Need help on scalding milk due to excess lipase....paging lmintzer, rachels, nitaghei, or anyone else who does this..

[jerseygirl07067]

I did the great EBM experiment. I scalded half of my EBM and left the other half unscalded. The scalded definitely tasted better regardless of how it was stored, fridge, freezer, or room temp for four hours. I have decided that I will try to use fresh EBM whenever I go out, but for return to work (three weeks away :( ), I want to rebuild my freezer stash.

What is the correct technique for scalding? I want to make sure I'm doing it right. Do I let the milk cool on its own in the pan, then freeze? Or can it be kept in the fridge for a while, then frozen? Can I scald in the microwave? I ask this because though I will be partially working from home, I still have to go to the office on Monday & Thursday. So I can pump there but don't want that milk to go to waste, as I wouldn't need it for the next day since I'll be home. And EBM is a terrible thing to waste :) !!

TIA,
Mary

[Rachels]

I'm trying to find out for you about microwaving the milk. I know that's generally not recommended, but I think it's because of an overheating risk. I'll let you know what I find. As for stove scalding, you heat it just until bubbles form, then refrigerate or freeze it. If you're not going to be using it fairly immediately, stick it straight in the freezer. You need to scald right after pumping, before you cool the milk.

HTH, and I'll let you know if I can find other resources.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[lmintzer]

Hi Mary. Rachel answered most of your questions, so let me try to help with plans for work. I return to work in just over a week : ( so I'm right there with you trying to figure this out.

I BELIEVE (but I could be wrong here) that I have heard some say you can scald milk in an Avent bottle warmer. This is probably safer than a microwave since you can monitor it more closely. I haven't checked into this yet, but it something worth getting more info. on. My other idea is to just leave the milk out instead of putting it on ice or refrigerating it. That way, it will have cooled off only slightly (from body temp to roughly 72 degrees). I'm hoping that this amoung of cooling won't be substantial enough to counteract the scadling process. And since EBM is pretty hearty stuff (good for 5-10 hours at room temp), I'm not worried about it going bad during the work day while not refrigerated.

If this room temp method works, you could do the following: pump at work on Monday, leave at room temp, scald immediately upon returning home, refrigerate, and then "serve" on Thursday. Do the same on Thursday and serve up the good stuff on Monday. That way, your milk only sits in the fridge for a few days. I've found that my milk is more likely to acquire that funny taste the longer it is in the fridge or if it is frozen. Then, to build your freezer stash, you could use milk pumped at home where you can immediately scald and cool. Best times to pump may be either 1x/day in the morning right before leaving for work (when milk supply is highest) or before bed or on weekends (may be more convenient).

HTH a little. Please post if you learn any more about "stove-free" ways to scald at work.

[jerseygirl07067]

Thanks Lisa and Rachel! The above routine makes total sense. My only problem is that I think my milk starts to sour at about 5 hours or so, even at room temp. So I wonder if the milk will make it until I get home. I will have to experiment and see. I tested it yesterday, at room temp without scalding, tasting it each hour to see when it starts to spoil (geesh, the things we do!) I wonder if DD would even detect that difference as it's not rancid at that point, just a little off.

I do remember reading a post either on this board or the berkeley mom board about someone using the microwave to scald, I think 1 min for 4 oz but this person said she did not have a powerful microwave. I will ask some of the lactation consultants at my local hospital to see if they can shed any more light on this. However, I'm not convinced of their knowledge on this as I called about two weeks ago on the breastfeeding helpline, and the person I spoke with did not know anything about this problem, but she was an educator, not a specialist (big difference with training, hrs, etc.) I will also call my local LLL leader and ask.


Thanks again - will post if I learn more!
Mary

[jerseygirl07067]

I'm assuming you scald, let cool down a bit in the pan, then freeze? Or can it be pretty warm prior to freezing? I know this sounds like a dumb question but just want to double check!

TIA,
Mary

[Rachels]

The thing about letting it sit at room temp is that then you can't expect it to keep as long once you chill it. It has kind of maxed out its shelf life.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[sarahfran]

Not a dumb question. I'm wondering the same thing! I scalded my milk for the first time last night... I've had a real problem with it souring and I'm hoping this will do the trick. After scalding, I stood over the pan thinking... ok, now what? Wait for it to cool?

I waited a little while and then poured it into a bottle and stuck it in the fridge. Basically, I was tired and ready to go to bed. Interested to hear what others say!

-Sarah
Mom to Dylan, 8/18/03

:) Motherhood is such a joy! :)

[jerseygirl07067]

Hi Lisa! I am starting to do some research into the "stove free" way to scald. In fact, it's a must as we don't have one at work. (And my EBM won't even keep for a few hours prior to taking home and scalding) I found what you said interesting about using an Avent bottle warmer. I called Avent today and was told that the bottle warmer heats up the water that the bottles are in to 160 degrees. Their sterilizer heats up to 212 degrees. I think both take about 4-9 minutes. Being that scalding is just before the point of boiling, I am going to try and figure out if either of these could be used. I am going to call my local LLL leader to see if she has any ideas on this. I spoke to her once before and she was pretty knowledgeable.

I really wish I could do it in the microwave as that would be the most discreet and easiest at work. I could just see it now...people will ask me what I am doing with a raised eyebrow and I don't want to have to explain it!

Mary

[jerseygirl07067]

I went on the working and pumping messageboard over at Parentsplace.com. From what I 've read, you scald, then put the pan on ice, or pour the milk into a bottle, put it on ice to cool, then freeze (or refrigerate).

HTH!
Mary

[jerseygirl07067]

I e-mailed the breastfeeding message board moderators over at Parentsplace.com regarding the "stove free" technique. The sent me a lot of helpful links. One was from the Berkeley Parents board - a poster said she microwaved 4 oz of milk for 1 minute, cooled, then froze the milk. I have tried this but it is hard to see when the milk starts forming bubbles, and it seems like due to the uneven heating, there's a chance the scalding won't occur evenly, thus not deactivating all of the lipase.

But the moderator also gave me the following link to answer the question regarding the Avent bottle warmer! It is under the first review where it says "FOR PUMPING MOMS". I hope this helps! The only problem is that I don't use Avent bottles and the info on the warmer says it only takes Avents. However, I thought I read in the Fields' book that they came out with a newer version that takes any bottles.

http://bookworms.org/aws.cgi/mode_ba...ner%20Studios/



My other question is, is it better to scald in a plastic or a glass bottle? I wonder if the chemicals in the plastic get into the milk at a high temperature....Since the warmer is being used for a different purpose than intended (i.e. warming bottles to a higher temp and keeping them at that temp for a while)

I will likely try this! Now, if only the bottle warmer could plug into my car or run on batteries!! :)

Mary