Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?

In this article, we will answer the question “Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?”, and how to make evaporated milk?

Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?

Yes, you can use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk. You do not have to make any adjustments If you are replacing evaporated milk with unsweetened condensed milk since both of them have the same consistency. 

However, If you are replacing evaporated milk with sweetened condensed milk, use 14 oz for every cup of evaporated milk. Read on If you want to know more about condensed milk and evaporated milk.

What is condensed milk?

Condensed milk is a milk product that is prepared by removing about 60% of the water from dairy milk. For this, milk is heated at about 85-90°C temperature. Sucrose is added to milk till approximately half the ratio of sugar to milk is achieved. 

Sucrose acts as a preservative by increasing the osmotic pressure of the fluid, thus, preventing microbial growth.

What is evaporated milk?

As the name indicates, evaporated milk is made by evaporated about 60% water from fresh milk. Evaporated milk, contrary to regular milk, is a shelf-stable product because heating reduces the water activity and the microbial load of milk, in turn, extending the shelf life of milk.

After heating, the milk is canned, the fat of milk is homogenized and the can is heat sterilized. This way milk can be transported safely to far-off places without spoilage. Additives are added to prevent milk solids from settling down.

How to make evaporated milk?

Evaporated milk can be easily made at home by simmering milk on low-medium heat. It is important that you only simmer the milk and do not let it boil. After about 25-30 minutes, the milk will become thick and creamy with a slight pale-yellow color. 

This is due to fat accumulation and sugar caramelization. The end-product is naturally sweet because the process results in concentrating the milk sugar ie. lactose.

How to make condensed milk?

With evaporated milk

You will need the following ingredients to make condensed milk from evaporated milk.

• 1 ½ cup or 300 grams-white granulated sugar
• 12 ounces can of evaporated milk

Follow the procedure given below:

1. Pour the evaporated milk and sugar into a pot or saucepan.
2. Bring the liquid to a boil while stirring continuously.
3. Keep an eye on the color and consistency. When the liquid develops a pale yellow color and a rich creamy consistency, turn off the flame.
4. Let it cool at room temperature.
5. Store in the refrigerator in a sterilized container.

With fresh milk

If you do not have evaporated milk, worry not, use whole milk to make sweetened condensed milk for your desserts. Make sure you have the following ingredients in stock.

• 100 grams granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp or 28.4g unsalted butter
• 1 ½ cup full-fat milk
• Vanilla essence

Follow the procedure given below:

1. Pour the milk into a pot or a saucepan and add sugar.
2. Cook on low heat until the volume of milk is reduced to half and it develops a pale yellow color and a creamy consistency.
3. Melt butter into the liquid. Add vanilla essence for flavor.
4. Let it cool.
5. Store in a sterilized container and refrigerate.

With milk powder

• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 68g fat-free powdered milk
• 134 grams of sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• Vanilla essence(optional)

Follow the procedure below:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend at full speed until smooth.
2. Store in a sterilized container in the refrigerator.

Instead of dairy-based milk powder, non-dairy milk powders can also be used like soya milk powder, rice milk powder, potato milk powder, coconut milk powder, and cashew powder etc

Other FAQs about Milk which you may be interested in.

How long can unopened milk sit out?

How long until milk spoils?

How long does it take for milk to spoil at room temperature?

How to Make Dairy-Free, Lactose-Free, or Sugar-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk?

If you want to skip the sugar in the condensed milk or the milk because of health reasons, you can simply substitute these two ingredients with whatever suits you. 

If you are allergic to dairy milk, replace it with cashew, almond, oat, or pistachio milk. These plant-based milk have a flavor of their own. Substitute an equal amount of dairy-free milk.

If you are Lactose Intolerant, use a lactose-free version of regular milk. If you want to skip the sugar, use honey, Splenda, or maple syrup. 

When using maple syrup or honey, cut their amount to half of the amount of sugar required in the recipe because they are naturally more sweet than granulated sugar.

Conclusion 

In this article, we answered the question “Can I use condensed milk instead of evaporated milk?”, and how to make evaporated milk?

References

https://www.thespruceeats.com/make-sweetened-condensed-milk-three-ways-3034193

https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/81574/can-i-substitute-condensed-milk-for-evaporated-milk-in-icing#:~:text=Yes%20you%20can.,milk%20and%20they%20are%20interchangeable.