Most likely, many compatriots now do not even suspect that the contents of a tin can with a white and blue geometric pattern and the inscription “condensed milk”, although it is one of the most beloved delicacies and the best memory of the “Soviet childhood”, appeared in a completely different packaging, in besieged Leningrad, where condensed milk, as medicine, was divided into several drops for everyone who was in the hospital. It was a condensed milk from the "allies", released at the plant of the American industrialist Gail Borden, who became a millionaire, thanks to condensed milk.
But the history of the discovery of condensed milk did not begin at all in the United States, but a little earlier and a little to the south, and a little to the east - in different parts of the world. Simply, the Americans were, as always, more agile in terms of the design of patents for inventions.
How to make condensed milk - a recipe dictated by time
Why do you need to stir up the past, and does it matter who invented condensed milk? Well, firstly, the law of historical justice has not been canceled, so far, no one, and, secondly, each of the inventors of canned products contributed to the improvement of the production technology of condensed milk, the recipe - even an old African man, whose name remained unknown, suggested how to make condensed milk at home so that it does not “run off” when boiling, which indirectly indicates that condensed milk on the African continent is a recipe long known.
Residents of Argentina, Colombia and Chile believe that condensed milk is a recipe that they inherited from their ancestors, the ancient Incas. On the South American continent condensed milk, boiled and regular - a traditional ingredient for making desserts. Of course, the Spaniards strongly disagree with this, bearing in mind the historical fact that the conquistadors conquered the territory of the ancient Incas, and haughtily believed that the vanquished had nothing to learn, but, on the contrary, it was the Spaniards who taught the Indians to cook condensed milk, completely uninterested in capturing new lands and Incas gold . But the dispute between the Spaniards and Latinos over the palm in the discovery of condensed milk is just one of the historical facts. The next series of discoveries of condensed milk occurred in Europe - in England they discovered a way of preserving milk three times: in 1810 - Peter Durand, in 1826 - Melbec, and in 1828 - Underwood. All three, unaware of the existence of each other, showed a serious interest in condensed milk - recipes, however, only Melbec and Underwood were interested.
Durand took care of the packaging and patented the use of tin cans for preservation, apparently a little late on learning about the competition for an invention announced by Napoleon. As it turned out, the great usurper was obsessed not only with a thirst for war, glory and power. Only one year Durand, in the competition for the best preservation of food, ahead of Nicolas Francois Upper, received in 1809 the award from the hands of Emperor Bonaparte. But the idea of preserving products did not belong to Upper, because Napoleon was concerned with supplying the army with food, and before him Irish Nigdem, Italian Spallanzani and many other inventors were purposefully engaged in discovering ways to preserve food.
Apparently, at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the need arose for inventions of this kind.
Condensed milk - recipes of home “Kulibins” against modern production technologies
But what makes it now, when everything has been invented for a long time and lies on the shelves, in cans, plastic packages of various types and sizes, to look for how to make condensed milk at home, despite the fact that this is a rather troublesome case?
The fact is that interest in the invention of condensed milk is stimulated by the recipes of modern technologists of large dairy processing enterprises. The market economy, the pursuit of profit and super-profit weakened the requirements for the quality of products. Severe GOST gradually replaced technical conditions (TU), and they - technical requirements - their own, for each company - are different. When everyone is his own master, condensed milk cans began to appear on sale, with a white and blue geometric pattern that buyers used to trust, but the product itself is different. As part of condensed milk, you can now find vegetable oil, dairy products - instead of milk. Technical conditions, after all, do not forbid! Therefore, many lovers of dairy delicacies, remembering the taste of the Soviet product and experiencing nostalgia for it, are searching for the answer how to make condensed milk - the recipe, of course, should be the same as in 1952, when in the Krasnodar Territory, due to the richest and cheapest the raw material base, according to Stalin’s order, established the largest production of condensed milk in the USSR, which had previously been produced in very limited quantities, exclusively for the needs of the army, for polar and Central Asian expeditions.
Among the domestic technology can be found many inventions of new recipes of condensed milk. This is the use of milk powder or infant formula, and the addition of flour or starch to thicken the milk, and an increase in the rate of sugar. It is clear that at home it is difficult to achieve the condensation of milk according to the recipe approved by GOST, given the lack of special equipment with which large enterprises are equipped.
The differences in the compilation of new formulations of condensed milk between production technologists and homemade “Kulibins” - self-taught is that large manufacturers consider their cost reduction to be the main goal of the product, and people tend to return the condensed milk to its former quality and taste. It is clear that the people are right.
Condensed milk - a recipe according to GOST for home cooking
First, the main thing - in the recipe of condensed milk with sugar, produced in 1952, there was nothing but milk and sugar. At the same time, milk should be whole, with fat content in the final product - 8.5%. All other recipes, of course, have the right to exist, because it is not accepted to argue about tastes. But if you are looking for the same taste, then you need to look only in this direction.
According to this technology, milk is boiled down to 1/3 of the initial volume, and then sugar syrup is added to it, in an equal ratio.
