How To Dehydrate Milk for Long Term Storage

        

When we started on our preparedness journey, I tried to be practical. I didn't even know what a "prepper" was. In the beginning I made a list of things I used everyday. Literally from the time I woke up: Water, meds., t.p., coffee, toothpaste, toothbrush and so on and that is what I started storing. You know, store what you use, use what you store. Then I found I wasn't alone. 

Eventually I started dehydrating (and pressure canning) my own milk for long term storage because I taste tested all sorts of instant milks and tried packaged shelf stable milks and found them to be unpalatable for my taste. Plus, when examining how often I cook with milk it quickly became apparent that I needed to find a storage solution that would keep a supply of milk on hand.

Dehydrated Latte

This is the journey of storing milk. For my first batch, I used my Oster dehydrator (no longer available, but I also like the Presto dehydrator). I purchased these nifty fruit roll-up trays and  gently poured one cup of milk to each tray. 



Something is not level here. Not, sure if it is the dehydrator or the counter. So I kept turning the trays around to even out the milk.

This took about 12 hours. Longer than I expected. Note the flakiness and the “goopy” parts.

For the second batch of milk, I used the same method by putting the fruit roll-up trays in my Excalibur 9 Tray dehydrator. I have to share, I took me while to save up for the Excalibur dehydrator, but I find it to be worth it's weight in gold. Seriously. The main advantage is it's size & the fact you are able to control the temperatures. 
TIP: I would suggest that you put the round tray on your Excalibur tray INSIDE the dehydrator & then pour the milk into the tray.
Um, I prepped one on my counter top, tried to carry it over and milk spilled everywhere. My furbabies were VERY happy. I wasn't. Then I had to mop my floor.

Temp: Set the temperature between 125-130 degrees (F) and dehydrate until dry and flaky. It takes several hours, so be patient. 
Again, it wasn't level, maybe it's my house. So, every twenty minutes or so, I turned the trays around to more evenly distribute the milk. Turned out better this time.

When each batch came out there were several areas that were “goopy”. So I took my Pampered Chef scraper and gently removed all the dried milk, re-trayed & dehydrated a little more.

After the milk was nice and flaky, I crumbled up the pieces.

Next the pieces were put in the blender.

It really is that simple. 7 cups of instant ½ & ½.

After the jar was full, I vacuum sealed the jar for long term storage. 

It takes very little time, but worth it when it comes to minimizing my storage space. But, I highly recommend that you also read:

How to reconstitute the milk.

Also, you may enjoy these blog posts on pressure canning milk & dehydrating lattes:
Canning White Stuff from Cows I am very serious about my milk, I actually pressure can milk almost every week. I use milk a lot in my cooking, Therefore I store it.
How To Dehydrate Lattes (Yes, I actually store lattes)

What you see here on my blog and on facebook is original work (and all the pictures) that I actually do myself. I simply share my journey on preparing. If you liked this article, please feel free to join our community (Perky Prepping Gramma) on facebook & keep up to date on things posted. 

Take the time to look around on this site, you will find many tested methods of preparing for an emergency. I appreciate the support. Thank you. (4123)

    

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Here are some other great articles from other preppers I work with:

Food Storage

The Prepared Pantry: A 3 Month Food Supply | PreparednessMama
How to Make Your Own Vinegar (it's easier than you think) | Perky Prepping Gramma

How to Make Naan Bread - A No-Yeast Bread Alternative | Mom With a PREP

How to Wax Cheese for Long Term Storage | Perky Prepping Gramma

Dispelling the Canned Food Expiration Date Myth | Self Sufficient Man

6 Canning Myths You Must Know | Melissa K. Norris

How to Dehydrate Cherries | Mom With a PREP

How to Dehydrate Milk for Long Term Storage | Perky Prepping Gramma

Self-Reliance

Survival Tips from the Great Depression | Self Sufficient Man

The 5 best crops for Self Sufficient Gardeners | Our Stoney Acres

Butchering a chicken | The Homesteading Hippy

Self-Sufficiency Simplified | Blue Jean Mama

3 Small Livestock Preparedness Tips | Timber Creek Farm

Essential Oils for Preparedness | Mama Kautz

Farm First Aid Preparedness | Timber Creek Farm

72-Hour Kits or Bug Out Bags

How to Build a 72-hour Go Bag | Blue Yonder Urban Farm

Build Your Dollar Store B.O.B. for your Car in minutes! |    Simply Living Simply

