Dilute Full Fat Milk Instead of Buying SkimIf you are concerned about the fat levels in full cream milk, the most cost effective solution is to dilute whole homogenized milk 50/50 with water, rather than buying semi-skimmed. This means that you get twice the amount of milk for the same money.
Make Your Own 2% Milk At HomeI do not pay for the store to water down my milk, as in 2% and such. We found that we can do this at home. Buy whole milk and add cold water to it. Since this is a matter of taste, you will have to find what suits your family best.
Prevent Mold on Cheese with VinegarIf you are like me and prefer to purchase a "chunk" of cheese instead of already shredded cheese, this tip is for you.
Store Yogurt and Cottage Cheese Upside DownIt will stay fresher longer. If it is already opened, put a plate under it.
Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Maker ReviewI have been making my own yogurt for about 2 years, which saves me a good chunk of change. I like to make organic Greek yogurt which costs a pretty penny at the grocery store.
Stick of Butter Outside of the U.S.Here on ThriftyFun, we have a lot of questions that come up about how much is in a stick of butter. Some recipes in the U.S. call for a "stick" of butter, which is confusing to people coming from other countries where butter often comes in blocks without tablespoon markings.
Uses for WheyNow that I'm making yogurt, I always have whey leftover. It can be used to replace liquid in baking, diluted for watering plants, as a starter for yogurt, as an addition to pet food,and can be added to the compost pile.
Add Salt to Milk to Keep it FreshSalt is a preservative. Put a pinch of salt when you open a container of milk. It will stay fresher longer.
Keep Cottage Cheese Fresh LongerStore the cottage cheese upside down. You will find it will stay fresh far longer.
Use Unsalted ButterI like the taste of salted butter, but it recently occurred to me that a lot of the things that I have with it contain a fair amount of salt themselves. So I experimented with spreading bread or toast with unsalted butter when using these fillings, and found that I didn't miss the salt.
Stock Up to Save on Butter All YearButter is one of those budget busters but it doesn't have to be. Around the holidays butter is often priced at its lowest. So how can you take advantage of this?
Use Yogurt in Place of MilkYesterday, I made scrambled eggs with Greek yogurt. They tasted great and I didn't have to run out and get more milk.
Single Serve Whipping CreamBeing single and thrifty, I buy the large tub of whipping cream. By the time I get home, it is slightly soft. I use an ice cream scoop to place one scoop of cream into several plastic snack-size baggies and store them in the fridge/freezer.
Store Cottage Cheese Upside DownIt's hard for me to find the low fat cottage cheese in small containers, so I end up buying the larger containers. Since I'm single and the only one who eats it, it can go sour long before I can eat it all.
Easy Frozen YogurtTake those little plastic tubs of yogurt and cut a little slit in the top. Insert a popsicle stick. You can freeze them and have pops.
Keep Cheese From MoldingKeep cheese from going moldy by soaking a cloth in white vinegar and then wrap the cheese in the cloth. Put the cloth and cheese in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Making Sour Cream Butter From Fresh MilkWe had a milk cow when I was growing up in Southern California. My mother skimmed the cream off of the milk from our cow every day to put in a gallon jar, which she left on the counter until we had enough to churn. Since Southern California was never cold at the time, the cream would sour.
Salt for Keeping Milk Fresh LongerIf you are like me, it is sometimes difficult to keep a gallon of milk, something other than nonfat, fresh until I use it all.
Keeping Cottage Cheese Fresh LongerStore the entire container upside-down in the fridge. In case it might leak, I sit it on a whipped topping container lid. I've had it stay fresh for longer than a month past expiration date.
Reasons to Buy and Enjoy Real ButterHere are six reasons to use real butter:
Shelf Life of MilkEveryone knows someone who can't tell when milk has gone past i's prime. Right? If you live with one of these people, I have a remedy for the age-old question: "Honey, does this milk smell bad to you?"
Lactose Free CheeseI've recently found out that I'm very lactose intolerant, and in my studies and research have found that Cabot brand Cheddar Cheese is completely lactose free. This is done naturally through the aging process.
Store Sour Cream Upside DownAfter opening your sour cream, turn it upside down in the fridge to keep it from going bad so quickly. I tried it with cottage cheese, and this tip worked for it too!
Homemade Herb ButtersHerb butters can be quite expensive if purchased at a deli or market. A frugal way to enjoy delicious flavored butter is to make your own. It's this simple.
Use Greek Yogurt in Your ParfaitI have the best yogurt. I actually eat it as a meal. When I had my niece visit she thought it was "dessert". Anything that taste good and is good for you is a winner in anybody's book.
Keeping Milk FreshThis tip has saved me an unknown amount of money over the years and we are still using it. If you wrap your milk in an opaque plastic bag when you get it home from the store, it will not go sour for a much longer time.
Add Powdered Milk to Skim For a Better FlavorTo make skim milk taste like Skim Plus, which is about double the price, add nonfat dry milk. For a half-gallon of skim milk, add a half packet (1/2 cup) of nonfat dry milk to a cup of nonfat milk.
Making Powdered Milk Taste BetterThink about it. What is lacking from powered milk? (Answer: Fat) So, I add heavy cream to the reconstituted milk. My formula: 1 pouch powdered milk, 3 3/4 cup water, and 1/4 cup heavy cream.
Use Peeler For Cold ButterUse a y-shaped peeler to remove slices of butter from the top of a rock-hard stick of butter that's come straight from the refrigerator. The peels can be laid on top of a slice of bread, so there's no need for spreading.
