Do I Need Evaporated Or Sweetened Condensed Milk For The Chocolate Pistachio Fudge? | Ask Nigella.com (2024)

FAQs

What happens if I use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk in fudge? ›

Don't Substitute One for the Other

Thus, using condensed milk in a recipe that requires evaporated milk will yield an overly sweet dish.

Evaporated milk is milk that has been cooked to reduce its water content. It is more stable than regular milk and it can be cooked at high temperatures without curdling, a real benefit to fudge. Unfortunately, there is no substitute for it in a fudge recipe.

These items are essentially the same with one big difference: no sugar is added to evaporated milk. Sweetened condensed milk also has 60% of the water removed, but contains 40% sugar. Due to the big flavor difference, they cannot be substituted for each other.

Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.

You have to control two temperatures to make successful fudge: the cooking temperature AND the temperature at which the mixture cools before stirring to make it crystallize. Confectionery experiments have shown that the ideal cooking temperature for fudge is around 114 to 115 °C (237 to 239 °F).

The main reason is that your Fudge has not reached the optimum temperature. If your mixture only reaches 110 or 112 degrees Celsius it will always be soft. That's why we recommend investing in a sugar thermometer. Another reason your Fudge is not setting is that the ratio of liquid to sugar is too high.

Unopened cans of evaporated milk can keep for more than a year. But if you open a can and it's dark yellow or brown (a light brown color is normal), smells bad or appears curdled, don't use it. Evaporated milk can be subbed in for milk or half-and-half in savory and sweet recipes.

The amount of time you cook fudge directly affects its firmness. Too little time and the water won't evaporate, causing the fudge to be soft. Conversely, cook it too long and fudge won't contain enough water, making it hard with a dry, crumbly texture.

Beat the mixture until it just loses it's shine and becomes very thick (this should take about 5-10 minutes). The longer you beat once it starts to thicken then the more crumbly the final fudge will be. If you like it smooth - beat it only until comes away from the sides of the pan and sticks well to the spoon.

Evaporated milk is milk that has been heated so that about 60% of the water evaporates. It is then canned and can be used as you would half-and-half, since it is extra creamy! Condensed milk is made in a similar way, but sugar is added to it so that about 45% of its content is sugar.

Is evaporated milk directly interchangeable with sweetened condensed milk? ›

Even though these are both concentrated forms of milk in which approximately 60% of the water content has been removed, the two are quite different and can't be used interchangeably. The most significant difference between condensed milk and evaporated milk is the degree of sweetness.

Super easy and came out great! Accidentally ordered a can of evaporated milk and decided to make the best of it and make some fudge! Recipe was super simple to follow and didn't take long to make!

Evaporated milk starts out as fresh milk and is heated to drive off more than half of the water. Add water and use it as milk or pour it straight out of the can and use it as half-and-half. Creamy, rich and perfect for baking, custards, soups and even ice cream.

Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.

As I let the pies cool, I saw that they all had browned blisters on top of their plastic-looking skin. Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.

Sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk cannot be used interchangeably in recipes due to their different properties and flavors. Condensed milk adds sweetness and creaminess to recipes, while evaporated milk provides richness and a creamy texture without added sweetness.