Here are some basic tips surrounding Milk and Cream. A lot of the below is common sense, but it’s good to have common sense written down at times.
As always, some of these are guidelines and not dyed in the wool facts. Variables such as cooking temperatures and elevations will affect some of these tips.
- The date on milk is not an expiration date, but rather a “sell-by” date. Most milk, when properly stored, will last up to one week beyond the sell-by date.
- The fresher the milk, the better. Choose milk with a sell-by date furthest away from the date you are purchasing the milk.
- Fat content of various dairy products: Heavy Cream = 36% – 40%; Light Cream = 18% -30%; Half & Half = 10.5% – 18%; Whole Milk = 3.5% – 4%; 2% Milk = 2%
- Keep Milk refrigerated and in the dark. Milk’s flavor can be altered by exposure to light
- Keep milk tightly sealed, as they absorb odors rather easily.
- Freezing milk will not affect the milks nutritional content, but it will affect its consistency.
- The lower the butterfat content, the more likely the cream is to separate from the milk
- A Gallon of Milk weighs 8.59 lbs
- Skim Milk has more calcium than whole milk. Calcium is found, not in the butterfat, but rather the water content of the milk. As skim milk has no butterfat, it has a higher ratio of calcium per serving than the same amount of whole milk
- Milk that begins to sour may not be good to drink, but it still can be used in baking recipes.
- Some recipes will call for sour milk. To make your own, add 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice or White Vinegar to for every one cup of milk you intend to sour.
- Slightly Soured milk can be used in place of buttermilk in recipes.
- Scalding milk is a process that helps melt other fats and sugars into milk. PLace milk over medium heat until tiny bubbles start to form along the edge of a pan (approximately 4-5 minutes).
- If you are planning on heating milk, use a double boiler to prevent scorching. If you don’t have a double boiler rinse a sauce pan with ice cold water prior to cooking in order to diminish the possibility of scorching.
- Milk scorches easily because the whey proteins sink and stick to a pans bottom at high heat.
- In order to diminish the possibility of milk boiling over the sides of your pan, rub some butter along the rim of the pan.
- There is no recovery from scorched milk.
- To prevent skin from forming on the surface of heated milk, cover the milk or beat the milk enough so that a froth forms.
- Milk curdles if you add it to boiling water, or foods with high acid content, such as tomatoes, citrus fruits or wine.
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