🥫 Condensed milk
Also known as: sweetened condensed milk, leite condensado
Milk condensed with sugar.
Sweetened condensed milk is a canned dairy product: most of the water is evaporated from milk and sugar is added. The milk is standardised, pasteurised, mixed with sugar syrup and concentrated in vacuum evaporators at a reduced temperature, then quickly cooled and seeded with fine lactose crystals so the product does not turn “sandy”. The high sugar concentration creates osmotic pressure at which microbes cannot multiply, so an unopened can keeps for a long time without refrigeration.
The industrial method of condensing milk with sugar was developed by the American inventor Gail Borden in the 1850s; condensed milk became an important food for armies, travellers and cities short of fresh milk. Today it is widely used in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and other regions.
Sweetened condensed milk differs from unsweetened evaporated milk in its sweetness and method of preservation: evaporated milk is sterilised by heat. Condensed milk is added to coffee and tea, creams and cakes; heated in the can for a long time, it becomes boiled condensed milk, close to Latin American dulce de leche.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 8.7 g |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7.91 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54.4 g |
| Energy | 321 kcal |
| Calcium | 284 mg |
Source: USDA FoodData Central: Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened
How it connects to milk
🥫 Condensed milk → made from → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Packed in
- 🫙 Jar
- How it is made
- 🔄 Condensing
- Made from
- 🥛 Milk
- What is needed
- 🍬 Sugar
- Shelf life
- 📅 Shelf life
- Who works with it
- 🧑🍳 Pastry chef
- Product type
- 🏭 Industrial dairy products
- Part of
- 🥫 Preserved milk products
Frequently asked questions
Why does condensed milk last so long?
It contains a lot of sugar, which binds water and creates high osmotic pressure — microbes barely grow in these conditions.
What is the difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk?
Evaporated milk is concentrated without sugar and sterilised by heat. Sweetened condensed milk contains a lot of sugar, which by itself preserves the product.
Who invented condensed milk?
The industrial method of condensing milk with sugar was developed by Gail Borden in the 1850s in the United States.
Comparisons
History
Similar
🧀 Milk powder · 🏯 So (dairy product) · 🍯 Cajeta · 🍯 Dulce de leche · 🍬 Khoa · 🍼 Infant formula
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- FAO — Dairy production and products: Types and characteristics (Condensed milk)
- Wikipedia — Condensed milk
- Wikipedia — Gail Borden