On Food and Cooking

with Nestlé around the turn of the century.
Dried milk didn’t appear until around the turn
of the 20th century. Today, concentrated milk
products are valued because they keep for
months and supply milk’s characteristic
contribution to the texture and flavor of baked
goods and confectionery, but without milk’s
water.
Condensed or evaporated milk is made by
heating raw milk under reduced pressure (a
partial vacuum), so that it boils between 110
and 140ºF/43–60ºC, until it has lost about half
its water. The resulting creamy, mild-flavored
liquid is homogenized, then canned and
sterilized. The cooking and concentration of
lactose and protein cause some browning, and
this gives evaporated milk its characteristic
tan color and note of caramel. Browning
continues slowly during storage, and in old
cans can produce a dark, acidic, tired-tasting
fluid.
For sweetened condensed milk, the milk is