Use Vanilla Pudding to Stabilize Whipped CreamTo stabilize whipped cream, add a small amount of instant vanilla pudding instead of sugar while whipping the cream.
Cut the "Milk Ring" and Save Our WildlifeNever leave the ring/collar from your gallon of milk or juice whole. When you discard it, cut it open first. That ring is just the right size to strangle some of our smaller wildlife.
Making Your Own ButterThis is a good food trick to do with your children. We're going to make real butter using heavy whipping cream and your blender. It's easy and a nice way to teach your young ones something about food that they may have never seen.
Stretching Butter With OilStretch your butter budget and make it a little healthier. Save money on buying butter spreads. Make your own and know what those ingredients are that are in it!
Making Whipped Cream CheeseHere's how to make your own whipped cream cheese instead of paying extra for it at the market.
Make Your Own Butter and Whipped CreamThis tip is to help cut down on grocery cost with just a little time and fore-thought. Get heavy whipping cream (the best buy is a half gallon). Then, whip it with either an electric mixer or a whisk to your desired consistency.
Try Organic Milk Instead of Lactose Free MilkI can not drink regular milk. In the past I had to drink lactose free milk. Then one day, I tried the organic milk, I was just fine with it. So now I consume organic milk instead of regular lactose free milk.
Store Sour Cream Upside DownStore your sour cream and cottage cheese containers upside down in the refrigerator. It will be good long past the expiration date. I've used mine long after the date.
Evaporated Milk for CerealWith the cost of milk so high, you can save a little by using evaporated milk for cereal and cooking and saving jug milk for drinking. Also once the can is opened you can keep the rest fresh and ready by pouring into an ice tray and freezing into cubes.
Stretch Whole Milk With Powdered MilkTo stretch milk, I have mixed up powdered milk and added it to the regular milk. Instead of 1 gallon, I had 2 and, since they were mixed together, no one was the wiser.
Saving Money on MilkTips for saving money on milk as suggested by the ThriftyFun community. Post your own ideas here.
Make Your Own ButtermilkThough many people have an aversion to buttermilk, this tasty, cultured dairy staple has a place in every frugal household.
Use Heavy Whipping Cream To Make ButterMaking your own butter from heavy whipping cream is very easy, saves you money, is better for you than margarine, and you also get buttermilk (an expensive item in the market to buy). Buttermilk is good to drink, and is great for baking and making salad dressings.
Freezing Sour MilkFreezing Sour Milk. My kids eat a lot of dairy, but it does happen that we find that a bag of milk, cottage cheese, or yogurt will be sitting in our fridge past its expiration date. . .
Storing and Handling Ice CreamThe International Ice Cream Association offers these suggestions on the proper handling and storage of ice cream and frozen desserts to help consumers enjoy America's favorite treat to the fullest.
The Wonders of Fresh YoghurtPlain, fresh unsweetened yoghurt may be a base for ice-cream, dips and low-cal substitute for fresh cream; it will, when applied to skin and/or eaten, clear thrush and zits and smooth rough skin and rehydrate dry skin; it will remove some stains from clothing; it will condition hair and give you stronger nails and hair. Make your own for even greater savings; all you need is a starter pot and heat.
Straining Goats MilkFor straining goat milk I bought a new plastic transmission funnel (for only $1.00), and pushed a large cotton ball into it, loosely so the milk can flow easily. Because of the long funnel, it holds a lot of milk at one time and doesn't turn over.
Buying DairyWhen buying dairy, always buy the largest container possible. Check the expiration date and make sure you will be able to use it before it expires, especially with items like milk and eggs that are difficult to freeze.
Keeping Cheese FreshTo keep cheeses fresh, dampen a piece of paper towel with vinegar and place it in the container with the cheese. This works with shredded cheeses as well as blocks.
Salted Vs. Unsalted ButterUse salted sweet cream butter for toast only. Everything else gets unsalted butter. The reason is so you can control the sodium (salt) in the foods you are cooking. You can always add more but you can't take it out once it's in there.
Preventing Grated Cheese From Sticking TogetherTo prevent grated cheese form sticking together, just add a little flour to it. It does not affect the flavor or appearance. Then put it in the freezer in a Ziploc bag. It's easy to get what you need, without wasting cheese that is clumped together.
Hard (Cold or Frozen) Butter TipIf butter is too hard to spread, shave some with a veggie peeler.
Stretching Fresh MilkTo make milk stretch further, I use both regular (refrigerated fresh) milk and powdered milk. My family did not like the taste of powdered milk alone, so I split a gallon of fresh milk in half...
Keep Reconstituted Dry Milk HandyAlways keep a quart of reconstituted non-fat dry milk product mixed up with water in the refrigerator, ready to use in cooking. Label clearly. Then you can save on having to use regular drinking milk for cooking purposes.
Fancy Cheese Garnish For SaladsYou can make fancy cheese garnishes for salads by taking your vegetable peeler and scraping it across a block of cheese. Looks great!
By Robin
Keeping Whipping Cream from SeparatingWhipping cream will not separate if you add 1/4 tsp. unflavored gelatin per cup of whipped cream.
Making Your Own Flavored YogurtThis is probably obvious and common knowledge to everybody but I just discovered this. You can make your own flavored yogurts by buying the largest cheapest container of plain yogurt and adding fruit preserve to it.
