The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products
These basic tips may seem quite unnecessary for most modern householders with a refrigerator in the kitchen, but modern technology can make people lazy and it is still well-worth while to know 'why' we must do some things. It is also worth remembering these tips when there is no refrigerator to hand or when it so small that it will not hold everything you need, such as when camping, boating or on holiday in some countries in the world.
MILK:
Milk has been called 'nature's perfect food', because no other food, taken alone, can support adult life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of young people, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly multiply in it. If milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and quickly cooled before consumption.
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. Keep it at this temperature, that is, do not let it boil, for three minutes. Do not overheat, as milk burns quite easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and stand it in a basin of cold water and cover with a fine 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: Milk straight from the cow is a little alkaline, but as it ages, lactic acid is formed and it becomes what we call 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk retards this process. Milk which is 'on the turn' can be revived by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore its alkalinity. 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., as it still has a lot of its goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some way or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.
Condensed Milk: This is simply evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. The 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.
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 normal milk.
These basic tips may seem quite unnecessary for most modern householders with a refrigerator in the kitchen, but modern technology can make people lazy and it is still well-worth while to know 'why' we must do some things. It is also worth remembering these tips when there is no refrigerator to hand or when it so small that it will not hold everything you need, such as when camping, boating or on holiday in some countries in the world.
MILK:
Milk has been called 'nature's perfect food', because no other food, taken alone, can support adult life. It is of the first importance for the growth and development of young people, but it must be clean as bacteria also find it very nourishing and quickly multiply in it. If milk is not bought pasteurized, then it should be scalded and quickly cooled before consumption.
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. Keep it at this temperature, that is, do not let it boil, for three minutes. Do not overheat, as milk burns quite easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and stand it in a basin of cold water and cover with a fine 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: Milk straight from the cow is a little alkaline, but as it ages, lactic acid is formed and it becomes what we call 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk retards this process. Milk which is 'on the turn' can be revived by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore its alkalinity. 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., as it still has a lot of its goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some way or another before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk.
Condensed Milk: This is simply evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before canning. The 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.
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 normal milk.
About the Author:
For the best gourmet Traditional Welsh Recipes, go along to our website at http://welsh-recipes.the-real-way.com/ Also published at The Traditional Use Of Dairy Produce: Part 1 - Milk.
