Homemade Evaporated Milk (2 methods)

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Both condensed milk and evaporated milk are reduced milk. Meaning, both have been cooked until almost 60% of the water content of the milk has evaporated or reduced. Today, I will share two methods to make this milk from scratch.

Let's make this first. Both condensed milk and evaporated milk are reduced milk. Meaning, both have been cooked until almost 60% of the water content of the milk has evaporated or reduced. The main difference between the two is that condensed is always sweetened while evaporated is unsweetened.

EM is perfect to use for soups (instead of cream), over cereals, and in coffee or tea. Try evaporated milk instead of milk the next time you make French toast, waffles, mashed potatoes, or Bechamel sauce.
You can also use it in recipes that call for condensed milk but want to reduce the sweetness without the caramel-like flavor. Evaporated milk works great in both sweet and savory recipes.

About these recipes

As the name suggests evaporated milk is milk that has been condensed to about ⅓ of its original volume by evaporating the liquid over low slow cooking. Today I am going to share two methods to make homemade evaporated milk from scratch

The traditional method

The traditional way to make this can take hours. That's because it requires taking milk and heating it on low heat, stirring often until it is reduced to about ⅓ of its original volume.

Depending on how much milk you have it could take from 45 minutes to an hour or more. Also, you do have to stir it frequently so it does not touch the bottom of the pan and get burnt.

The result is thick, creamy, delicious evaporated milk. Or use it in any recipe that that calls for evaporated milk

The quick 5 minutes method 

How often have you been in a situation when you start making a recipe and realized that you don't have evaporated milk? And, of course, you don't have an hour to make it from scratch?

Thanks to modern technology and the availability of milk powder you can make EM in 5 minutes. So, basically what we are doing is instead of heating the milk and evaporating all the liquid we are instead adding the powdered milk. (which of course has also been made by evaporating liquid from the milk).

Ingredients and substitutes

• Milk – It’s best to use whole milk that’s at least 3% fat. Skimmed milk has too much liquid, so it will take longer to evaporate and you won’t get thick condensed milk. You can also use coconut milk, almond milk, or oats milk.
• Powdered milk – If you make the evaporated milk in 5 minutes you will need powdered milk. You do not want to use skimmed milk powder as it will not give you a thick consistency.

Step by step instructions

Traditional Evaporated Milk

• Pour milk and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan, preferably non-stick. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook stirring often.
  Pro tip - it is essential to keep the heat low and stir frequently, otherwise, the milk will burn on the bottom giving the milk a burnt smell.
• Continue to cook the milk on a low simmer until it is reduced to about ⅓ of its original volume.
  Pro tip - The more it reduces – the thicker the milk will be. It will continue to thicken as it cools so I'd say about ⅓ of its original volume is a good guide.
• Then, pour into a clean mason jar or glass container. Let it cool completely at room temperature then store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Quick 5 mins evaporated milk

• Place milk in a heavy-bottom saucepan. Add in the salt and powdered milk stirring with a whisk to avoid any lumps.
  Pro tip - the mixture will be quite lumpy at first but don't worry as the powder will dissolve and disappear in the milk
• Stir on medium-low for about a minute or two until the mixture comes to almost boil and all the milk powder has dissolved. Continue to cook for just 2 minutes on low until everything is well heated through.
• Remove from heat, strain into a clean mason jar or glass container. Let it cool completely at room temperature then store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  Pro tip- straining will remove any undissolved milk powder and give you a smooth velvet-like texture similar to canned condensed milk.

Tips - Evaporated milk

Traditional method

• Cooking the milk low and slow. This will give a much lighter colored milk preventing the milk from scorching at the bottom
• Use a whisk to make sure the mixture is lump-free.
• If you still have too many lumps in the milk - use a hand blender to smooth the mixture.
• The consistency has to be pouring consistency, so take it off the heat a bit earlier than you think as it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• If the finished milk is too thick add a few tablespoons of warm milk and give it a good mix with the hand blender.

Quick 4 mins method 

• Use full-fat milk for a nice thick consistency. 
• And use regular, not skimmed milk for a thick consistency
• The butter adds a nice velvet-like texture to the milk but it can be omitted as well. 
• The consistency has to be pouring consistency, so do not cook for too long.
• If the finished milk is too thick add a few tablespoons of warm milk and give it a good mix with the hand blender.

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