Is there some reason I should be storing either condensed milk or evaporated milk? What would I be using them for? Can evaporated milk actually be used like real milk by adding water?

Every time I go to the grocery store I look at these canned milk displays and wonder if perhaps there is something significant missing in my education. . . .

Thanks!

-- peg (peg@futureandahope.com), November 15, 1999

Answers

On another thread (forget which one) there was a discussion of enhancing the taste of powdered milk with evaporated milk. Also you use less milk in recipes when using evaporated or condensed and therefore can store some and get a good bang for the buck.

-- Sammie (sammiex0@hotmail.com), November 15, 1999.

canned milk. store that. i am storing lots. it is a great substitute for milk in puddings, soups, hot chocolate, creamer, anything that calls for milk. just dilute with equal amt of water. condensed sweetened milk is used for special things such as those great gooey bars. you don't really need it. canned milk isn't incredible to drink or on cereal so you would do dried for that or a boxed milk (like parmalat/hershey's) that tastes more fresh than canned. canned milk can even be used for great ice cream.

-- tt (cuddluppy@yahoo.com), November 15, 1999.

Evaporated milk is good to have on hand, as the others have said...dilute and add as you would regular milk. You can also use any of the soy milks, almond milk, and rice milks that come in aeseptic packs (don't have to be kept refrigerated until opened, and have a shelf life of about a year..check the date on the top of the box). I have found that the rice milks don't do well in puddings. We use soy milk for everything (for pudding, I use the vanilla variety) except to add to coffee and we found that it curdles, so if we have a guest who wants milk in their coffee, I open a can of evaporated milk. Margo

-- Margo (margos@bigisland.com), November 15, 1999.

Eureka!!!! I've found the absolute perfect substitute for your regular ol' everyday whole milk. PARMALAT is what I found in the creamer section of my grocery store just down the aisle from the coffee and teas. It's in a rectangular, waxed container. It'll store for up to 6 mos. BUT...it has to be refrigerated after opening.

I drank it straight after refrigerating about 24 hrs. and by golly they were right. It's whole milk alright.

beej

-- beej (beej@ppbbs.com), November 15, 1999.

We are also stocking the Parmalat milk, you can find it in quarts, and in a smaller juice box size. They make a whole and a 2%, works just fine on any thing.

-- && (&&@&&.&), November 15, 1999.

yep- parmalat is pretty good- whole tastes best. I can get it for 50 cents sometimes- dented can store- check expiration dates on this though. Evap. milk has long life- good straight in coffee- good for puddings, etc- o.k. reconstituted with water for cereal. Condensed is for yummy deserts- sweetened thickened milk- heard there's a chocolate condensed out there somewhere too......

-- farmer (hillsidefarm@drbs.com), November 15, 1999.

Yep, I think Eagle brand (or Daisy?) now makes a chocolate flavored sweetened condensed. The way I remember the difference is that the condensed stuff is used in desserts (baking, etc) I learned that in college after accidentally using evaporated instead of condensed in my pumpkin pie. YECH!

I am storing both, BTW, tho WAY more of the evaporated. The sweetened condensed is just for the few sweet Y2K recipes I have (criteria: has to be able to be made in a Dutch oven).

The reason I am storing quite a bit of evaporated is b/c I am worried about getting my hands on water if things are still bad past say August and the powdered stuff I have obviously calls for water.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), November 21, 1999.