- Condensed milk and condensed creamer are two important ingredients in most desserts
- But do you know they are not the same?
- Read on to know how they differ from each other
I once asked somebody the difference between condensed milk and condensada (condensed creamer) and the reply was,” They are the same. Condensada is just like a ‘Spanish term’ for condensed.”
But the fact is, no, they are not the same and are not interchangeable at all times as well in terms of usage. Surprised? I was too when I found out. All these years, I was hooked on the same belief.
But how are they different? Read more as I share with you a post by Rej Labster on social media and some details culled from Google.
First, let us define each type of milk. Condensed milk is made from cow’s milk without the water and added with sugar. In contrast, the condensada is a condensed creamer. Besides milk and sugar, vegetable fats and other ingredients like whey powder, skim milk powder, maltodextrin, carrageenan, salt and lactose are added.
When cooked, condensed milk thickens just like in Dulce de leche. However, the condensada will turn brown but retains its liquidity.
In what recipes are they best used?
The condensed milk is used for yema, Dulce de leche, filling for Brazo de Mercedes, anything that you will bake, and anything you cook that needs to be thickened. However, the condensada is for halo-halo, fruit salad, Leche flan, sauces, anything that you will just spread, dip, or drip.
The sugar added in condensed milk makes it last longer than regular milk. It can be stored in the can without refrigeration for a long time, even up to a year. But once opened, it must be stored in the refrigerator and its life span is shortened to two weeks.
Now you know. Feel free to share this piece of trivia.
