Condensed milk
Condensed milk is cow's milk from which water has been removed and sugar added, resulting in a thick, sweet-tasting product that can be stored for several years without refrigeration. has not been opened. The same product without added sugar was called evaporated milk, however, as this unsweetened version spoils much more easily, it is rare today (in some Spanish-speaking countries condensed milk is called “evaporated milk”, due to an old confusion between the products, so similar).
Process
The water is extracted using reduced, negative or vacuum pressure (approximately 0.5 atmospheres) until a thick liquid is obtained, with an approximate density of 1.3 g/mL. This subtraction of water is known by the names of thickening, concentration and condensation. Then sugar is added, in a proportion that goes from 30% (if the raw material is whole milk) to 50% (if it is skimmed milk). It is also subjected to a heat treatment, in order to guarantee the stability of the food at room temperature, while the container is closed. Because condensed milk has sugar, it is not subjected to subsequent sterilization, unlike evaporated milk, which does not. The high concentration of sugar should by itself prevent the growth of germs remaining in the milk after preheating. If heated for several hours, the condensed milk caramelizes to form what is called dulce de leche, manjar or arequipe. This process can be dangerous because unopened cans can explode during this operation.
A similar product is powdered milk, which is also dehydrated milk, but to which no sugar is added. In this case, absolutely all the water is extracted as it is sprayed, for this process an aerosol dryer (spray) is used, leaving a light ivory-colored powder.
Applications
Condensed milk is used in numerous desserts in many places, including Spain, Brazil, Hong Kong, and Russia, where it is known as „сгущёнка“ (sgushchyonka, literally “[what is] thick”). In Germany, evaporated milk is much more common than condensed milk (the term Kondensmilch is used for what in Spanish is called evaporated milk).
Many desserts contain condensed milk and it is also a key ingredient in certain coffee presentations such as Sua Da coffee (a type of Vietnamese coffee) or bonbon coffee (coffee with condensed milk).
In some Latin American countries, condensed milk is used in various gastronomic pastry recipes, such as rice pudding, sour cream, tres leches, granitas, etc.
In Venezuela it is used to make quesillo, as well as to season chicha and granitas (called raspados, brushing or snowball).
In Peru and Chile it is mainly used in the famous lemon pie. In the latter country it is also common to mix it with black beer, obtaining the so-called malta con leche.
In Euskadi, it is an optional ingredient in the many recipes for Basque cake or "goxua".
History
According to the writings of Marco Polo, the Tatars were able to condense milk. Ten pounds (4.54 kg) of milk paste was carried by each man, who would then mix the product with water. However, it probably refers to the smooth tartar curd that can be taken in the form of a drink ("ayran") by diluting it, and therefore refers to concentrate of fermented milk, not fresh.
Nicholas Appert invented condensed milk in 1820, and Gail Borden, Jr. in 1852, because regular milk did not store well without refrigeration for more than a few hours. In the XIX century, food poisoning caused by the consumption of milk was frequent due to the contamination of the milk by bacteria during the milking process of the cows and the precariousness of the conservation processes. While returning from a trip to England in 1851, Borden was shocked by the deaths of several children, apparently due to spoiled cow's milk. Researching for less than a year and studying his own failures and those of others, Borden found inspiration in an evaporating capsule he had seen used by the Shakers to condense juice, and was able to reduce the milk without burning or curdling it. Despite this, his first two factories were unsuccessful, and only the third, built with his new partner, Jeremiah Milbank, in Wassaic, New York, produced a durable milk product that did not require refrigeration. Borden obtained a manufacturing patent in 1856 and founded the New York Condensed Milk Company in 1857.
Possibly of similar importance to the future of milk were Borden's requirements for farmers who wished to sell him raw milk. He asked them to wash the udders of the cows before they are milked, keep the floors of the stables clean, and scald and dry the strainers in the morning and at night. By 1858 Borden's milk, sold under the brand name Eagle Brand, had gained a reputation for its purity, durability, and price. But it wasn't until the outbreak of the Civil War and the subsequent demand for long-life condensed milk by the Union Army that Borden's success was finally assured.
Huge amounts were ordered by the US federal government as field rations during the war, and soldiers returning home acted as word-of-mouth advertising. In the late 1860s, milk was an important industry. Eagle Brand is considered to be the oldest brand of food products still in existence today. Condensed milk became known in Europe in 1866, thanks to the Cham facilities in Switzerland.
Production and consumption data
World production of condensed milk amounts to 4,204,000 tons (1996 data). The main producer is the United States (872,000 tons), followed by Germany (538,000 tons) and the Netherlands (330,000 tons).
Brazil is the largest market for condensed milk in the world and the product is widely used in the preparation of typical desserts and drinks. Condensed milk is used in the recipe for the popular sweet brigadeiro in which condensed milk is the main ingredient (the most famous brand of condensed milk in Brazil is Leite Moça, [Moza Milk], the from the Swiss Milch Mädchen marketed by Nestlé), lemon pie, key lime pie, caramels and other desserts.
In some parts of Asia and Europe, condensed milk is the favorite to add to coffee or teh tarik. A popular custom in Asia is to put condensed milk on toast and eat it in a similar way to toast with jam. Nestle has even produced a jar similar to Smucker's jam jars for use just like that. Condensed milk is an important ingredient in many Indian desserts and sweets. Although most of the Indians use reduced and sweetened regular milk, condensed milk containers have also become popular. In Malaysia it is the most consumed dairy.
In New Orleans it is commonly used as a topping on chocolate or cream snowball slushies. In Scotland, it is mixed with sugar and a little butter and baked to form a popular sweet treat called a tablet or swiss-milk-tablet. In parts of the American South, condensed milk is a key ingredient in lemon icebox pie, a kind of cream pie.
During the communist era in Poland it was common to boil a can of condensed milk in water for about 2 hours. The resulting product is called kaymak, a sweet semi-liquid substance that can be used for cakes or placed between wafers. It is less common today, but recently some manufacturers of condensed milk have introduced ready-made kaymak products. Boiling the can in this manner is essential for making Banoffee pie and for making dulce de leche at home.