You just found a recipe you want to make and you have everything you need… EXCEPT it calls for evaporated milk and you can’t find it in your pantry! So now what? Do you substitute with regular milk? Well, it depends on how much you need. If your recipe calls for evaporated milk as its primary liquid, then you should probably not use a substitute, UNLESS you make it yourself. This post is about why and how to make evaporated milk: a much tastier and healthier option with one ingredient and NO preservatives!
My inspiration for homemade evaporated milk
Recently, I was preparing to make a dish (the Filipino Ensaymada Rolls). The traditional recipe I was using called for evaporated milk. My grocery store did not have the version I wanted (an organic or grass-fed evaporated milk), so I thought, “How can I make this myself?”
The more you know…
The more time I spend in the kitchen and doing research, the more I understand how almost anything can made at home. You can “process” your own ingredients in a much healthier and sustainable way. Most processed foods we buy can be deduced to simply taking whole ingredients and “modifying” them in our own kitchens to reach the “consistency” we need for whatever it is we want to make. The reason processed foods have SO many ingredients is that most of those ingredients are preservatives. If we make those same foods at home, we won’t need all of those extra chemicals. When we eat “cleaner” foods, our taste buds prefer them!
Commonly store-bought processed foods we can easily make at home (in their most basic forms)…
Chips = fried or baked thinly sliced vegetables with seasonings,
Crackers = flour (whole wheat, cassava, sweet potato, rice, etc.) mixed with seasonings, oil, water, and baked,
Mixed seasonings (Italian, garam masala, ranch, taco, etc.)= ground whole spices mixed together,
Sauces and dressings (commonly found in the fridge) = usually a mixture of oil, vinegar, and spices (dried or fresh),
Nut butters = any nut that has been ground (using a food processor) into a paste,
“Milk” beverages = soaked oats, coconut flakes, soaked nuts (cashews, almonds, etc.) that are blended on medium/high speed with water and strained to separate the pulp from the liquid,
Bread = flour, yeast, salt, and water combined, kneaded, risen, and baked,
Cereal = granola made with oats, nuts, dried fruits, a little fat, and honey/maple syrup then baked.
So, what’s the problem?
I know, I know, I know… who has the time to make these common foods when we can just buy them? Well, there are two thoughts, in my opinion. The first is why wouldn’t we make it a priority to take our health into our own hands and put into our bodies what will keep us living healthier and longer with fewer doctors and hospital visits? The second is that making these foods from scratch doesn’t really take up that much time once you get into the habit of doing it. No doubt it’s worth the little effort since homemade tastes SO MUCH BETTER.
It’s all about prioritizing!
It’s the same reason we make excuses for not exercising, but reality is… it’s not a priority in our lives. Our excuses for not having time for something is because we choose to prioritize other “activities”. Even when I was working more than 40 hours a week, I was able to make 1-2 loaves of bread on the weekend (using a breadmaker, so I could multitask). I put my almonds in water in the morning to soak all day, so I could quickly blend them at night before going to bed (or just do it on the weekend). I have several friends who spend Sunday afternoons chopping vegetables for the week to use in all sorts of homemade dishes. It’s all about planning ahead and making food prep an important part of our routine. Each of these preparations only needs to occur about once a week, or less depending on what it is. Once it becomes a habit, we do it without thinking.
Enough of the soapbox!
All that to say, “why not make our own evaporated milk?” Ultimately, it’s all about self-reliance, being resourceful, and taking our health and taste buds into our own hands. Homemade evaporated milk is by far a much tastier and healthier option. By the way, the homemade version only has whole milk as the ingredient while store bought has 4 ingredients, half of which I can’t pronounce. Why do I want to eat that?!?! So, what can we do when we don’t have evaporated milk in our pantries when we need it?
What exactly is evaporated milk?
First of all, evaporated milk is simply condensed milk WITHOUT added sugar. You shouldn’t substitute condensed milk for evaporated milk or the reverse because the consistency and sugar content in both are very different. Evaporated milk is very simply whole milk that has been cooked down (condensed, if you will, to reduce the water content) to its concentrated form, nothing more. That’s why it’s called evaporated milk; the liquid has been (mostly) evaporated. What’s left are mostly solids.
Why evaporated instead of regular milk?
Evaporated milk can be used in place of high-fat dairy like Half & Half or heavy cream. It can help thicken soups and sauces without additional ingredients like flour. It’s good in baked goods where you want some dairy but not too much liquid.
Commonly used evaporated milk substitutions…
For every 1 cup of evaporated milk, you can…
- use 1.5 cups of whole milk as a straight sub (assuming the extra liquid is not a problem),
- mix 3/4 cups of whole milk with 1/4 cup of Half & Half for more of the canned evaporated consistency,
- simmer 2 cups of almond, cashew, coconut, oat, or soy “milk” over the stove until that beverage reduces to 1 cup. Keep in mind that these store-bought versions may to be too sweet. Unsweetened is preferred, or you make your own without a sweetener,
- simmer 2.5 cups of whole milk over the stove until the milk reduces to 1 cup. BINGO! This is my preferred option!!
Let’s learn “How to Make Evaporated Milk: MUCH Tastier & Healthier!”
Here’s the quick rundown of how to make your own evaporated milk. For a visual of the process, see my video entitled, “One Ingredient Homemade Evaporated Milk“.
One Ingredient Evaporated Milk ( 1 cup)
2 1/2 cups of whole milk
- Place 2.5 cups of whole milk in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. You can minimize the heating time over the stove by heating up the milk in the microwave until very warm (not boiling).
- Bring the milk to a simmer and whisk occasionally to prevent the milk from burning/scorching. Continue to simmer (frothy and bubbly but not boiling) until the water has evaporated down to 1 cup. This could take 30 minutes, but be patient because homemade evaporated milk tastes SO MUCH BETTER, cleaner, and fresher than canned!!
- Once the milk has visibly decreased, pour it into a measuring cup to check the reduction level. If will likely be more than 1 cup so pour it back into the saucepan and continue to reduce the liquid. Check it periodically, especially when you see a noticeable reduction.
- Once it has reduced to 1 cup, it’s ready! Let it cool and use it in any recipe that calls for evaporated milk. Store it covered in the fridge for as long as you would store your regular milk. Boom, Bam, Done!!
The bottom line is that homemade evaporated milk is a much tastier and healthier option than the traditional store-bought version. Once you’ve made it a couple of times, you’ll see how simple it is to do and will not need to buy it again.
Interested in some traditional breads? Check out these recipes.
The Mexican Bolillo (Perfect for the Super Bowl!)
The Berry Rolls (A family recipe!)
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please share it. Check out my YouTube Channel as well to see videos of kitchen tips, blog bakes, and dishes. Until next time, go bake the world!