We are constantly confusing these two ingredients, especially when we're at the grocery store trying to remember which one our recipe calls for. Besides the fact that the cans look nearly identical, we can't get over the simple logic that "evaporated" and "condensed" sound like two sides of the same coin to us. See? Highly confusing.
Evaporated Milk - As you could have probably guessed, evaporated milk is made by heating milk until a good percentage of its water content has evaporated, about 60% of it. The result is a dense, creamy, ultra-concentrated milk that can be canned and stored for several months. Evaporated milk can be used as is or it can be reconstituted to make regular drinking milk.
Sweetened Condensed Milk - Sweetened condensed milk was actually around long before evaporated milk. This milk product also has most of the water evaporated out, but then sugar is added before canning. The sugar actually acts as an additional preservative, which was a necessary measure for preserving milk before canning procedures were refined.
Sweetened condensed milk has definitely taken on a life of its own. It can be found in kitchens around the world, from England and France to India and Brazil. It’s used extensively in baking and as a sweetener for many tea and coffee drinks. Sweetened condensed milk can also be further reduced to make a quick(er) version of dulce de leche and candies like Brazilian brigadeiros.
Anything else to add? How do you use these milk products in your cooking?
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(Images: Evaporated Milk and Sweetened Condensed Milk from Amazon.com)
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I have a slightly embarrassing and overwhelming obsession with sweetened condensed milk.
Something about the ooey-gooey-creamy-sugary-syrupy-glop makes me literally once in a blue moon open a can, get a spoon and eat until my stomach hates me.
If my partner let me, this would happen much more than I am comfortable admitting.
Evaporated milk I've never used much of--But condensed milk. Ahh. Nearly every bar cookie recipe is made that much better by drizzling a little on top with some chocolate chips and toasted pecans....
I digress, I digress.
I use condensed milk at least 2-3 times a year to make banoffee. It's a delicious, pie type dessert made with bananas, condensed milk, graham crackers, and whipped cream from Ireland.
Sweetened condensed milk is delicious in tea.
Once I discovered leche flan as a kid, I've always been obsessed with its silky, sweetness and make sure to have one in my cabinet at all times.
I <3 sweetened condensed milk sooo much. I put it in my coffee instead of milk and sugar. Especially good in iced coffee. My boyfriend thinks it's gross, but I think it's heaven. In France they sell it in a tube (looks like a toothpaste tube). It's made by Nestle and it's even more delicious than what we have in the states...
I'm with taylord, that stuff is liquid crack.
I need to make a key lime pie, stat!
@Arielle They sell the tubed stuff at a local chain grocery near my house. I've always been tempted to buy but haven't.
Also, I once heard that you could substitute condensed milk for heavy cream. So I tried it in a few cassarole recipies and even once in a carbonara. I didn't notice much of a difference in the cassaroles, but in the carbonara it didn't make the "sauce" the right consistency.
I have one rec for each:
Evaporated Milk- my boyfriend is highly allergic to coconut milk, so I recently tried this as a substitute so I can sate my Thai and Indian cravings. Worked like a charm!
Sweetened Condensed Milk- My parents gave my a huge file box filled with tea, most of it black tea. After having it sit around for two years I had a random idea. I bowled four bags, added some coco mix that was laying around, and then added the sweetened condensed milk and chilled it. The taste was so familiar- I've had this a million times in south asian restaurants. and now for about $3 I can make a jug to last a week!
mistresslc I'm curious as to the history of this recipe. It seems so non-Irish to have developed in Ireland what with the bananas. Do you know anything more about it? Not to be too nerdy but was there an era of heavy banana shipping to Ireland during one of the world wars or something?
I use the evap all the time. It makes a great roux (I actually use the 2%, but it's thicker so it works much better than a lower fat regular milk).
I've had a can of the sweetened in the pantry for close to forever that my husband bought by accident (thought he was get evap, yes). I haven't made anything with it because I know I love it and I'm just holding off, holding off...for years now.
Condensed milk is also delicious on pancakes and waffles! La Lechera is available in squeeze bottles now (much easier to use if you can't use an entire can at once).
I often use the evaporated milk in my coffee instead of cream. Now I might have to try the sweetened condensed to replace the cream and the sugar.
My dad used to make himself a treat with the sweetened condensed milk. He would boil a whole can (in the can) for several hours, then open in and eat it with a spoon. The boiling turned it into this caramel like substance.
LaceBones, could you be a little more specific about your drink recipe? What do you mean by coco mix? Hot chocolate powder, cocoa powder, coconut milk? Also what did you mean by bowled 4 bags of tea? Typo to mean boiled, or do you mean you took the tea out of the bags and mixed into the drink?
Love sweetened condensed milk! The tiny cans are great for car camping (for coffee).
I also find that the 'mexican' version is always cheaper- same stuff, different aisle. And it comes in a squeeze bottle!
Confuse the two?! Condensed milk is a can of thick, sweet, syrupy milky goodness and evaporated is well...creamy I guess. In my house we always had evaporated milk to use as creamer in our tea (and I liked it watered down in cereal) but condensed milk we got on special occasions.
Condensed milk: 1- put a can into a pan and cover with water. Boil for 40 minutes for some thin dulce de leche or for 60 minutes for some consistent one. 2- in a blender with 3 eggs, using the can as a measure for a can of milk, and a tbsp of corn starch. Make some caramel (sugar and water) and spread it on a cake pan (the one with a whole). Add the condensed milk mixture and double boil it until toothpick comes out clean. Around 1 hour. The most famous Brazilian flan!
Sweetened condensed milk makes great fudge.
I learned the hard way the difference between the two when I accidently used the sweet stuff in a savory recipe! It was SO GROSS.
Won't make that mistake again!
Well I'm happy to read I'm not the only one that's made this mistake. I confused my cans when making a Flan, and created one of the most decadent (and densely sweet) Thanksgiving desserts ever. A valuable lesson was learned. Wish I had seen this entry before that fateful day!
I use sweetened condensed milk to make a ridiculously simple, yet elegant and delicious coffee flan.
Coffee Flan at Epicurious
Condensed milk
Ohhhhhh...LOVE LOVE LOVE condensed milk...its like a staple food of russia, unfortunately they are adding it to everything, but they are adding like a substitute..not the real deal. I always have preferred boiled condensed milk to regular because then you can eat out of the can, use it as a filling for cakes, but my fave, are two cookies (shaped like a walnut) that are stuck together by this yummy browny goodness! i can't wait to find me a recipe online...mmmmm
kinda like these...http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/5628698.html
to Lacybones,
The recipe i got was from the family of our neighbor's foreign exchange students who were from Dublin that year (I think it was '98 or so). I believe banoffee was first started out in the 70's in england. But apparently it's still really big over in the UK but any time I make it people always ask what it is.
Evaporated milk is usually stored in a sealed can and is usually thicker than the fresh milk. However, many people prefer buying evaporated milk as it can be stored for a longer time, and it doesn’t need refrigeration until the can is opened.