52 Week Food Storage - Week #18

Week # 18:    20 cans Evaporated Milk

Evaporated Milk:

Evaporated milk comes in canned form, and is evaporated due to the process of removing water from the milk. When you open a can of evaporated milk, you’ll notice the milk is much thicker than ordinary milk you’d buy at a grocery store. This method of storing milk became popular because the cans of milk could keep far longer than fresh milk, and didn’t require refrigeration until after they were opened. About 60% of the water is removed from evaporated milk, accounting for its thickness. So, evaporated milk is fresh whole milk, with a little over half the water taken out. It has vitamin D added to it and has been canned to make it keep longer.

Nutrition Information

Evaporated milk is part of the milk group. Foods from the milk group provide important nutrients like calcium. Based on MyPyramid, ½ cup of evaporated milk provides 1 cup from the milk group. A typical person should try to eat/drink 3 cups of milk or foods that are equal to one cup of milk each day.

Taste

Some argue that milk from cans has a metallic taste. Still, if you need milk around but lack refrigeration, as in the case of emergencies where you might lose power, evaporated milk is an excellent choice. Do note that if you lack refrigeration, you cannot keep evaporated milk out without spoiling it.

Storage

Store unopened cans in a cool, dry place off the floor. It can have a shelf life of months or even years, depending upon the brand, so check the expiration date on the can before you buy it. Store opened evaporated milk in a tightly covered plastic container in the refrigerator. Use within 4-7 days! Do not use evaporated milk if can is rusted, bulging, or dented. Throw it away!

Uses

Evaporated milk can be used straight from the can in coffee and tea, on cereal or for mashed potatoes, gravies and sauces.

It can also be used in creamed vegetables, creamed soups, cheese sauces, meat loaf, ice cream, cookies, casseroles, chicken coating, scrambled eggs, french toast, puddings, desserts and salads.

To use evaporated milk in place of milk in recipes or for drinking, mix with equal amounts of water.

Directions: Wash top of can before opening. Punch two holes in the top of can. Mix one can of evaporated milk with one can of water. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before using. Use within 7 days!

Evaporated milk can be used for sour milk, or buttermilk. For each cup needed, stir in one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into one cup diluted evaporated milk.

Difference between Evaporated & Condensed Milk?

Dairy farmers developed evaporated milk over 100 years ago. The company Borden was first on the market with condensed milk, to which sugar was added to produce a very sweet product. The main difference between evaporated and condensed milk in the US is that no sugar is added to the evaporated form. It is merely whole milk from which water has been removed. This is not the case in other countries, where you’ll find many brands of evaporated milk that contain sugar.

Sugar acts as an excellent preservative, extending the life of condensed milk, but it’s important to note this distinction between condensed and evaporated milk, especially when you are baking. While some recipes call specifically for condensed milk, like quick fudge recipes, other recipes, like many for pumpkin pie require evaporated milk. You can’t substitute one for the other unless you want to add or take away from the total sugar in your end product. Most pumpkin pie recipes, for instance, are made too sweet by adding condensed instead of evaporated milk; while fudge recipes may not be sweet enough if they’re made with evaporated milk.