Evaporated Milk vs. Condensed Milk: What's the Difference?

[MULTIZ321]

Evaporated Milk vs. Condensed Milk: What's the Difference?
By Kelly Vaughan/ Recipes/ Cooking Tips & Techniques/ Real Simple/ realsimple.com

"We reveal all the ways evaporated milk and condensed milk differ, as well as delicious recipes you can make with each one.

It's a question you may have debated if you bake often: What's the difference between evaporated milk vs. condensed milk? You may even have both sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in your pantry, without knowing exactly how they are different, as well as all the things you can do with two different versions of canned milk. Regardless of your milk mastery, we’re here to clear up all of your simmering questions.

Evaporated milk is an unsweetened milk that has been preserved in cans. It was invented when refrigerators were a luxury and families had to find a way to preserve the calcium-loaded beverage for their children. To make evaporated milk, fresh milk is slowly simmered over low heat until approximately 60% of the (naturally occurring) water is removed. Evaporated milk becomes a creamier, thicker milk once the water has, well, evaporated. It is then homogenized, sterilized, and packaged for commercial sale.

The unsweetened nature of evaporated milk makes it versatile for both savory dishes like Decadent Mac and Cheese or sweeter recipes like our Sweet Potato Pie.

Sweetened condensed milk starts with the same process as evaporated milk— regular milk is boiled down to about half the amount to create a decadent, creamy product. However, a generous amount of sugar is added to the evaporated milk to sweeten it, which turns it into condensed milk....."

Richard

 

[Passepartout]

Easy. Sugar. Evaporated doesn't have it. Condensed does. Lots of it.

 

[Talent312]

Sweetened condensed milk is used for excellent pies
... not the least of which is my favorite, Key Lime Pie.
Pies using evaporated milk are not as good... IMHO.
.

 

[plpgma]

Interesting...and something that I used to wonder about -- but simply never took the time to actually figure out on my own. Now I don't have to expend any more effort -- the research has been done for me! The only two facts about them I ever really gathered on my own were (1) knowing that we had to always keep some of both on-hand, and (2) always being glad to do so because at least one of those two milks usually ended-up becoming something delicious for me to eat!

 

[paxsarah]

It's a question you may have debated if you bake often

I doubt it's a question anyone has debated if they bake often. It's a question someone may have debated if they bake only once in a blue moon, or never.

 

[pittle]

With evaporated milk, you can add equal amounts of water and have regular milk for cooking. You could refrigerate it and drink it, but I often use evaporated and water when I make cream pies. I use the Sweetened condensed milk for candies and refrigerated pies like the Key Lime or Lemon Icebox pie or to make a quick no-bake cheesecake.

 

[VacationForever]

I use evaporated milk for my tea. I use condensed milk for making flan.

 

[wackymother]

I make excellent macaroni and cheese with evaporated milk!