How to do it? That is, to prepare sugar syrup is not a problem. Any hostess can do this. But how to boil down the milk so that it does not “run away”, burn out and, if possible, preserve its valuable nutritional properties? Yes, despite the long-term heat treatment, calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, proteins, valuable milk fats remain in the milk. The fact is that the process of long-term pasteurization at 60-65 ° C allows preserving the beneficial properties of milk. At home, such a task will facilitate the slow cooker or pressure cooker. If there is no such technique, then use the old grandfathers methods that have been tested for centuries: treat the edges of the pan with butter, put a spoon in it, before pouring in the milk. You can also put a wooden spatula on the edges of the pan - and the milk will not drain on the stove. To prevent it from burning even with prolonged heating, put a container of milk in a water bath. If you evaporate the milk in a slow cooker, then with temperature conditions the issue is solved easily. On the stove - you have to adjust it manually, by the method of selection.
Varieties of the recipe - milk condensed with cocoa or coffee have some nuances: first coffee or cocoa is brewed, after the prepared drink is carefully filtered to absolute transparency, and sugar syrup is prepared on its basis, which is added to the concentrated milk.
All - you can get to work.
1. Condensed milk - a recipe for making condensed milk at home
Composition:
- Granulated sugar 330 g
- Water 300 ml
- Milk (8.5%) 1.0 l
- Butter 50 g
Technology:
Smear the pan with a thick bottom thoroughly with butter, especially at the edge, around the circumference so that the milk does not run off, because it will take a very long time to cook. Pour the milk into the pan and set on the smallest fire. Milk should evaporate to 1/3 of the original volume. Separately, boil the sugar syrup by combining the sugar with water, and, boiling down, before sampling for a “thick string”. Combine the boiled milk with the syrup, pouring it in a thin stream into the saucepan with continuous stirring. After that, boil the milk for another 15 minutes, and turn off the heat. Pour it into a dry sterile jar. When the milk cools, it will become thicker.
If the milk is intended for storage, then sterilize it in a 0.5 l can - 20 minutes; 1.0 - half an hour.
2. Condensed milk - a recipe for “toffee” from condensed milk at home
Composition:
- Sugar syrup 450 ml
- Milk 1 l
- Butter 150 g
Preparation:
Cook condensed milk (see recipe number 1) or buy ready-made, carefully studying the composition indicated on the label - vegetable oils in this condensed milk should not be. Condensed milk is transferred to the pan, pre-lubricated with butter. Place the pot in the water bath, set on the smallest fire. It’s not necessary to stand over the stove for two hours, but it’s impossible to leave the kitchen, so get ready to cook something else to “catch two birds with one stone”. Forty minutes later, after the condensed milk begins to boil in a water bath, add butter and continue cooking. When she gets a beautiful golden brown color and begins to exude a characteristic candy flavor, turn off the stove.
If it is necessary for the “toffee” to retain plasticity in order to spread sandwiches with it, then simply add a small pinch of citric acid to it. If you prefer sweets, then before pouring the mass into molds, do not forget to grease them with oil too.
3. Condensed milk - recipe of “nutella” from condensed milk at home
Composition:
- Hazelnuts, ground 200 g
- Cocoa 50 g
- Condensed milk, boiled (8.5%) 400 g
- Oil 180 g
- Flour 25 g
- Salt 5
- Sugar - to taste
Operation:
For the recipe you can use condensed milk of its own production. Add a mixture of flour, cocoa, ground nuts, and salt to boiled condensed milk. If you want Nutella to be a little sweeter, add sugar to taste. Dry ingredients must be thoroughly mixed before combining them with condensed milk and butter. Before adding oil, hold at room temperature, cut into small pieces, so that it is convenient to rub with the mixture. Combine the oil mixture with boiled condensed milk and boil everything in a water bath. When the mass warms up well, begin intensively stir it with a spatula to give a uniform consistency. Sugar should be dissolved, and the oil should not float on the surface. Bring the mass to a boil and, removing from the heat, transfer to a sterile jar. After cooling, cover and refrigerate.
Condensed milk at home - tips and tricks
- Many people like to add condensed milk to coffee or cocoa. The finished coffee with milk will be stored in a can, and in the morning it will be enough to boil water to quickly get a delicious drink for breakfast. Boil condensed milk at home, using very strong coffee to make a syrup. In the Turk, put not one, but 10 teaspoons of fresh ground coffee, pour in 400 ml of water and make coffee as usual. After strain the drink through cheesecloth, folded in several layers. Add 12 teaspoons of sugar to the coffee and cook on low heat until thick. When the coffee syrup is ready, combine it with boiled milk. In the finished hot condensed milk with coffee, add 4 g of instant coffee, for the smell. In the same way, you can make cocoa with condensed milk.
- Milk for condensed milk should be chosen only natural, without additives. You can cook condensed milk from dry concentrate, but at the same time it needs to be dissolved with natural milk, not water.
- The higher the fat content of milk, the less time it takes to boil it. Cream with 30% fat with sugar syrup is boiled twice as fast as milk with 10% fat.
