Milk is a popular and nutritious beverage obtained from mammals, usually cows in the United States. It is pasteurized and vitamin-enriched. Whole milk contains about 3-1/2 percent butterfat; reduced-fat milk has 2 percent butterfat; low-fat milk has 1% butterfat; and fat-free or skim milk has less than 1/2 percent butterfat. Lactose-reduced milk is available for those who can not digest the lactose, a naturally occuring sugar in milk. Acidophilus milk has lactobacillus culture, good bacteria, added. Some believe that this helps the digestive tract. Most milk cartons are freshness dated. Fresh milk should be refrigerated in its original container. It is generally recommended that milk not be frozen.

Dry milk is a powder made from milk that has the moisture removed. It is readily available in nonfat form and can be reconstituted with water. It does not require refrigeration, making it convenient when refrigerator space is limited. It is also economical. When reconstituted, its flavor is different from fresh milk. It is best used for baking. Canned evaporated milk, both whole and skim, has about 60 percent of the water removed. It is then sealed in cans and heat treated. It also does not need refrigeration so, like dry milk powder, it is convenient. When substituting evaporated milk for fresh milk, reconstitute it with an equal amount of water. Evaporated milk should not be confused with sweetened condensed milk.