The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products
These basic tips may seem unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator, but modern devices can make people lazy and it is well-worth while knowing 'why' we must do certain things. It is also worth remembering these tips when refrigerators are not at hand or are so small that they will not hold everything, such as when camping or boating or on holiday in some parts of the world.
MILK:
Milk is known as 'nature's perfect food', because no other food, consumed on its own, can support adult human life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of adolescents, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly grow in it. If your milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and cooled quickly before drinking it.
How To Scald Milk: Rinse a clean saucepan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles rise around the side of the pan. Maintain it at this temperature, ie, not letting it boil, for three minutes. Do not let it overheat, as milk burns quite easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and place in a basin of cold water and cover with a muslin cloth to discourage flies and dust getting in.
How To Keep Milk Fresh: If milk is not be kept in the containers in which it was bought, transfer it to a clean jug, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm container will cause milk to stick to the sides and go off more quickly. Keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always covered. it is worth remembering that draughts are often at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the jug in a bowl of water with the cloth covering dangling in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which uses up heat, ensuring that the containers remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs odours easily. Never mix new milk with old.
Sour Milk: When milk comes straight from the cow, it is a little alkaline, but as time passes, lactic acid is created and it becomes what is called 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk retards this process. Milk which is just "on the turn" can be rejuvenated by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore its alkalinity. However, once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thus separating the curds from the whey. The curds can be used as a filling for cakes, tarts, scones etc and the whey can be used as the liquid for making scones, cakes and soups etc., because it still retains a lot of goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.
Condensed Milk: This form of milk is just evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. Sugar acts as a preservative and will keep the milk for about a week. Do not keep in the tin, but decant it into a jug or bottle.
Dried Milk: Dried milk comes in a variety of forms and notice should be taken of the instructions on the label. Specialized products can be bought for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they are very much lower in fat content than conventional milk.
These basic tips may seem unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator, but modern devices can make people lazy and it is well-worth while knowing 'why' we must do certain things. It is also worth remembering these tips when refrigerators are not at hand or are so small that they will not hold everything, such as when camping or boating or on holiday in some parts of the world.
MILK:
Milk is known as 'nature's perfect food', because no other food, consumed on its own, can support adult human life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of adolescents, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly grow in it. If your milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and cooled quickly before drinking it.
How To Scald Milk: Rinse a clean saucepan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles rise around the side of the pan. Maintain it at this temperature, ie, not letting it boil, for three minutes. Do not let it overheat, as milk burns quite easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and place in a basin of cold water and cover with a muslin cloth to discourage flies and dust getting in.
How To Keep Milk Fresh: If milk is not be kept in the containers in which it was bought, transfer it to a clean jug, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm container will cause milk to stick to the sides and go off more quickly. Keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always covered. it is worth remembering that draughts are often at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the jug in a bowl of water with the cloth covering dangling in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which uses up heat, ensuring that the containers remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs odours easily. Never mix new milk with old.
Sour Milk: When milk comes straight from the cow, it is a little alkaline, but as time passes, lactic acid is created and it becomes what is called 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk retards this process. Milk which is just "on the turn" can be rejuvenated by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore its alkalinity. However, once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thus separating the curds from the whey. The curds can be used as a filling for cakes, tarts, scones etc and the whey can be used as the liquid for making scones, cakes and soups etc., because it still retains a lot of goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.
Condensed Milk: This form of milk is just evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. Sugar acts as a preservative and will keep the milk for about a week. Do not keep in the tin, but decant it into a jug or bottle.
Dried Milk: Dried milk comes in a variety of forms and notice should be taken of the instructions on the label. Specialized products can be bought for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they are very much lower in fat content than conventional milk.
About the Author:
If you want to know more about Welsh food, food in general or How to Use Dairy Products in particular, please visit Traditional Welsh Recipes. This article, How To Use Dairy Products Correctly: Part One - Milk is available for free reprint.