The price of milk has been making me crazy. I get that rising gas prices means that the basic necessities will also end up costing more because of increased production and transportation costs, but JEEZ! Milk is one of those things my household can't cut back on...the boy doesn't drink any juice so it's either milk or water. And hubby keeps milk in his diet to make sure he's getting a good intake of protein and non-starchy carbs for diabetes management.
When milk went up to $3.29 (at it's cheapest - the brand name stuff at the grocery stores was almost 4 bucks a gallon), I had to do something. I did NOT want to touch powdered milk, everything I heard about drinking reconstituted milk was BAAAAAD. So what was a frugal mommy to do?
I can't remember where I first read about it, but I found several sites that recommended buying whole milk and cutting it with water. I usually buy 2% anyway, so the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. My local Price Rite sells whole and 2% milk at the same price (I know some grocery stores mark up the whole milk), so it wasn't going to cost me any more to give it a try.
It's been a month now, and I have to say I've been pleasantly surprised! I didn't even tell the hubby about it at first, just to see if he'd comment on the taste. I tried it myself, and if anything the watered-down whole milk is just a teensy bit creamier than regular 2% but I couldn't detect anything unusual! The best part is, when I buy a gallon of whole milk and water it down at home, I end up with a gallon and a half for the price of a gallon. Half a gallon of free milk a week makes a big difference in the long run.
Here's the math and method behind the milk multiplication :)
You will need:
1 gallon whole milk
1 clean container (either a washed empty milk gallon or other plastic container - I just clean out the most recent one that's been emptied)
Measuring cup
1. Remove 5 and 1/3 cups of milk from the whole milk gallon, pour into empty container.
2. Add 5 and 1/3 cups cold water to the whole milk gallon and refrigerate.
3. Add 2 and 2/3 cups cold water to the extra container.
I've baked with it, had it straight, used it in cereal....and haven't had a single issue. Give it a try and see if it works for you!
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9.12.2008
Moooore for your money
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6 comments:
That really is a great idea! I'm surprised I haven't heard of more people doing this with the price of milk being so high.
Great idea! I would never have thought of it. How does the watered down whole milk compare to 2% nutritionally?
Our milk is still pretty cheap so I haven't had to do this. We do use powdered milk for all of the baking. You can't tell the difference.
Toni
good to know- a friend was talking about doing it, but I had heard it was gross.
I use powdered milk for all my baking as well- I can find it pretty cheap at the local Scratch and Dent store. Most of the time it's easier for baking- esp. bread calling for warm milk- just warm water and powder.
You can also use apple juice when making pancakes, coffee cake, etc- very slight change in taste, maybe a little sweeter- but otherwise the same.
tara - everything would be cut by a third...including the cholesterol, fat, and vitamins...but we eat a really well balanced diet so I wasn't worried about the trade off.
rachel - Thanks for the tips! I haven't tried the powdered milk thing yet but I have heard that it's fine in baking - I have yet to price it out and see how it compares. I will have to give the apple juice a try though! I can think of a few recipes that would enhance!
Hi! I popped on over after seeing your tip at Tip Junkies. Great idea! I wish we had milk issues...if anything we don't drink enough milk and it ends up going bad. Shame on us I'm sure. :) I'm excited to cruise around your site and see the rest of your tips. I'm all about being savy!! Thanks!
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