How to Make Evaporated Milk

What Is Evaporated Milk?

Evaporating milk reduces the water content by 60% for thicker, creamier milk. The milk flavor intensifies, and since it’s whole milk and not heavy cream, it’s lower in fat. You can get regular, low-fat, and fat-free or unsweetened condensed milk.

Storebought canned milk has a longer shelf life, making it ideal for emergencies, power outages, and camping trips. Of course, making it yourself gives you a higher quality product. And while not canned, it freezes well for a longer shelf life.

Evaporated Milk vs. Condensed Milk

The obvious similarity is that they’re all made from milk. Readers often ask me about the purpose of every ingredient I use in my recipes. These two ingredients are especially confusing: evaporated and condensed milk. Another question is if evaporated milk can replace heavy cream, and my answer, in most cases, is yes.

Both evaporated and condensed milk have had 60% of their water removed by evaporation. Using it as an alternative to regular milk in your recipe will add creaminess without excess liquid. The intensified texture also makes it a lower-fat replacement for heavy cream and half-and-half in soups and smoothies. Unfortunately, you can’t whip it, so you’ll need bonafide heavy cream for homemade whipped cream.

The main difference between condensed and evaporated milk is sugar. Of course, you can also make DIY condensed milk. If you love cream and sugar in your coffee, condensed milk is ideal. And if you only add cream, unsweetened evaporated milk is a great alternative.

How to Make Evaporated Milk

1. Boil – Add milk to a wide, heavy-bottomed, non-stick pan to prevent milk residue from sticking at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. (Photo 1)
2. Cook – Lower the heat and simmer while stirring continuously. Stirring keeps the milk from forming a film and allows water to evaporate faster.
3. Reduce – Simmer for about 1½ hours or until the milk has reduced to about ⅓ of the original volume. At this stage, the milk should be thick and look creamy. (Photo 2)
4. Strain the milk through a fine strainer or cheesecloth, pressing to get as much through as possible (discard the lumps). You could puree it with the lumps in a blender for smooth milk. Pour it into a Mason jar and let it cool completely. (Photos 3-4)
5. Store your homemade evaporated milk in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it.

DIY Hacks

• Blitz it in a blender to eliminate the lumps if you want to skip straining.
• Fast evaporated milk with powdered milk: 3 tablespoons butter, 1 cup hot water, and 4 cups powdered milk mixed well. Though it’s not quite as good as whole milk, it will do in a pinch.
• Canned milk typically has additives such as emulsifiers for texture and preservatives. Making your own with organic milk from free-range cows gives you a higher quality product.
• Refrigerate leftovers in a jar for 4-5 days, or freeze it 5-6 months.
• If you use evaporated milk for coffee, freeze it in an ice cube tray for a longer shelf life, then pop the frozen cubes into a freezer ziplock bag. Add a cube to your steaming hot coffee to cool it down and add creamy goodness.

How to Use It

Add this delicious DIY evaporated milk to soups, smoothies, coffee, and even homemade ice cream! I’m going to give you a list of fantastic recipes that take advantage of its convenience.

• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Cassava Cake
• Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Homemade Eggnog
• Fish Fillet in Cream Sauce

More Money-Saving Kitchen How-To Recipes

• DIY Buttermilk
• Homemade Mayonnaise
• DIY Garlic Butter
• How to Make Condensed Milk

By Imma

Watch How to Make It

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