With the need to store more products like milk, water, and food, powdered milk seems like the best option over raw milk since it lasts longer. The problem is that powdered milk has different expiration dates and storage requirements before and after mixing it. Many people wonder whether does powdered milk need to be refrigerated after mixing or not to make it last longer since people are using as a better alternative to other types of milk that spoil faster.
So, does powdered milk need to be refrigerated after mixing? Yes, powdered milk needs to be refrigerated after mixing or it goes bad. Ideally, you’ll consume the milk within 4-6 days after mixing it. After that, the mixed powdered milk usually spoils becoming unsafe to drink. Now, as long as it’s in its original powder state, it’s nonperishable.
The secret is to only mix the quantity that you’re going to consume within the 4-6 days period. This way, you’ll never waste good milk. Also, always make sure that you keep it in the refrigerator. Only take it out when you’re going to drink it. This is the best strategy to avoid it going bad.
Now, when it comes to powdered milk that hasn’t been activated, meaning it’s still powder, you don’t need to worry. It can last decades. The only thing is that after a few years it won’t taste as good as fresh powdered milk. The solution, in this case, is to use it for something else other than drinking like cooking.
Below you’re going to learn how to make sure your powdered milk lasts longer and tastes better. Also, you’ll learn how to store it. As you know, milk is a high-commodity during rough times, so you don’t want to waste any.
If You Don’t Refrigerate Powdered Milk It Spoils Faster
The main reason to refrigerate the powdered milk is that certain bacteria that are in it only grow under certain temperatures. This means that if you leave the powdered milk outside, these bacteria will grow and spoil the milk. That’s why you need to keep it in the refrigerator.
Now, you must know that once in the refrigerator, the milk may look funny after a couple of days. You don’t need to worry. Just mix the liquid again like you would with juice. Once you have a uniform solution, you can drink the milk with no concerns about it.
So, make sure that you do refrigerate your powdered milk after mixing it. You must do so to avoid spoiling the milk. Also, make sure you pick the good quality ones since certain types of powdered milk don’t last this long due to poor quality. The Milkman Lowfat Milk is one of the best-powdered milk that you can find. It tastes close to regular milk and lasts long in the right storage. Check it out here on Amazon.
Consume The Powdered Milk Within 6 Days
After 6 days, powdered milk goes either bad or loses its fresh taste. When food spoils, it pretty much means that an unhealthy number of bacteria and other microorganisms have taken control. If the bacteria population grows too much, the food becomes unsafe to eat. It’s not always that you’re going to smell or even taste something bad. Some bacteria are capable of masquerading all that. That’s why it’s important to respect the expiration date no matter what.
Now, when it comes to milk, it’s quite obvious when it got spoiled. It’ll smell and look horrible. Milk usually looks like some weird white cheese. It’s spongy and it has this almost transparent liquid under the spongy content. If you smell it, you can tell right away that it’s not good. In this case, do not drink it. You’ll get food poisoning and maybe even more health problems.
So, here’s what you’re going to do with the milk:
- Prepare only what your family will consume within 6 days max
- Always keep it in the refrigerator
- Check the smell no matter how long it’s been on the fridge
- When in doubt toss it away
The “Best By Date” Only Stands If You Haven’t Activated It
There’s always a lot of confusion with the best by date of powdered milk and other kinds of powdered food items. People think that what’s in the can is related to the prepared solution. That date refers to the powder and not the solution after mixing it. This is what you need to understand. The date in the recipient refers to the product as you bought it.
When it comes to powdered milk, it can last a long time before it’s activated. Powdered milk is just milk that’s been heated until it turned into powder. That’s one of the reasons why it lasts so long. Now, once it’s been mixed with water or raw milk, the same rules don’t apply.
If you keep in mind that the best by date refers to the powdered milk and that the 6 days rule refers to the milk after mixed with water, you’ll be good to go. Make sure that you store it under the right temperature, and your milk will last a long time. Now, if you don’t usually like the taste of powdered milk, there’s a tip below that might change your mind.
Consider Mixing It With Regular Milk To Stretch It
A lot of people hate powdered milk when mixed with water. It tastes different in a bad way. It’s lighter and sometimes even metallic in taste. The solution if you dislike the taste of powdered milk is to mix it with regular milk. Not only makes it taste better but it stretches the regular milk.
If you can’t buy regular milk all the time now due to price or availability in the supermarket, you can just make it last longer by adding powdered milk. You can double the amount of regular milk that you have with just a fair amount of powdered milk spoons.
Now, you need to mix the regular milk with the right kind of powdered milk. Ideally, you’ll choose high-quality and whole powdered milk. This not only tastes better but also lasts longer because it doesn’t require that you add too many tablespoons. The Deep Rich Nonfat Dry Milk is the best-powdered milk to mix with regular milk. Click to view pricing on Amazon here.
The Best Quality Powdered Milk Lasts Longer
Now, it may look repetitive to point out that powdered milk needs to be refrigerated after mixing and that you must choose a high-quality one to last as long as it’s possible, but it’s the truth. If you buy low-quality powdered milk it’ll spoil easily after a few days, and it won’t last long in your fridge. Then, you’ll feel cheated. That’s why you need high-quality powdered milk.
Once you understand that, the best way to make sure you’re getting the best quality for your money is to look at the type of powdered milk that you’re getting. If you want it to have a taste as close as possible to the taste of regular milk, pick the whole powdered one. If this isn’t a priority, pick the ones that mix better with water.
So, your goal is to find the best-powdered milk possible. This will make sure that it lasts the 6 days in the fridge and that it stretches regular milk if you want it to. A great option if you don’t know what to do is the Kesler Foods Fresh Dry Milk. It lasts longer, it goes well with water and milk, and it tastes really good. Grab yours here on Amazon.
Whole Powdered Milk Tastes Closer To Regular Milk
This is a valuable tip if you don’t know it yet. If you hate the taste of powdered milk, it’s likely because you never bought the whole powdered milk. This type of powdered milk has nutrients that the milk lost during the heating process to become powder. They inject the nutrients into it after the heating process is complete.
This means that the taste after you mix it with water is closer to regular milk than most powdered milk you’ve tasted before. It’s the best solution if you don’t like powdered milk.
So, what you should do is mix it with water or just regular milk. Whatever you do, you’ll notice that it tastes much better than the ones you had before. The Nestlé NIDO Powdered Milk is the best whole powdered milk that you can find. It tastes just as good as regular milk. Take a look on Amazon here.
What Can You Do With Expired Milk Powder
Powdered milk can last decades. The only problem that you face is that it doesn’t taste as good as the fresh ones. Apart from that, there’s no problem in consuming it.
The only thing that you must not do under any circumstance is to consume expired powdered milk after activated. After 6 days, you should not drink it at the risk of food poisoning.
So, make sure that you stay away from powdered milk after you’ve mixed it with water after 6 days. Now, if you have a powdered milk can in your pantry, you can safely consume it since it’s nonperishable. Just make sure you know how to mix powdered milk.
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, powdered milk does need to be refrigerated after mixing. It’ll last around 4-6 days, and all you have to do is make sure to store it under the right temperature. If you want, don’t forget to mix it with regular milk to have more of it and reduce the number of times you have to go to the supermarket.