10 Essential Oils You Need in Your B.O.B. and at Home | Blue Jean Mama

10 Must-Have Herbs for Your B.O.B | Simply Living Simply

Preparedness

Hard Core Truths About Prepping | Perky Prepping Gramma 
5 Things New Moms Can Do to Prepare for Disasters | PreparednessMama

Trauma Essentials for the Prepper | The Prepared Ninja

Emergency Preparation for Those Who Are Disabled or Elderly | A Matter of Preparedness

10 Most Important Items a Female Prepper Should Have | Living Life in Rural Iowa

How to Prepare Your Car for Winter | Frugal Mama and the Sprout

How to Prepare For a Power Outage | Blue Yonder Urban Farm

Why Natural Health, Exercise and Whole Foods Play a Role in Survival | Trayer Wilderness

Getting Started With Water Storage | The Backyard Pioneer

10 Totally Free Prepping Things to Do | Living Life in Rural Iowa

‎21 Prepper Tips I Wish I'd Heard Before I Started Prepping | Urban Survival Site

Is Homesteading Like Prepping? | The Homesteading Hippy

What You Should Consider When Fire Is A Threat | Trayer Wilderness

11 Ways to Cook Off-Grid | Melissa K. Norris

Test: Will Pressure Canned Heavy Whipping Cream Still Whip?

Being the curious gramma that I am, I wanted to test to see if pressure canned heavy whipping cream could still be whipped into whipped cream. 

First, I pressure canned heavy whipping cream, the very same way I pressure can any white stuff from cows.
The good thing is pressure canning the cream makes it shelf stable.
Here is the thing: It loses some of the fat content in the pressure canning process so it won't whip up for whipped cream any more. but, I have used it for cooking and for ice cream. Regular whipping cream: Yummy!

Trying to whip up heavy whipping cream that has been pressure canned. It will aerate some, BUT, it just won't turn into true whipped cream. A little soupy. It was a yummy treat.

There you have the results of my test. Now you know too.

What you see here on my blog and on facebook is original work (and pictures) that I (Perky Prepping Gramma) actually do myself. I simply share my journey on preparing. If you liked this article, please feel free to like me (Perky Prepping Gramma) on facebook & keep up to date on things I post. I appreciate the support. Thank you.

Controversy, education & wise choices for your family...

Lil' Frog asked a very interesting question “Followed here (to the blog) from your FB post about the milk, but then looked this (canning butter) up because I canned butter but all of the lids failed when I went to use it...anyway I just noticed something odd to me...why would you process butter the same time as for meats but milk (which it's made from) for only 10 mins. It just seemed odd the time difference...especially since the butter is already hot and ready...can you explain why the difference in times?”

The short answer is I don't really know why there is a difference in the timing in pressure canning these two different, but similar products. Even after researching more today, I couldn't find an adequate answer to Lil' Frog's question.

First, to address the failure rate of the lids when canning butter, the only thing I would add is when I have an issue with this, I increase the head-space (that space between the product being canned and the very top of the lid) and I insure that I thoroughly clean the top of the rims. If it is something that is higher in fat, I will even clean the rims a couple of times, using a fresh paper towel and vinegar.

Just an interesting note: This specific picture is all over the internet. I try hard to follow pictures & articles back to the original publication. This particular image is directly from the USDA Guideline Handbook.

What I will share is how I personally determine what I am going to can or not can. When I am researching a particular subject, (like canning milk or butter) I spend literally hours, reading guidelines, the USDA guidelines (I can't tell you how many times I have read their online information) and I study specific canners that I personally trust. Here is a link to a blog post I did on What does the USDA Really Say AboutCanning Milk (237). This includes charts from the USDA's Guidelines Handbook & a link to download and print their handbook.

I HIGHLY encourage you to do the research for yourself, to determine what you are willing to consider safe for your own family. First and foremost we are each individually responsible for using our own judgment for our families safety. That being said, based on what I have researched, I share with you what I consider safe for my family. in my mind.

