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Condensed milk iscow's milk from which water has been removed (roughly 60% of it). It is most often found withsugar added, in the form ofsweetened condensed milk, to the extent that the terms "condensed milk" and "sweetened condensed milk" are often used interchangeably today.[1] Sweetened condensed milk is a very thick, sweet product, which whencanned can last for years without refrigeration if not opened. The product is used in numerousdessert dishes in many countries.[2]
A related product isevaporated milk, which has undergone a lengthier preservation process because it is not sweetened.
According to the writings ofMarco Polo, in the thirteenth century theTatars were able to condense milk. Marco Polo reported that ten pounds (4.5 kg) of milk paste was carried by each man, who would subsequently mix the product with water. However, this probably refers to the soft Tatar curd (qatiq), which can be made into a drink (ayran) by diluting it, and therefore refers to fermented, not fresh, milk concentrate.
Nicolas Appert condensed milk in France in 1820[3] and in 1835, English civil engineer William Newton added sugar as an additional measure of preservation.[4] Before these developments,milk could be kept fresh for only a short while and was available only in the immediate vicinity of a lactatingcow. While returning to the United States from a trip to England in 1851,Gail Borden Jr. was devastated by the deaths of several children, apparently from poor milk obtained from shipboard cows. With less than a year of schooling and following a series of failures, both of his own and of others, Borden was inspired by thevacuum pan he had seen being used byShakers to condensefruit juice and managed to reduce milk without scorching orcurdling it.[5] Even then his first two factories failed[6] and only the third, built with new partnerJeremiah Milbank[7] inWassaic, New York, produced a usable milk derivative that was long-lasting and needed no refrigeration.
Probably of equal importance for the future of milk production were Borden's requirements (the "Dairyman's Ten Commandments") for farmers who wanted to sell him raw milk: they were required to wash the cows'udders before milking, keep barns swept clean, and scald and dry their strainers morning and night. By 1858, Borden's milk, sold asEagle Brand, had gained a reputation for purity, durability and economy.[8][9]
In 1864, Gail Borden'sNew York Condensed Milk Company constructed the New York Milk Condensery inBrewster, New York.[10] This was the largest and most advanced milk factory of its day and was Borden's first commercially successful plant. More than 200 dairy farmers supplied 20,000 US gallons (17,000 imperial gallons; 76,000 litres) of milk daily to the Brewster plant as demand increased driven by theAmerican Civil War.
The U.S. government ordered huge amounts of condensed milk as afield ration for Union soldiers during the war. This was an extraordinary field ration for the nineteenth century: a typical 10-oz (300-ml) can contained 1,300 calories (5440 kJ), 1 oz (28 g) each of protein and fat, and more than 7 oz (200 g) of carbohydrate.
Soldiers returning home from the war soon spread the word, and by the late 1860s, condensed milk was a major product. In 1866, American brothersGeorge Ham Page and Charles Page established theAnglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company and opened the first condensed milk factory in Europe in the Swiss municipality ofCham.[11] The first Canadian condensery was built atTruro, Nova Scotia, in 1871.[12] In 1899, E. B. Stuart opened the first Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company (later known as the Carnation Milk Products Company) plant inKent, Washington. The condensed milk market developed into a bubble, with too many manufacturers chasing too little demand.[13] In the early 1900s, Carnation and Eagle brands were introduced in Hong Kong, establishing significant market shares in the years to follow.[14] In 1911,Nestlé constructed the world's largest condensed milk plant inDennington, Victoria, Australia.[15] By 1912, high stocks of condensed milk led to a drop in price and many condenseries went out of business.
In 1914,Otto F. Hunziker, head ofPurdue University's dairy department, self-publishedCondensed Milk and Milk Powder: Prepared for the Use of Milk Condenseries, Dairy Students and Pure Food Departments. This text, along with the additional work of Hunziker and others involved with theAmerican Dairy Science Association, standardized and improved condensery operations in the United States and internationally. Hunziker's book was republished in a seventh edition in October 2007 by Cartwright Press.[16]
The First World War regenerated interest in, and the market for, condensed milk, primarily due to its storage and transportation benefits. In the U.S. the higher price for raw milk paid by condenseries created significant problems for thecheese industry.[17]
Raw milk is clarified[18] and standardised to a desired fat to solid-not-fat (SNF) ratio,[19] and is then heated to 85–90 °C (185–194 °F) for several seconds. This heating process destroys some microorganisms, decreases fat separation and inhibits oxidation. Water isevaporated from the milk and sugar is added until a 9:11 ratio of sugar to (evaporated) milk is reached. The sugar extends the shelf life of sweetened condensed milk. Sucrose increases the liquid'sosmotic pressure, which prevents microorganism growth. The sweetened evaporated milk is cooled and lactose crystallization is induced.[20]
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Condensed milk is used in recipes for the Brazilian candybrigadeiro (where condensed milk is the main ingredient),key lime pie,caramel candies, and other desserts. Condensed milk and sweetened condensed milk are also sometimes used in combination withclotted cream to makefudge in certain countries such as the United Kingdom.
