Homemade Low Carb Milk

[NolaLowCarb]

So I live in the New Orleans area and we dont carry Hood products that I can find. So I got the low carb recipe off here and was going to make it. I am new to Atkins and am gratefully losing, but miss milk! So today I found by Silk that their Almond Milk Unsweetened has 1g of carbs and 1g of dietary fiber. It tastes pretty decent! And if you need it sweetened, add a smidge of splenda!

[metqa]

Originally Posted by NolaLowCarb

So I live in the New Orleans area and we dont carry Hood products that I can find. So I got the low carb recipe off here and was going to make it. I am new to Atkins and am gratefully losing, but miss milk! So today I found by Silk that their Almond Milk Unsweetened has 1g of carbs and 1g of dietary fiber. It tastes pretty decent! And if you need it sweetened, add a smidge of splenda!

Yeah, I'm sad to say I gave up on homemade milk, could never get the taste right. I'm using almond breeze for most milk things, except instant pudding. doesn't work for pudding! real Cream/milk is needed for that.

[sjl330]

I love the hommade low carb milk and DH likes it too. Or seems to, that's all that is in the fridge and it keeps disappearing so I think he likes it. I don't drink much milk but when I do.....

[jlp2009]

Sorry for being too lazy to read through 363 posts, but can anyone tell me if this can
be made into yogurt? The Hood milk can be, but is not available in my area.
I am not a fan of almond milk except in cooking.
TIA!

[crazywoman-n-wy]

jlp, several of us have tried to make this into yogurt, but not had a lot of luck.
That being said, I have been able to make yogurt by adding Calcium Caseinate to it. Problem is, I am now having trouble finding Calcium Caseinate. I used to buy it at Netrition - NOW brand, but NOW discontinued it. I found a brand called All The Whey online, and ordered some of that. The problem with it, is that it separates out to some extent, and I get a "powdery" (for lack of a better word) residue on the bottom of the yogurt. But it does make yogurt. It is now the only brand that I have found that does not contain flavoring & sweetener. I bought & have used the ON [COLOR=#cc0000]100% Casein Protein[/COLOR]. I am not too fond of it. I want pure calcium Casein, and it has added ingredients, flavor, and sweeteners! How can they call that 100% Casein?

I just now found Champion Nutrition Pure Casein Powder. It might work, but how can they call it Pure Casein, when it contains all the added ingredients? It seems to be very similar to the ON [COLOR=#cc0000]100% Casein Protein[/COLOR].
And found: CytoSport Complete Casein. Again it contains added ingredients.

So, I have no idea which calcium casein product would be best!!!

Just my observations, and experience.

OH, and I add a LOT more cream when I make yogurt!!! Probably about 1 cup or more to make a quart.

[jlp2009]

Thank you for that reply. It sounds like it's more bother than it's worth.
I wish I could get the Hood "milk" here. I have used it with good results.
What does the bacteria use to turn milk into yogurt? Is it the protein in the casein (at least I think that is what the casein is)?

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Originally Posted by jlp2009

Thank you for that reply. It sounds like it's more bother than it's worth.
I wish I could get the Hood "milk" here. I have used it with good results.
What does the bacteria use to turn milk into yogurt? Is it the protein in the casein (at least I think that is what the casein is)?

I guess the bacteria uses both the casein & the cream to turn it into yogurt. I have made it in the past without much extra cream. But I prefer it with quite a bit of cream.

I haven't tried it that I remember, but if you do it using half Carolyn's milk, and half cream, it might also work. But again, I'm not sure. But I bet it would. You just need a lot more cream than the basic recipe to make yogurt.
I never threw any that I made out, even when it didn't thicken into yogurt. Just used it in recipes.

[jlp2009]

I might get brave and try it using the low carb milk but adding some protein powder
and extra cream.
Thanks !

[jlp2009]

I tried it. Didn't work : (
milk got sour but not thick. I added a scoop of whey PP and 1 c. of cream to 3 c.
of the homemade LC milk.
Back to the drawing board.....

