it, plus cans of the powdered cream cheese, buttermilk and sourcream.  I figured these would be life savers and would save me trips to town when I find a new recipe to try.

Anyhow, our order arrived a few days ago, but this morning I felt it was time to make up a small batch of milk and check it out.  The minute I opened the can I knew this stuff was different.  It's a much finer powder than the usual, and it smelled more like milk.  Anyhow, I made up just enough for both the husband and myself to try.  I let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours and then poured us each a glass....

.... moment of truth ....

It tasted JUST LIKE MILK!  No "off" taste, no gross after taste either!  Simply the best powdered milk available! 

Today I am going back online and ordering a case of six to add to our food storage supplies.  I think I might also buy a can of the dutch chocolate milk powder as well. 

I'd encourage anyone who stores for the future or for lean times to buy some of this fantastic milk powder.  You won't be sorry.

A Nifty Gadget... Make Your Own Yogurt

I hate reading food labels.  Lists of ingredients that sound like some kind of list for making the atomic bomb rather than something edible cover the packing of everything sold in today's grocery stories.  Makes me crazy. 

A few years ago I read a book where the author said "if you can't pronounce it and/or don't know what it is, it shouldn't go in your body".  Good advice.  That was when I started trying to do as much on my own as I could.

This time of year especially, I enjoy eating yogurt for breakfast.  Always have.  The thing with yogurt now is that it is not the yogurt of my childhood.  I remember yogurt being tart, and all the fruit was on the bottom and had to be mixed in.  Yogurt today is sweet with it's flavorings suspended so that each bite is the same as the one before it.

I've been reading about making my own yogurt off and on for years, but have always been intimidated by cultures and incubating times.  Making it in an oven just looked like a disaster waiting to happen - I mean there are so many variables!  A yogurt maker sounded great but sounded expensive.

Boy was I wrong!  There are LOTS of yogurt makers available, and they start at just $20!  I ended up selecting the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Maker with the automatic shutoff for $36.  Makes 7, 7oz jars of yogurt at a time.  All you do is heat your milk to 180 degrees, cool it back to lukewarm, add your starter and flavorings, ladle into the jars and place the jars in the maker.  Turn it on and set the timer.  When it's done you just take the jars out, screw on the lids and put them in the refrigerator.  How easy!


So yesterday I made my first batch.  I used 2% milk, and yogurt starter culture that I bought through Walmart.com.  After 9 hours in the yogurt maker I put the jars away, and this morning we had our first homemade yogurts!

Now, I will point out that if you have grown accustomed to today's sweet yogurt, you will be surprised by the bitterness of fresh homemade.  However, we added some homemade strawberry syrup on ours to give some strawberry flavor, and it was WONDERFUL!

I give this unit a 10 out of 10.  It's easy to use and easy to clean.  You can also purchase an extension rack and/or extra jars for it if you choose. 

Just another way to create something healthier for yourself and your family.

Selecting Meat Rabbit Breeding Stock

I've been considering adding rabbits to the farm for some time now as another meat animal in addition to our poultry.  (I'll be adding a later post about the other whys of raising rabbits soon.) 

 

When first looking into rabbits, a newbie such as myself maybe get a bit bogged down with all the rabbit options.  After months (okay, years) or research, these are the rabbits I feel are the best option for the backyard meat breeder, both in terms of size, but also in terms of availability:

 

1.  New Zealands

• The number one backyard meat rabbit
• A large rabbit, reaching a market size of approximately 5lbs by 8 weeks of age.
• Matures at about 10 lbs and is ready to breed at 6 months of age.
• Typically produces litters of 8+, with 10+ not being uncommon.
• Available in white, red and black, with white being the most common. 

2.  Californians

• Another favorite of the backyard breeder.
• Nearly identical to the New Zealand in terms of other stats.
   
   

3.  Flemish/Checkered Giants

• Officially, these rabbits are not listed as having a maximum size, or even an average size.  Most strains used for backyard production are crossed out with a New Zealand or Californian stock to produce rabbits that mature in the 10-15 lb range.
• These rabbits grow a bit more slowly than some others, and feed conversion is not as good.
• Very laid back and friendly rabbits.  Bucks tend to be a bit easier to deal with than in some other breeds.
• Larger specimens may require sturdier cages due to the larger size of the rabbit.
• Checkered giants especially are not listed as a proper body type for a meat rabbit, so careful selection is crucial.

4.  Standard Rex

• A very popular rabbit for fur/pelt production.  The coat of a Rex is velveteen in feel.
• Mature rabbits weigh in at 7 1/2 - 10 1/2 lbs.
• Friendly, and often listed as one of the most intelligent of rabbit breeds.
• Available in a number of different colors.
• Also available in a miniature version.

5.  Harlequins

• These rabbits were used as meat rabbits during WWII.
• Bold, beautiful color patterns.
• The smallest of the meat rabbits on my list, matures at 6 1/2 - 9 1/2 lbs. 
• More commonly used as an exhibition animal.
 

Of course, crosses of any of the above breeds would be good for the backyard producer.  I'll cover all the things to look for in breeding stock in a later post.