White powders: reconstituting and taste testing powdered dairy products

I got a bunch of awesome stuff to play with recently! Some such items are pictured.

As a matter of personal preference, I try to use homemade, organic, ethically produced products and ingredients whenever possible. Dennis and I are preparing to do the JMT next September and fresh ingredients (fresh cheeses, butter, etc.) will be inaccessible for a good chunk of that time. Because I rely so heavily on a daily supplement of fresh cheese for calories and nutrition, I'm experimenting now with shelf-stable, processed ingredients to supplement our diet for the 3 weeks we'll be on the trail. The good thing about powdered dairy products is that they have a very high calorie:weight ratio, they are convenient, provide diverse flavor and texture, and are affordable. Most people are already familiar with powdered milk, but a variety of other dairy products are also available: heavy cream, sour cream, sweet cream buttermilk, cream cheese, butter, and cheese, among others.

First up: Heavy Cream Powder.

Product: Hoosier Hill Farm Heavy Cream Powder
Nutrition: 1 tsp (4g) = 36 Calories, 6g Fat (NOTE: this is what the package says but it's impossible that a 4g serving would contain 6g fat and only 46 calories, so take this with a grain of salt).
Price: $15.99/lb
Ingredients: 72% butterfat pasteurized sweet cream, skim milk solids, sodium caseinate (component of milk), soy lecithin (emulsifier, derived from soy), BHT (preservative, prevents rancidity).
Fresh for: 1 year. Purchased 2/20/16, best by date: 4/3/2017
Product of USA

Reconstitution/tasting notes:

First I tried reconstituting at a 1:1 ratio by weight. From the photo below, you can see that the texture is thick, like double cream. The taste was very good: sweet and buttery. Very smooth texture. Reconstituted easily with cold water and a spoon but might develop lumps if a large quantity is prepared. You could really eat this stuff with a spoon, it's great. Note to self: I wonder if it whips?

Heavy cream, 1:1 reconstitution ratio

 Next, I increased the ratio to 1:2. The viscosity somewhere between regular cream and half and half. This would be an appropriate ratio for coffee.

Heavy cream, 1:2 reconstitution ratio

Finally, I tried a 1:4 ratio. This version tastes like a sweet whole milk, the a viscosity somewhere between whole and skim milk. I don't think a dilution at this ratio would have much use versus a whole milk powder, which will provide more protein and nutrition per serving.


Next up: Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder.

Product: Bob's Red Mill Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder 
Nutrition: 1 cup prepared (~.45 oz powder) = 60 Calories, 1g Fat, 7g Carbohydrate, 5g Protein
Price: $15.08/24 oz
Ingredient: Dried sweet cream buttermilk (milk)
Fresh for: No date given, but refrigeration advised. Amazon discussion suggests the product lasts at least 2 years, even once opened, in a pantry.
Product of USA 

Reconstitution/tasting notes:

I tried reconstituting the buttermilk at 3 different ratios. All of the ratios were delicious in their own right, but only one of these ratios was the obvious choice, 1:1.5. The product reconstitutes beautifully: smooth and silky, milky, buttery, but no tang- this is not an acidic buttermilk. At a 1:1 ratio, the buttermilk is too sweet, and thick like cream. At a 1:1.5 ratio, the buttermilk has balanced flavor and resembles half and half. At a 1:2 ratio, the buttermilk is as thin as nonfat milk. This is a great product for baked goods, and is useful to supplement nutrition where you would appreciate the buttery, sweet quality (cornbread, pancakes), or where you want to avoid additional fat.

Buttermilk, 1:15 reconstitution ratio

Next up: Sour Cream Powder.

Product: Hoosier Hill Farm premium Sour Cream Powder
Nutrition: 3 tsp (15g) = 97 calories, 8.1g Fat, 3.82g Carbohydrate, 2.32g Protein
Price: $14.99/16 oz
Ingredients: Cream, Cultures, Lactic Acid, Cultured Nonfat Milk Solids, Citric Acid (preservative, flavor)
Fresh for: 1 year. Purchased 2/20/2016, best by date: 2/28/2017
Product of USA 

Reconstitution/tasting notes:

This was a pretty disappointing product, but it is not a total wash. Different reconstitution ratios have different characters entirely, but they are all (unfortunately) a little powdery/gritty. In addition, the reconstituted sour cream weeps when it sits, does not thicken as it sits, and its texture does not improve as it sits. So it is best used immediately after rehydrating, and ideally in combination with other ingredients that will mask or dilute its texture.

First I tried a 1:0.6 ratio (by weight). I was looking for a viscosity and consistency that resembled actual sour cream. At this dilution, the product is powdery, tacky, dry, pasty, and very salty. It had almost no tang, probably because the flavors were being overpowered by the intense saltiness. Lesson learned: do not attempt to reconstitute to a familiar sour cream thickness, the flavor will be too concentrated.

