Instant Non Fat Dry Milk

[poacherjoe]

I have a recipe that calls for some non fat dry milk. My local store only has the instant so my question is . Is this okay to use for polish kielbasa ??

 

[zwiller]

Very short answer is it's not the same stuff:

 

[SmokinEdge]

Very short answer is it's not the same stuff:

You beat me to it. I was going to post the same video. Great information.

 

[poacherjoe]

Thanks thats kinda what I figured but my local store doesn't carry it. I will try another store if al else fails I will order some online

 

[chopsaw]

poacherjoe I used the Carnation brand for years , and still do if I run out of the other . Worked fine for me .

 

[SmokinEdge]

Potato starch actually does work better, not to add confusion.

 

[zwiller]

Potato starch actually does work better, not to add confusion.

This stuff was pretty easy to find too and I live in small town. Bob's Red Mill brand is in most stores. I trust Rich's experience that it doesn't matter and remember sausage can be made just fine without binders like this provided you get a good extraction.

 

[poacherjoe]

This stuff was pretty easy to find too and I live in small town. Bob's Red Mill brand is in most stores. I trust Rich's experience that it doesn't matter and remember sausage can be made just fine without binders like this provided you get a good extraction.

I am using a pre mix from Eldons that called for 1/2 cup of NFDM so what can be substituted and at what amount?

 

[zwiller]

SNIPPED
Non fat dry milk powder can bind water and is often used in making sausages, including fermented types. Dry milk powder contains 50% lactose (sugar) and is used in fermented sausages as a source of food for lactic acid producing bacteria. It also contains around 35% of protein, about 0.6 - 1% fat and may be considered a healthy high energy product. Dry milk powder greatly improves the taste of low fat sausages. Non fat dry milk powder is a good natural product and it does not affect the flavor of the product. It is added at about 3% and effectively binds water and emulsifies fats. Its action is very similar to that of soy protein concentrate.

Starch is often added to sausages with low meat content. Starch is added when making sauces, to trap moisture and to make the sauce heavy. In sausages starch is used for its properties to bind water and to improve texture of the product. The most common sources are potato, wheat, corn, rice and tapioca. You can add as much as you like but around 10% (100 g per kilogram of total mass) will be the upper limit. Starch is a common additive in extended injected products like a ham. It is usually applied at 10 - 50 g/kg (1-5%) of finished product. Many Russian sausages were made with 2% potato starch.

I'd say same 1/2 cup but admit I am weight based in my method and been a long time since I used the starch. Hoping SmokinEdge has got better info.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Potato starch binds water very well and is tasteless. Starches contain molecules called amylose, and/or, amylopectin. These molecules break when heated and once cooled they form a gel. Potato starch contains 80% amylopectin, and unlike some other starches, forms a gel between 140-147* F. This gel is a binder for the meat mince and improves texture and mouth feel of finished sausage. Other starches gelatinize at temperatures between 165-178* F. Well above the final IT of sausage. Potato flour can also be used. Many European recipes call for it as a binder and extender.
The superior water binding of potato starch improves moisture retention and increases yield while providing juiciness in processed meats. I use it in the 4-5% range but up to 10% can be used.

That said, with quality ingredients, fresh meat and good technique, no binder or filler is necessary. I do find that when using frozen and thawed meat for grinding, and when I’m going to refreeze the made sausage, that potato starch improves the quality of the sausage, especially after freezing the sausage. The freeze thaw cycle with meat tends to dry it out and rupture cell structure in the meat making it more difficult to retain moister. NFDM, and potato starch help with this. I just prefer the starch.