That being said I want to emphasize whatever your decide; 

"ALWAYS use impeccable hygiene  

canning practices"

I believe everything should be sterilized. Including your tools, jars, lids, rings. Always use fresh clean towels, be generous with your paper towels when cleaning.

Sorry that I don't have a more definitive answer. I will continue to research and if I find out more I will share.

If you have some time here are just a few links I think are worth reading. Both pros and cons, since that is how I roll.

1. How to Can Milk: Mother Earth News

2. Preparedness Pro:

Several articles when searching for botulism: 

3. Katzcradul RANT on Botulism Fear Mongering

To be fair, I also share people that disagree with these practices.

1. Preserving the Harvest By the Book; I respect just doesn't believe in doing anything outside of the canning bible. If you want straight from the book procedures, she is the gal to follow in my opinion. Though she appears to have not been posting in a while.

2. imstillworkin (Youtube vlogger)

I wish I had the answer, but I don't at this point in time. You are welcome to gently disagree with me or each other and post. I am willing to have both sides posted here or on facebook. Again, do the research, because I do feel this is an important decision.

What does the USDA really say about Canning Milk?

We are going to have a gentle discussion of the topic of pressure canning milk. I have always recommended that you do the research & determine what is best for you & your family. When I decide to do something, generally I will read as much as possible from “reliable sources”. So I am asking you to read the following information first, before making a comment.
When I first heard of canning milk I oft “heard” that the USDA doesn't recommend canning milk. I felt at that point that I must add that same disclaimer that is isn't recommended by the USDA. Because I had seen it written by “other people” so often.  

Well, today I spent several hours reading and re-reading the USDA and National Center for Home Food Preservation and this is what I found: This is the type of research I do for myself. Here is what I found.

From the USDA website Link posed in 2011, there was a link to the

NationalCenter for Home FoodPreservation.

You are able to read & off print all 7 publications from 2009. These guides included the following CompleteGuide to Home Canning, Guide 1: Principles of Canning.

I paid particular attention to page 6 and the discussion of “Growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum in canned food may cause botulism—a deadly form of food poisoning”.
This bacterium “survives harmlessly in soil and water for many years”. Botulism is dangerous.  Please read these links. It explains why using the proper pressure canning guidelines are needed to "to ensure the destruction of the largest expected number of heat resistant microorganism in home-canned food."
In my opinion, if this is the basis for not canning milk, then it would apply equally to vegetables which are actually gown in dirt. 

If you look at the chart on page 7, there is are notes on the chart: 

At 212 degrees: “Temperatures are used to destroy most bacteria, yeasts and molds in acidic foods. Time required to kill these decreases as temperature increase,”

Then you will note at 204-250 degrees the “canning temperatures for low acid vegetables, meat and poultry in a pressure canner.

Then on page 8: “Low-acid food have pH values higher than 4.6 They include red meats, seafood, poultry, milk and all fresh vegetable except for most tomatoes.”

The same document includes this chart...

USDA Chart

Please enlarge this chart so you are able to see the entire chart, including milk at the bottom..

What I did find was this caution in a document about How Do I Can...Soup.

“Caution: Do not add noodles or other pasta, rice, flour, cream, milk or other thickening agents to home canned soups.” In another publication:  "These ingredients can slow down the rate of heating and these process times have not been tested for use with soups containing these ingredients".

Which included links to Using a Pressure Canner and Principles of Home Canning (listed above) I could be wrong, but I believe that people are extrapolating their stand from this one single line.

What I am asking is to show me a recognized document from the USDA or NCHFP that states it is unsafe to pressure can milk & why. I could have missed it, I am human. 

That is how I made my decision that pressure canning milk was safe for my family. 
Let me be real specific here: If you choose to use this method for storage:

MILK MUST BE PRESSURE CANNED, BECAUSE IT IS A PROTEIN.

And yes I am shouting, all caps, bright red letters because I want to make sure you understand what I am saying. That being said: if you want to know how I pressure can my milk here is the link: White Stuff From Cows

Just another note: also, on the National Center for Home Food Preservation, under FrequentlyAsked Questions, there is an article (it's the last question on the page) I read which dealt with canning butter, and it only referenced not water bathing butter. It didn't address pressure canning. Here is my research on canning butter: What Does the USDA Really say about Pressure Canning Butter

If I was a fancy cook...