In parts of Asia and Europe, sweetened condensed milk is the preferred milk to be added to coffee or tea. Many countries in Southeast Asia, such asVietnam andCambodia, use condensed milk to flavor their hot or icedcoffee. InMalaysia andSingapore,teh tarik is made from tea mixed with condensed milk, and condensed milk is an integral element inHong Kong tea culture. In theCanary Islands, it is served as the bottom stripe in a glass of the local café cortado and, inValencia, it is served as acafé bombón. InMyanmar, condensed milk is an essential part of a vast majority of beverages such as coffee, milk tea and fruit juices along with the use of it as a sweetener in many desserts such aspopsicles.
Borden'sEagle Brand sweetened condensed milk has noted thatice cream could be made quite simply at home with their product, cream, and various simple flavorings, being ready to serve after as little as four hours.[21]
InNew Orleans, sweetened condensed milk is commonly used as a topping on chocolate or similarly cream-flavoredsnowballs. In Scotland, it is mixed with sugar and butter and then boiled to form a popular sweet candy calledtablet or Swiss milk tablet, this recipe is very similar to another version of the Brazilian candybrigadeiro calledbranquinho. In some parts of the Southern United States, condensed milk is a key ingredient inlemon ice box pie, a sort ofcream pie. In thePhilippines, condensed milk is mixed with someevaporated milk and eggs, spooned into shallow metal containers over liquidcaramelized sugar, and then steamed to make a stiffer and more filling version ofcrème caramel known asleche flan, also common in Brazil under the namepudim de leite.
In Mexico, sweetened condensed milk is one of the main ingredients of the cold cake dessert (the leading brand is "La Lechera", the local version of SwissMilchmädchen orLa Laitière by Nestlé), combined with evaporated milk,Marie biscuits,lemon juice, and tropical fruit. In Brazil, this recipe is also done by exchanging fruit for puddings, most commonlyvanilla andchocolate, known aspavê ortorta de bolacha. It is also used to make homemadedulce de leche by baking it in an oven. In Brazil, this is done by baking the unopened can in abain-marie, the result beingdoce de leite. In Britain and Ireland, the contents of a boiled can are used as the layer between the biscuit base and the banana and cream level inbanoffee. There is also a pastry-based tart that is popular in the county ofKent, England calledGypsy tart. The pastry case is then filled with a mixture of brown sugar and either condensed milk, evaporated milk, or a mixture of the two before being baked. In Latin American and Central American countries, condensed milk (along with evaporated milk and whole milk or canned cream) is used as a key ingredient in thetres leches cake dessert.
In Soviet culture, it was once common to boil a can of condensed milk in water for about three hours. The resulting product is a sweet semi-liquid substance that can be used as a cake icing or put between layers. It is essentially the same asdulce de leche. A similar product is calledkajmak in Central Asia (although the originalkaymak is a product similar toclotted cream).[22][23] In Russia it is calledvarionaya sguschyonka (translates as "boiled condensed milk"). The Soviet tradition and kaymak are also known in Poland.
Condensed milk can be made fromevaporated milk by mixing one volume measure of evaporated milk with one and a quarter volume measure of sugar in a saucepan, then heating and stirring the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved, then cooling. It can also be made by simmering regular milk and sugar, until it is reduced by 60%.[24]
Sweetened condensed milk (SCM) is concentrated milk to which sugar has been added to act as a preservative. It differs from unsweetened evaporated milk, which is preserved by sterilization at high temperature after packaging. Typically, SCM contains around 8% fat, 45% sugar and 20% solids-non-fat. The finished product is mainly used in the manufacture of confectionery and chocolate.
Prof. Hunziker of Purdue University gives the following interesting history of condensed milk: This year marks the 50th anniversary of the invention of the manufacture of condensed milk by Gail Borden. The first factory in the world was erected, completed and operated by Gail Borden in Connecticut in 1856. The beginning was small, the process crude and the product imperfect, and it was not until the strenuous years of the war of secession that its value and usefulness as a commodity became fully recognized.
According to the United States census of 1900, in that year there were over fifty factories in the United States. The increase in condensories during the last five years has been so rapid that it is safe to put the total number of factories today at 100 in this country alone. The census report of 1903 estimates that about 1,000,000,000 pounds of milk were received at our condensories with an aggregate output of 250,000,000 pounds of condensed milk in that year.
1911 Dennington Condensed Milk factory built (largest in the world during the war).
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)2nd Ed. (LaGrange, IL: 1918),[1] (LaGrange, IL: 1920),alternative 3rd Ed
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