A special milk that has the consistency of corn starch, a very fine powder. For use with fine quality sausage and lunch meats. Non-fat dry milk is commonly used by sausage makers that prefer the flavor over that of Soy Protein. Helps cut shrinkage and improves moisture retention. This is GRADE “A” High Heat Nonfat Dry Milk, which is made by taking the milkfat and water out of cows’ milk. It has the same amounts of lactose, milk protein, and minerals as the fresh milk it comes from. Storage should be in cool and dry environment with temperatures below 80-degrees Fahrenheit and below 65% relative humidity.
Powdered milk is a common binder used in sausage making. It helps keep the sausage moist and improves texture and mouthfeel. But how much powdered milk should you actually use when making homemade sausage? Here’s a guide to get the right amount for your recipe.
Why Use Powdered Milk in Sausage?
Also called dried milk powder, powdered milk contains milk proteins and milk sugar (lactose) in a dried form. When added to sausage, these milk components provide several important benefits:
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Binding – Milk proteins bind moisture and fat to create a firm, dense texture and help the sausage hold together. This prevents crumbling.
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Moisture – Powdered milk absorbs and retains moisture during cooking to keep sausage juicy
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Flavor – Lactose caramelizes and enhances flavor development during cooking. The milk proteins also contribute a creamy, savory taste.
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Food for fermentation – In fermented sausages like salami the lactose feeds starter cultures to properly ferment and cure the sausage.
How Much Powdered Milk to Use?
There’s no single rule for how much powdered milk to use in sausage. Recipes vary widely in the amount of powdered milk added. Here are some general guidelines:
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For fresh sausages, use 1-3% powdered milk by weight of the meat. So for 5 lbs of meat, use around 1.5 to 4.5 ounces of powdered milk.
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Cured sausages like salami can use higher amounts, around 3-4%. This provides more food for bacterial cultures during fermentation.
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As a handy rule of thumb, use around 2 lbs powdered milk per 100 lbs of meat/fat. For a 5 lb batch, scale down to about 1/3 cup powdered milk.
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For recipes developed specifically for sausage making, follow the measurements given. Amounts are formulated to give the right moisture and texture.
The desired fat content also determines how much to use. Leaner sausages need more powdered milk to compensate for less natural fat. Fattier recipes can use less.
Tips for Adding Powdered Milk
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Hydrate the powdered milk in water or ice before mixing into the meat for more even distribution.
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Mix in powdered milk gradually after the initial mixing of meat and spices. Overmixing early can cause the proteins to overbind and turn sausage mushy.
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Store powdered milk in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Heat and humidity can cause clumping.
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Non-fat milk powder works best as it won’t add extra fat. But whole milk powder can also be used.
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For dairy-free sausage, replace powdered milk with soy protein isolate, vital wheat gluten, or rice flour.
How Powdered Milk Improves Sausage Texture
It’s helpful to understand how powdered milk improves the texture of sausage as it cooks:
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Meat proteins shrink and release moisture during cooking. The milk proteins absorb and trap this moisture.
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Milk proteins also bind to fat particles, helping keep them dispersed throughout the meat matrix.
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With temperature increase, the milk proteins firm up, acting as a “glue” to hold the sausage together.
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The lactose caramelizes, contributing a smooth, silky texture.
So in essence, powdered milk gives a firm yet moist and juicy sausage texture that retains its shape without crumbling apart.
Signs You Used Too Much or Too Little Powdered Milk
Using the right amount of powdered milk makes a big difference in sausage quality. Here’s how to tell if you added too much or too little:
Too much powdered milk:
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Mushy, paste-like texture
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Wet or slimy appearance
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Unpleasant chalky taste
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Sausage sticks to casing
Too little powdered milk:
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Sausage crumbles easily
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Dry, grainy texture
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Lacks flavor richness
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Loses moisture during cooking
Adjusting the amount of powdered milk upward or downward can improve the issues. It takes some trial and error to find the ideal quantity for a given recipe.
Sample Recipes
To see powdered milk amounts in action, here are some example recipes:
Breakfast sausage (5 lbs meat)
- 3 oz (6 tbsp) powdered milk
- 2.5% of meat weight
Bratwurst (3 lbs meat)
- 3 tbsp powdered milk
- 2.2% of meat weight
Italian sausage (4 lbs meat)
- 3 oz (6 tbsp) powdered milk
- 1.9% of meat weight
Salami (10 lbs meat)
- 7 oz (14 tbsp) powdered milk
- 3.5% of meat weight
Questions and answers of the customers
- Do I need to add water using this, if so what do you recommend for the 20lbs of meat.
- 0 votes: Q: Do I need to add water to this? If so, how much should I add for 20 pounds of meat? answer now A No. No need to add water because it’s already there to hold everything together. When adding to meat, try to spread it out evenly and then mix it well.
- Thanks for your question. For 20 pounds of summer sausage, I usually mix 2 cups of dried buttermilk with 2 cups of water. I want . Here is the answer: A. The buttermilk gives it a sour taste, and the NFDM just holds it all together. Yes, you can leave out the buttermilk powder if you want to. Instead, you could use our TSM BLEND FERMENTO.
Hi, I normally use 2 cups dried buttermilk and 2 cups water for 20 lbs of summer sausage. I want to use the hi heat NFDM instead. How does this compare and can i eliminate the buttermilk when using this. Any other tips for using this product would be great. Thank You, Tony
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Celebrate Sausage S02E03 – What is Non Fat Dry Milk
FAQ
How much powdered milk per pound of meat?
Why add powdered milk to sausage?
How much powdered milk is in summer sausage?
What is the best binder for making sausage?
Can you use milk powder to make sausage?
NON-FAT DRY MILK – Milk powder has been used for years in sausage making. Acts as a binder by helping to retain the moisture of the meat. Although not highly effective as a binder, it can impart a creamier taste to some sausage products. You can use up to 12% (of the meat weight) without affecting the taste of the sausage.
Is powdered milk good to use?
The consumption of powdered milk is not contraindicated. In this case, the ideal is to give priority to brands that only have milk in the list of ingredients, vitamins.
Does milk powder affect the taste of sausage?
It does not effect the taste of the product. NON-FAT DRY MILK – Milk powder has been used for years in sausage making. Acts as a binder by helping to retain the moisture of the meat. Although not highly effective as a binder, it can impart a creamier taste to some sausage products.
Do I need non fat dry milk to make a good sausage?
My guess is that you already know how to make sausages and you (like most experienced sausage makers) don’t need non fat dry milk to make a great sausage. What i’m saying is that I’d be willing to bet that if you made that same andouille recipe without the Low Heat NFDM that you are using you would get the exact same results.