[kitten1972]

Originally Posted by ravenrose

I finally looked at this recipe since I've seen it referenced so many times. I haven't read through the entire thread, but I well remember the flavor of instant milk. Not good.

Why aren't you all just mixing 1/4 cup fresh whole milk with the cream and sweetener/salt as desired, and enough water to make it a cup?

The 4 teaspoons of instant (same as 1 1/3 tablespoons) makes 1/4 cup of milk by the package instructions, so this would be the same "strength" without having to deal with the powdered milk flavor and having to find it and all. Whole milk is almost always available in one cup cartons, so that would make a quart of "faux milk," not so much it would spoil before you could use it up if the milk had a good date on it.

1/4 cup of whole milk has the same carbs as the powdered milk, if you assume a little rounding. It's all between 11.71 and 12.83 per cup of full carb end product milk. So the faux milk would still be in the 3 grams of carbs per cup range.

I read pretty much this whole thread, put powdered milk on my grocery list, then...... I got to your post (slap forehead), duh.

I guess most people don't have milk in their house but I buy whole milk for my kids.

I made "milk" this morning with 1/4 C whole milk, 1 drop ezsweet, 2T cream and then added water to make 8oz. It was really good, just a little too sweet so next time I will double the recipe and still use the 1 drop of sweetener.

[metqa]

Originally Posted by kitten1972

I guess most people don't have milk in their house but I buy whole milk for my kids.

That's pretty much it. I don't drink milk often enough, and I don't eat cereal, the cost of the half gallon is ridiculous compared to the full, it's not worth the cost since it goes bad before I can use it up.

I've actually just switched to almond milk in the tetrapak aseptic shelf stable boxes. It does cost more, but it's always ready and has less carbs than milk anyway, and I can enjoy it in warm weather without a milk mouth film on my tongue. not as good with the occasional cereal, but good enough, and I don't have to screw it up trying to make it taste "like milk".

I think I'll still use cream and water for recipes that need milk, and you need milk for commercial instant pudding. They won't thicken with almond milk.

[shirlc]

Originally Posted by metqa

you need milk for commercial instant pudding. They won't thicken with almond milk.

Ah, so that's why my high carb banana cream pie never set up...I guess I pretty much came to that conclusion myself!!! I used Carolyn's homemade low carb milk in it. What I really like about this homemade milk made with dried skim milk and cream is that I do like the taste of it, especially after it has chilled for a while. Dried skim milk is easy to keep on hand without it getting old. This homemade milk is easy to put together quickly for recipes.

[BigBravesGirl]

REAL MILK??? YAY!!!!

[jandjsmom]

Going to try this for our protein shakes! Seems like it will be less expensive than almond milk!

[cherbear49908]

Just curious here...I don't buy heavy cream very often because it always seems to be "gloppy and gross" when I measure it...It doesn't seem to be sour, but I hesitate to shake it much and getting butter. Is that normal or are my dinky little grocers not keeping the coolers well? I generally use 1/2 & 1/2 and add on th carbs to my recipes using the sour stuff in my baking recipes

[metqa]

maybe I'm wrong but I think regular agitation helps keep the cream from separating into buttery clumps and whey. that's not to say shake it vigorously, but the fat does float and if it's not incorporated it'll all just come out and float on the top. I've had that happen the longer I keep it, the gloppier it gets, unless I'm using it everyday, pouring and inverting the carton to use it.

[piratejenny]

Originally Posted by cherbear49908

Just curious here...I don't buy heavy cream very often because it always seems to be "gloppy and gross" when I measure it...It doesn't seem to be sour, but I hesitate to shake it much and getting butter. Is that normal or are my dinky little grocers not keeping the coolers well? I generally use 1/2 & 1/2 and add on th carbs to my recipes using the sour stuff in my baking recipes

1) I have experienced the same thing; heavy cream seems to get a bit chunky. It's never been spoiled; the fat just seems to separate.
I think it might actually be a case of the coolers being kept TOO cold, as cream separates more easily when frozen, than a case of the temp being too low and the cream starting to go bad.

