Do I Need Evaporated Or Sweetened Condensed Milk For The Chocolate Pistachio Fudge? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

Do I Need Evaporated Or Sweetened Condensed Milk For The Chocolate Pistachio Fudge? | Ask Nigella.com? ›

The sweetened condended milk is needed as no extra sugar is added to the fudge.

Don't Substitute One for the Other

Thus, using condensed milk in a recipe that requires evaporated milk will yield an overly sweet dish.

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.

Although it may be tempting, because of the added sugar, you should generally avoid substituting sweetened condensed milk in any recipe that calls for evaporated. If you don't have evaporated milk available, it's possible to substitute a cup of light cream, or you can make your own.

Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.

The key to creamy, luscious fudge is controlling crystal formation. If the sucrose (table sugar) crystals are small, the fudge will feel creamy and smooth on your tongue. But if the crystals are large, the fudge develops a crumbly, dry, or even coarse texture.

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.

Evaporated milk comes in three varieties based on the amount of fat: whole milk, low-fat and skim. The benefit of evaporated milk is shelf-life: canned milk can remain stable for up to two years for peak flavor, and maybe longer. If you open a can of evaporated milk and it is dark yellow or brown, don't use it.

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

Beat the mixture until it just loses it's shine and becomes very thick (this should take about 5-10 minutes). The longer you beat once it starts to thicken then the more crumbly the final fudge will be. If you like it smooth - beat it only until comes away from the sides of the pan and sticks well to the spoon.

What is the major difference between evaporated and condensed milk? ›

Both are concentrated, shelf-stable milk products that have been heated until at least 60 percent of their water content has evaporated. The main difference between evaporated milk and condensed milk is that evaporated milk is unsweetened while condensed milk is sweetened.

Even though these are both concentrated forms of milk in which approximately 60% of the water content has been removed, the two are quite different and can't be used interchangeably. The most significant difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk is the degree of sweetness.

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.

Being a type of concentrated milk, evaporated milk has a higher nutrient concentration than fresh cow's milk, which gives it its characteristic creamy texture. It also has a higher mineral content.

Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk cannot be used interchangeably in recipes due to their different properties and flavors. Condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess to recipes, while evaporated milk provides richness and a creamy texture without added sweetness.