Sour cream rehydrated to typical sour cream consistency: 1.0 : 0.6 ratio. 

Next, I increased the ratio to 1:1. This version saw minimal flavor improvement. It was no longer overwhelmingly salty but still powdery, and still no tang. I took no photo since this stage was not memorable.

Finally, I increased the ratio to 1:1.5. This version saw significant flavor improvement. The salt was at a correct, familiar level, resembling fresh sour cream. The flavor finally revealed some tang. Its consistency was similar to a mexican crema: thinner, almost pourable.  It was still fairly powdery and gritty- this does not go away. But at this dilution, the product is usable and does resemble sour cream, even if the resemblance is somewhat distant. Note to self: does the grittiness disappear with cooking? Does the grittiness fade when combined with other powdered dairy products (cream, cream cheese?) Would a fresh sour cream (with sour cream powder and powdered culture, cultured in a container) work on the trail?

Sour cream, 1:1.5 reconstitution ratio

Next up: Butter Powder.

Product: Anthony's Butter: Premium Powdered Butter 
Nutrition: 10g = 72 Calories, 6.9g fat, 1.2g Carbohydrate, 1.2g protein
Price: $10.00/24 oz
Ingredients: Sweet Cream, Salt, Annatto (natural color), Nonfat Milk Solids, Sodium Caseinate (derived from milk), Disodium Phosphate (emulsifier, preservative)
Fresh for: ~6 months. Purchased 2/20/2016, best by date: 9/18/2016
Product of USA 

Reconstitution/tasting notes:

Tasty tasty. A 1:0.5 ratio was approximately right to achieve a softened, almost whipped butter consistency. After a day or two on the trail, this would be a perfectly acceptable substitute for fresh butter. It's creamy, buttery, milky, and soft. No grittiness. Very good served on its own, in baked goods (some adjustment to other liquids may be required), or as an ingredient.

Butter powder, 1:0.5 reconstitution ratio

Off the bat, I did some preliminary experimentation with a quick chocolate frosting (cocoa powder, vanilla extract, powderd sugar, butter powder). It was pretty damn decent. The only thing lacking was chocolate flavor, but that isn't really the butter's fault and could be improved upon with melted chocolate. It's not healthy, but damn if frosting isn't the most potent jet fuel I've used on the trail. I'll bet you could make a very passable ganache with this stuff. Frosted chocolate cupcakes? Yes please!

Chocolate frosting entirely from powdered ingredients!

Next up: Cream cheese powder.

Product: Firehouse Pantry Cream Cheese Powder 
Nutrition: 10g = 69 Calories, 6.5g fat, 1.5g Carbohydrate, 1.1g protein
Price: $12.13/16 oz
Ingredients: Pasteurized Milk and Cream, Cheese Culture, Salt, Carob Bean Gum (thickener), Non-Fat Milk, Sodium Phosophate (preservative, emulsifier)
Fresh for: ~1 year. Purchased 2/20/2016, best by date: 1/31/2017
Product of USA 

Reconstitution/tasting notes:

Pretty good! Not on the same level as the cream and butter, has a bit of a fake cheesy taste and is just a tad salty, but pretty good! The fake quality is similar to what you get from any cheese powder (think boxed macaroni and cheese) but mild enough to be disguised. My first thoughts are that this product is a great jumping off point for a variety of high calorie tortilla spreads (pimento? tomato-herb?) and, well, frosting.

Like the butter, I was only looking for one reconstitution ratio, whatever would accomplish an appropriate cream cheese texture (since we have no use for thick cream cheese or thin cream cheese like we might for cream or buttermilk). If it's too thick, it's far too salty; if it's too thin, it's not spreadable.

I arrived at an appx 1:1 ratio by volume (will update later with a grams ratio). The resulting cream cheese is soft, and much like the powdered butter, its consistency is closer to a whipped version of the product.

Too thick: needs more water. This concentration would taste salty.

Just right. This reconstitution ratio is appx 1:1 by volume. Its appearance should be soft and shiny, a little softer and wetter than fresh cream cheese. 

 Of course, first thing I did was combine it with butter powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean to make a cream cheese frosting. It definitely wasn't comparable to fresh, the texture is too wet (and must necessarily be that wet to keep sodium levels down) but it was damn good and would be a real treat after a few days.

Cream cheese frosting, baby!

Next up (once I've had a chance to fool around with them): a comparison of, tasting notes, and usage notes for various dried and shelf-stable cheese (and non-dairy "cheese") products, including:

* Moon Cheese (Cheddar, Gouda, Pepper Jack)
* Rogue Creamery's "Blue Heaven" Blue Cheese Powder
* King Arthur Flour Vermont Cheese Powder
* Riego Foods Gluten Free Cheese Powders (Alfredo, Yellow Cheddar, White Cheddar)
* Northwoods Cheese Company Pasteurized, Processed, shelf-stable cheese
* Homemade cashew-based "cheese" powder