Milk vs Evaporated Milk
One can find that the difference between milk and evaporated milk is in the method of processing each. Most of us have seen powdered milk and condensed milk and have also utilized them at times, but very few know about evaporated milk. It is logical then that not many would be able to tell the differences between ordinary fresh milk and evaporated milk. This article not only differentiates between milk and evaporated milk but also provides information regarding usage of evaporated milk. However, remember that since both are types of milk, you can use one for the other. Let us see the details.
What is Milk?
We use the term milk to refer to the cow’s milk. This is white in color and tasty. This milk is collected from the cow and then is used not only to produce normal fresh milk but also to produce many other milk products. For example, powdered milk, evaporated milk, whole milk are some of the types of milk. Other than this, milk is also used to produce dairy products such as butter, ghee, yogurt, and cheese. Milk has a number of nutrients in it such as vitamin C, calcium, protein, saturated fats, etc. As milk is one the most loved beverages in the world, it is also used in different recipes. Mousse, custard, and soup are some of such recipes.
What is Evaporated Milk?
As the name implies, evaporated milk is obtained by evaporating almost 60% of the water content of the fresh milk from a cow. This is done by heating the milk for longer than it takes to boil the milk. It is available in the market in cans, and if you have used it before, you must have found the milk to be very thick and with a lot of viscosity. These cans are convenient to keep fresh for long periods without refrigeration, and it is only after opening a can that you need to treat it as fresh milk. In addition to making it lose water, evaporated milk also gets fortified by adding vitamins A and D. One can make evaporated milk regular by adding an equal amount of water, which also reduces the concentration of vitamins and calories. For people with different needs, there are both high fat as well as low fat content evaporated milk available in the market.
Many people have bought condensed milk at times without knowing that it is basically evaporated milk to which lots of sugar has been added to make it sweet. While making evaporated milk, no sugar is added, and whatever sweetness you feel in its taste is all natural. Adding sugar works well for the product as sugar makes a very good preservative. While condensed milk is required in most of the desserts, there are some that need thick milk without any sweet taste, and that is when you require evaporated milk. For places where electricity is a big problem, canned evaporated milk is a good choice, but it should be consumed the same day the can is opened. This is because one can keep unopened cans for long but once opened, the milk has to be treated just like fresh milk. If a fridge is available, keeping evaporated milk is simple and just like fresh milk, it can be kept fresh for several days.
What is the difference between Milk and Evaporated Milk?
• Milk is fresh milk from cows, whereas evaporated milk is obtained after removing almost 60% of water content through heating.
• Milk is thin. Evaporated milk is very thick.
• Canned evaporated milk can be kept fresh without refrigeration for days, but once opened, it has to be treated just like fresh milk. Fresh milk, on the other hand, cannot be kept as long as evaporated milk without refrigeration.
• You can substitute milk with evaporated milk easily. Just remember to add water with evaporated milk. For example, if a recipe asks for a cup of milk, add half a cup of evaporated milk and half a cup of water.
• If you do not have evaporated milk, you can make that using milk. To make one cup of evaporated milk, simply simmer two and quarter cups of normal or regular milk until it becomes one cup.
• Milk is normally white in color while evaporated milk is a bit yellowish in color.
• A cup of evaporated milk has more calories, fat and carbohydrates 1 than a cup of milk. However, a cup of milk has more protein than a cup of evaporated milk.2
• A cup of evaporated milk also has more cholesterol, sodium and potassium than a cup of milk.
Sources:
Images Courtesy:
- Milk by Unisouth (CC BY 3.0)
- Evaporated milk by K. B. R. (CC BY-ND 2.0)