(Dehydrated chipped beef, canned milk, canned butter)

...I would call this Béchamel Bœuf.
I am sure that like me, you have seasonal foods. As the colder weather is arriving I find I turn to the same recipes often. Chicken & dumplings, chili, creamed tuna on toast (I know sounds terrible) and creamed chipped beef are on the top of our list. I really love that now I have stored all the items necessary to make these meals, I can easily prepare our favorites.

Last night was creamed chipped beef all from storage.

I have used white cream sauces for years for lot of recipes. Learned it has a fancy name “Béchamel sauce”. Fancy name for a not fancy cook. But, I don't use recipes. Here is an example recipe (for rough estimates).

Creamed Chipped Beef from storage items.
Dehydrated thinly sliced beef 

Butter (canned) 

Flour (stored)

½ & ½ (canned) 

First a covered the dehydrated with hot water and cooked it on low, until the beef was rehydrated.

Drained remaining water and some butter. Added some flour to create the roux. (Equal parts of butter & flour). Then slowly added the ½ & ½ and cooked until it was thick. Add salt & pepper to taste.
The only thing I don't have stored was the English muffins. I now have a recipe to try. Toasted them and covered with the cream beef. Warm & filling.

Being a little lazy here & just posting the pictures in order. 

White stuff from cows...

Why pressure can milk?
I personally pressure can milk and this is my personal favorite way to store milk. When I began to focus my storage on "Store what you eat, eat what you store", I realized that a majority of meals I prepared involved some sort of sauce, gravy, etc.
I don't really like the other types of stored milk (instant), but I have them stored for the long term & will use them. The milk I use is hormone free, 1/2 & 1/2,  milk from  a carton, like you would buy from a store. But, there are those who have done raw milk. I can not attest to their successes. I recommend that you do the research & determine what is best for you & your family. Here is what i have found about What the National Center for Home Food Preservation actually says about pressure canning milk.

I continually test jars of 1/2 & 1/2 that I stored in October 2012. (0614) I have finished using all of that batch of milk and now am using milk canned in early 2013.

How I pressure can milk and yes it milk needs to be PRESSURED CANNED because it is low acid, protein. I do not, repeat do not water bath any protein based food.
I start with sterilized jars, and carefully pour the milk in cold, straight from the container. Cleaned the rims with a towel soaked with a little vinegar. 

 After applying the sterilized lids and rings; I pressured canned the jars for 10 (15 for quarts) minutes at 10 lbs. of pressure for pints. 

After the pressure dropped, I took the jars out & let them cool overnight. Checked the lids. Then the next day I washed the jars off (to remove any milk residue) and let them dry. Generally I leave anything I have canned out for a few days to make sure that the lids have sealed properly. Label with date canned & what it is. Then I store them in a cool, dark, dry location.

NOTE ADDED June 2014: When using my milk, every now and then I will find a jar that has what looks like clotted milk. I believe I have a hot spot on my stove top. See below. Initially I was hesitant, but I took care in testing it. Each time I smell it & taste it. This one was particularly thick, remember I use 1/2 & 1/2. 

 

I just whisk it smooth and haven't had any problems. Here I was making bread pudding from storage, the link to "how to" ----> Do you remember bread pudding? Made from 100% storage items.

Thank you for dropping by & please feel free to like Perky Prepping Gramma on Facebook  share & pin. I actually do what I post & share my actual journey of preparation. From dehydrating, canning. water storage or something as simple as how to use a P-38 can opener, I test it out and share the results. The the time to look around and see what type of work helps you get you better prepared for an emergency. Thank you!



Edited: 06/06/14 Someone asked about the timing difference between this and butter. What I try to remember to recommend is talked about here is this post Controversy, education, wise choices..


                          

I also have an online Amazon Associate/store called Perky Prepping Gramma's Store. This allows me to show you the products I have personally used and endorse, while monetizing my work. What I found early on was people would ask me where I got such & such an item and I would simply share a link.  Perky Prepping Gramma's Store So, I created a store of these items I use frequently or recommend. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but I do receive a small percentage as an advertising bonus, if you purchase from my store. You are even able to just link in and do any of your regular Amazon shopping. Thank you for your consideration.
I know there are established, long term canning, prepping bloggers that have canned & dehydrated milk. 