2) I don't think you'll accidentally "make butter" by shaking it occasionally to mix it. It takes quite a bit of of effort to turn cream into butter. You might do better, though, to let the cream come to room temperature (to soften the fat) and whip slightly.

3) My store has "light cream" and I get that because it's never clumpy, has fewer carbs than 1/2&1/2, and it's cheaper than heavy cream--also, only 2g carbs more per CUP than HWC!

[crazywoman-n-wy]

What the others said. It is just the nature of cream! Cream is never 100% cream (fat). There is always some milk still in it. And as the others have said, it tends to separate out, and thus you get clumps. And acutally the more fat content, the more clumps. Light cream doesn't tend to be a clumpy. And as one poster said, the colder it is, the more likely it will be clumpy.
No, gentle shaking each time start to use it won't make butter. As the other poster said, it takes quite a bit of agitation to make butter. It is good to gently shake it a little each day to keep it more blended. (Just be sure if it is the carton type with the top you spread to open rather than having a cap, that you hold that tight when you shake it!)
Personally I prefer the heavy cream to light cream! Especially if I'm going to whip it.

So don't worry, nothing wrong with your cream. That is just natural. Gently shake before use. If it is very heavy cream, and very cold, it may still have a few clumps, but that's OK!

[putthekettleon]

WOO HOO I FOUND THE THREAD! Doing the happy dance! And singing too!

[Ivantobeskinny]

Oh that makes it sumch easier!!!!!

[Divabunny]

Sounds good will have to try this!

[metqa]

I wonder if I could Kefir Homemade Low carb Milk???

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Not sure. The recipe as stated won't set up a yogurt, but it does ferment, ast least somewhat. So it make kefir. I've never made (or even drank) kefir, so don't really know what to expect. But from what I've read, and seen in stores, it is still quite liquid, so..... maybe! I'd say its a definite maybe!

[metqa]

Originally Posted by crazywoman-n-wy

Not sure. The recipe as stated won't set up a yogurt, but it does ferment, ast least somewhat. So it make kefir. I've never made (or even drank) kefir, so don't really know what to expect. But from what I've read, and seen in stores, it is still quite liquid, so..... maybe! I'd say its a definite maybe!

Good Point. I use whole milk for my Kefir, but Skim milk also worked,I just didn't like the dry non fat taste. It would probably work.

[shirlc]

I tried making a banana cream pie with the homemade LC milk one time (I know, this kind of pie...with sliced bananas in it...isn't low carb at all!). The pudding would not set up, it was just mushy...tasted good though!

[metqa]

I think the homemade milks lack Lactose and casein that's needed to gell up with puddings. I read it somewhere,which is why some non dairy milks won't set up with puddings either.

[bill_co]

Wow, this is a long thread -- hope its still active. I've tried to find, but can someone give an answer as to what is the storage life of Carolyn's LC milk, and how would the taste compare to, say, 1% -- I do not like skim?

[crazywoman-n-wy]

Bill, I find Carolyn's milk to have a fairly low shelf life. It doesn't keep nearly as long as "real" milk, or the hoods. I don't use or drink a lot of milk, and so I really don't keep this made up much. I DO like it, but I just don't drink it enough.
It's been a while since I made it (except maybe to just make enough at a time for what I might want to use in a recipe or something. So I can't remember just how long it did keep. Maybe someone else can help.

I wouldn't make up a lot if I were you, unless you are a big milk drinker.

Also it has been a long time since I drank "real" 1% milk, so I really can't think how it compares to 1%. But you can add a little more cream, and a little more powdered milk (even) to give it less of a skim milk taste. (More pwd milk, will add a little more carbs.) Just experiment with a little more cream at a time till you see how you like it. Just make up a small recipe first to try. I think I do add a little more cream to mine (I think I use 1/2 c cream for a quart of milk.) I don't think mine tastes as weak as 1%, but as I said it's been a while.

[Biggmomma]

Im new to this, but what is CC milk? I love milk and its killing me not to be able to drink it.

[soon]

Carb Count milk less carbs than regular they used to make it in chocolate too. You used to be able to get it at Walmart but havent seen it in a couple of years