The custard powder that stood the test of time (2024)

FAQs

What has happened to bird custard powder? ›

The Bird's Custard product remains as a brand. In late 2004, Kraft sold Bird's Custard and some other Kraft brands to Premier Foods, the owners as of 2021. In 1958, the company acquired Monk and Glass, a rival custard powder manufacturer based in London.

An act of love

Lady Elizabeth Bird had a terrible allergy to eggs, but absolutely adored eating custard (via Made Up in Britain). Being a talented chemist and doting husband, in 1837 Lord Alfred developed a custard powder derived from colored and flavored corn flour and sugar, according to Food Timeline.

If you have a tin of your own aging in the kitchen right now, consider this your sign to dust it off (though custard powder can last for up to three years unopened, once opened it's a good idea to use it up in six months or so).

Bird's is best known for the original custard powder, that gives you the power to create homemade custard perfect for you and your family.

Custard powder contains egg yolks that have the ability to lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels in the blood and increase HDL or good cholesterol levels up to 20 per cent. Plus, it is low in fat and cholesterol and is a good option for those looking to maintain a healthy weight.

Custard powder is primarily made up of thickeners that give the pudding its texture. Cornstarch is usally the biggest component, since it is great for thickening liquids, disolves easily and is almost foolproof.

When does custard powder expire? Unopened custard powder can last a fairly long time, usually about 2 to 3 years past the printed date on the package, as long as it's stored in a cool, dry place. Once the package has been opened, it should ideally be used within six months.

Alfred Bird (1811 – 15 December 1878) was an English food manufacturer and chemist. He was born in Nympsfield, Gloucestershire, England in 1811 and was later a pupil at King Edward's School, Birmingham. He was the inventor of a series of food products, most notably egg-free custard and baking powder.

Dairy can be difficult to digest and can result in gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and bloating. For these reasons, it is best to avoid feeding custard to your canine companion (sorry doggos).

Learn how to make custard powder in just 2 minutes and using only 3 ingredients (milk powder, cornflour/corn starch and vanilla sugar). What is this? You won't believe how quick and easy it is to prepare custard powder and then use it to make creamy homemade vanilla custard!

Can you eat custard 2 days out of date? ›

Food that has passed its best before date is safe to eat. Best before should be considered a rough guide rather than a strict rule. There is no reason to throw away food that goes past its best before date, it is perfectly safe to eat and will often taste just as good.

custard powder in British English

noun. a powder containing cornflour, sugar, etc, for thickening milk to make a yellow sauce. See custard (sense 2)

If a recipe lists custard powder and you don't have any, you can make some simple swaps to achieve the same effect. For each tablespoon of custard powder that's called for in your recipe, you can make your own custard mix with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch plus 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt.

Custard Factory | Digbeth. Birmingham's famous Custard Factory was built by Alfie Bird to produce Bird's Custard in 1906.

Products like custard powder don't come with a use by date, instead they have "best before". To be honest I see no reason why if kept dry custard powder would ever be inedible. Especially if it is just the corn flour and colour mix.

Why is custard powder pink until you add the liquid, upon which it becomes yellow? Custard powder is often coloured with a blend of tartrazine yellow or quinoline yellow food dyes, mixed with sunset yellow.