New USDA Guidelines

What does the NCHFP really say about pressure canning milk?

Complete Home Guide to Home Canning: Principles of Home Canning

General Canning Guidelines (National Center for Home Food Preservation)

Water, Juice and Milk (pasteurizing milk)

Lattes & Milk for storage...

What was that? Storing lattes? Storing milk?

I am committed to storing what I eat & eating what I store.
When I was making the decisions about pressure canning milk products, I read up about the issue and asked specific people (bloggers) that I trusted if they canned milk or not. There are very few that I would completely trust their opinion. So, I knew there are established, long term canning, prepping bloggers that have canned & dehydrated milk.
Here is what I found in my research "What does the USDA actually say about the subject?".  What I encourage each person to do is to read both sides of the issue and determine what you believe is best for you & yours.

These are the types of milk I currently have in storage. Each has a purpose. I have tried each of them. These are used for cooking various foods.

I pressure canned milk & dehydrated my own milk. The reason is I actually use a lot of milk in cooking. Whole milk, half & half. That being said; I also get my milk & lattes for free, so I feel free to experiment more. 

For pressure canning of the milk; I used pints at 10# for 15 minutes. It has sort of a Parmalat taste to it. But wonderful for cooking. Since I am still in the testing phase, I plan to use it through out the year. So far I have used it 12 months out (100913). [edited]
Here are more specific directions for pressure canning milk. "White Stuff from Cows..."

For dehydration of the milk and the lattes I used the same process.
I poured 1 cup of latte (or milk) into a fruit roll-up tray while the tray was sitting in my Excalibur dehydrator.
I set the temperature at 125 (edited) degrees. For some reason it pooled to one side of the trays, so initially, every 1/2 hour or so, I carefully turned the trays around 180 degrees.

Once it was almost completely dry (somewhere between 10-12 hours) it looked mostly flaky with some slightly damp patches. Using a Pampered Chef cleaner/scrapper I released all the flakes and damp areas, re-trayed (all onto one tray at this point) them and continued to dehydrate until everything was completely dry.

Then I used the a blender to grind the flakes into small bits.
Then these flakes are vacuum sealed into quart canning jars, when I get enough.

I have rehydrated the lattes using a little over 13 teaspoons of dehydrated mix, adding hot liquid to make one cup.



 The initial mixture for my lattes is 12 ounces of milk (½ & ½) and 8 shots of espresso. I like them strong. I did try dehydrating one batch with sweetener, which didn't work out well. Just wouldn't get completely dry.

To rehydrate I measured 13 tsps. into a jar and added enough boiling water to equal 1 cup. Mixed it up, strained the fats out, this is the end results.

Some of the items I used in this post: I work with Amazon Associates Program, where I earn a small percentage on items people purchase through my links. I only recommend items I have used and like & I appreciate your support.

    

Reconstituting Home Dehydrated Milk

I purposefully did these batches in 1 cup increments so I could measure how much dried milk to use to make a cup again.
It measure out to a tiny bit over 13 teaspoons, then add HOT water to make one cup.

  

Stirred it up with a whisk Then STRAIN the MILK to get the extra fat particles.  

Taste test. Well, I tell you I tasted it while still warm and it tasted good. We would use this cold on cereal or to drink.

All in all, I will do this again. 








The last step was to vacuum seal it with my Food Saver and add to my food storage. 



Thank you for dropping by & please feel free to like Perky Prepping Gramma on Facebook  share & pin. I actually do what I post & share my actual journey of preparation. From items I have in my bug out bag,vacuum sealing or simply a get preparedness mindset book, I test it out and share the results. Take the time to look around and see what type of work helps you get you better prepared for an emergency. Thank you!

                                                       


I also have an online Amazon Associate/store called Perky Prepping Gramma's Store. This allows me to show you the products I have personally used and endorse, while monetizing my work. What I found early on was people would ask me where I got such & such an item and I would simply share a link.  Perky Prepping Gramma's Store So, I created a store of these items I use frequently or recommend. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but I do receive a small percentage as an advertising bonus, if you purchase from my store. You are even able to just link in and do any of your regular Amazon shopping. Thank you for your consideration.