Questions about dealing with milk (pandemic-related)

[DharmaGirl]

You can get boxed milk. Whole, down to fat free. The stores around here are out, but I used to get it all the time in case I ran out of fresh. I have powdered milk too in case of emergency. The boxed milk tastes the same as fresh milk.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

You can get boxed milk. Whole, down to fat free. The stores around here are out, but I used to get it all the time in case I ran out of fresh. I have powdered milk too in case of emergency. The boxed milk tastes the same as fresh milk.

What brand do you use? How do you make it in quart or gallon sizes?

what about canned milk? the evaporated or condensed milk?

I thought those were just for baking? Y'all, I'm a dummy about milk apparently. How do you make evaporated or condensed milk into drinking milk? I assume you'd add water. Do you know if it tastes the same? I'll probably get over taste or get used to the new taste but, for now, it really does matter. A bit anyway.

I'll have to research about evaported and condenced milk. I have not been back to an actual grocery store since my first $300 haul about a month or so ago. Only went out for milk a week or so ago and that was to Walgreens. So, not seen what's on the shelves yet. But, wanted to sort of shelf stable milk just in case. Obviously, I will freeze normal milk but this sort of opened my eyes to my need of self stable milk.

Will research options. Never even thought about evaportated or condenced milk as options before. Thanks for that!

Or the box milk? I use the soy or almond ones

The liquid ones? They go bad as well and are hella expensive where I live. For 3 times the price and you get 4 times less the amount.

 

[Freida]

I thought those were just for baking? Y'all, I'm a dummy about milk apparently. How do you make evaporated or condensed milk into drinking milk? I assume you'd add water.

uhmm... I use it in my coffee sometimes but I don't drink milk in general so I'm not sure about making it "be milk" but I know it can be done?

The liquid ones? They go bad as well and are hella expensive where I live. For 3 times the price and you get 4 times less the amount.

ahh... Ok, the soy and rice stuff I buy is shelf stable so it doesn't go bad and the price is a bit higher but not a whole lot. It's a pretty common thing out here - maybe that keeps the cost lower?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

ahh... Ok, the soy and rice stuff I buy is shelf stable so it doesn't go bad and the price is a bit higher but not a whole lot. It's a pretty common thing out here - maybe that keeps the cost lower?

Oh, never seen soy and rice powered milk. Maybe they don't sell it here? Will see what they have in Aldi. The last time I was there it was get what you can and think creatively about how to eat this stuff and make it last. Like using flour tortilias in the place of bread. I do that during hurricanes. And found the refried bean, cheese, and sour cream thing that I am now in love with. Canned refried beans. But, have never gotten any shelf stable milk products before because I always had to picture of being deathly ill from it as a kid. Been researching and someone said to put a teaspoon of sugar in it and/or vanilla estract.

I didn't see that most of these companies on Amazon say their stock will be back the first week of May. Which sucks but I can still get it. Just will take longer.

The prices are higher then normal. Can I justify buying a can that will only make 3 or 4 gallons of milk for $30? When milk is like a few bucks a gallon? Some of these cans will make up to 7 gallons and that makes it $4 a gallon and that's more equal to what milk is but the $20 one is now $30. And the $30 one is now $50. Which is rather ridiculous. Especially when Amazon said they are cracking down on price gauging during this pandemic.

Will just have to see what Aldi has next week or so when I go back out to the grocery store and go from there.

 

[Chris-duck]

I'm probably stating the obvious that people have already considered here.. but ordering online the same amount you'd normally be buying? That's an option too, if powdered/tinned etc doesn't cut it..

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I'm probably stating the obvious that people have already considered here.. but ordering online the same amount you'd normally be buying? That's an option too, if powdered/tinned etc doesn't cut it..

Yes, I'm looking into this as well. I cant order anything on Amazon that needs to be refridgerated cause they put all of their packages in their Amazon branded metal mailbox thing. And its hot here. My apartment will not hold packages for you.

I am looking into some food delivery companies but many are subscription based and I dont want that and those that arent, you cant really pick your day of delivery and Im now working at home for a call center and my service dog does bark when someone knocks on the door. I dont want to invite a knock when working. So, not subscription based and can pick your day of delivery really knocks out most of them. But, still looking.

Walmart curbside to go is another option. The last I checked my Walmart wasn't doing it but I do need to check again. Its a very large populated area. I checked when I first heard of it and that was probably a year or so ago. Thank you for reminding me to check again! :)

 

[DharmaGirl]

I use the walmart brand of powdered milk. It's skim and not like milk. I just follow the directions on the packet to make a quart or gallon. I grew up on it though, and like it. I used the shelf stable boxes of cow's milk that I buy at the Dollar Tree. It's a buck a quart. I check the dates and it can sit on your shelf for quite a while! I think your best bet in my opinion is to do what you're doing and freeze it.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I use the walmart brand of powdered milk. It's skim and not like milk. I just follow the directions on the packet to make a quart or gallon. I grew up on it though, and like it. I used the shelf stable boxes of cow's milk that I buy at the Dollar Tree. It's a buck a quart. I check the dates and it can sit on your shelf for quite a while! I think your best bet in my opinion is to do what you're doing and freeze it.

Yeah, I'm thinking so too. I think I let my panic get to my head. But that's why I talk to you all good people!

 

[Freida]

Here's a quick run down of all the different kinds of shelf stable milk -- it comes in a liquid but it doesn't have to be put in the fridge until after it's opened. No idea how the dairy versions taste but I use the soy and oat ones and they taste just like the stuff I get out of the fridge aisle

Self Stable Milk

The prices are higher here than what I get at the store -- maybe it's just more common on the west coast so it's cheaper?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

The prices are higher here than what I get at the store -- maybe it's just more common on the west coast so it's cheaper?

The prices are about what they are in Fl. It's $4 something or more for like a half quart when a gallon of milk is in the $3 range and Aldi its in the $2 range and less. Probably higher now but those boxed milk has always been higher. Amazon has them quite high too but the main reason I didn't buy it is many people advising that their milk came busted open. Amazon packaging can be crap and when most comments are saying that it leaked, it makes me not wanna get it. Especially food and especially shelf stable stuff. And then one comment said that it leaked and ended up being yogurt. How is that shelf stable? Same process that they said they used to not have to have it in the fridge. They show what looked like curdled milk.

I've never seen boxed milk outside of the fridge section except for powered milk, evaportated milk, and condenced milk. The boxed ones by the milk have to be refridgerated. Silk and those in that area. Will have to look as I had no idea they had those. Though Walgreens sells liquid Coffee Mate that doesn't have to be refridgerated and that I just discovered about a year ago so there likely is things I have overlooked in the stores. Will look next time I'm out. I don't mind paying a little more (though if its that expensive, I may not be able to) for something shelf stable.

 

[siniang]

Here's a quick run down of all the different kinds of shelf stable milk -- it comes in a liquid but it doesn't have to be put in the fridge until after it's opened. No idea how the dairy versions taste

Pretty standard in many European countries, actually, and they taste completely like normal milk. They ARE normal milk. I never knew differently until moving to the US, we always had shelf-stable milk

 

[whiteraven]

ahh... Ok, the soy and rice stuff I buy is shelf stable so it doesn't go bad and the price is a bit higher but not a whole lot. It's a pretty common thing out here - maybe that keeps the cost lower?

Yeah. Lasts forever (well...you know). Our grocery has both refrigerated and shelf-stable, so you have to look for it.