Why use evaporated milk in fudge? (2024)

FAQs

Why use evaporated milk in fudge? ›

Evaporated milk is milk that has been cooked to reduce its water content. It is more stable than regular milk and it can be cooked at high temperatures without curdling, a real benefit to fudge. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for it in a fudge recipe.

But when left in its thickened, low-moisture canned state, it can also stand in for milk or heavy cream as an enriching agent. Evaporated milk gives body to smoothies, thickens up and sweetens coffee, and adds nuance and richness to creamy soups and chowders, not to mention savory sauces and even oatmeal.

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

As milk has a higher water content than evaporated milk, it is thinner and not as sweet. If using milk as a substitute in sauces, you may need to use something to thicken it, such as flour or cornflour. In baking, you may need more dry ingredients and a bit more sugar to achieve the same flavor and texture.

Evaporated milk is milk that has been cooked to reduce its water content. It is more stable than regular milk and it can be cooked at high temperatures without curdling, a real benefit to fudge. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for it in a fudge recipe.

Once a seed crystal forms, it grows bigger and bigger as the fudge cools. A lot of big crystals in fudge makes it grainy. By letting the fudge cool without stirring, you avoid creating seed crystals.

Too cooked

This fudge was cooked to a temperature of 118 °C (244 °F). At this temperature, the sugar is too concentrated and there is not enough water left to form syrup around sugar crystals. The result is hard and brittle fudge.

What are the cons of evaporated milk? ›

Potential downsides

Evaporated milk may be problematic for people with lactose intolerance or cow's milk allergy (CMA), as it contains more lactose and milk proteins per volume, compared with regular milk. Lactose is the main type of carb found in milk and dairy products ( 20 ).

Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.

As I let the pies cool, I saw that they all had browned blisters on top of their plastic-looking skin. Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.

The evaporation process concentrates the nutrients and the food energy (kcal); unreconstituted evaporated milk contains more nutrients and calories than does fresh milk per unit volume.

We recommend regular or powdered milk, but with a few tweaks, you can also use half-and-half, heavy cream, or non-dairy milk. While evaporated milk lacks the syrupy sweetness of the condensed version, you can use it as a substitute for condensed milk in a pinch.

Fudge typically contains dairy, but the high sugar content of this candy stabilizes it. If you intend to enjoy your fudge within 1 to 2 weeks, it can certainly be kept out at room temperature.

Regular Milk

So for example, if a recipe calls for one cup of evaporated milk, you'd need to use about 1⅔ cups of regular whole, 2 percent, or skim milk.

If your recipe calls for one can of evaporated milk (as most do), you can substitute 1 ½ cups of cream or half and half, or a combination of the two. You can also use milk (any kind from whole to skim).

Evaporated milk, with its lower fat content and thinner consistency, provides a lighter alternative for dishes where richness is desired without overwhelming heaviness. Heavy cream, with its higher fat content and creamy consistency, lends itself perfectly to indulgent desserts, creamy sauces, and decadent soups.

If dairy isn't an issue, heavy cream can substitute for condensed milk. But if you're avoiding dairy, the only thing that can sometimes substitute for condensed milk “as is” is full-fat coconut milk. However, full-fat coconut milk may not have the condensed milk consistency you're going for.