Concentrated milk: what is it and how to cook?

Fresh cow's milk is very tasty and at the same time useful, because it contains many useful substances and is an important ingredient in so many dishes.Unfortunately, due to its short shelf life in fresh form, this product is not always available everywhere. It is therefore worth considering what is concentrated milk, and how to make a milk drink from it.

At its core, concentrated milk is sterilized and partially dehydrated regular cow's milk. At the same time, there is a tradition among producers and buyers to call concentrated milk the result of dehydration of raw materials without sugar, while the same product with the added sweetener will already be called condensed milk.

Previously, such a product was made exclusively by long-term digestion of raw materials, but now other technologies for its production are also becoming common, the most promising are technologies using artificial partially permeable membranes, through which the process of reverse osmosis (water removal) is carried out.

The concentrated product is packaged in canning jars made of tin. Such packaging provided tightness and proper storage ensures a decent shelf life of the contents - up to a whole year. This makes concentrated milk an indispensable product for long hikes, as well as in regions where fresh milk products are not regularly supplied.

The advantage of the concentrated version of milk is that the sterilization and dehydration procedure only slightly reduces the amount of nutrients contained in the product. Among them:

• a large amount of absorbable calcium;
• water balance regulator sodium;
• magnesium and potassium useful for the heart;
• milk proteins;
• about 20 different vitamins, among which vitamin B2 has the highest concentration.

The energy value of 100 g of concentrate without added sweeteners is about 140 kilocalories. And also 100 g of the product contains:

• 10 grams of carbohydrates;
• 7 grams of fat;
• 6 grams of protein.

Such a composition causes the great benefit of bone concentrate. The product also helps in the treatment of colds - the proteins contained in it are involved in the synthesis of substances necessary for the normal functioning of the body's immune system. The use of the concentrate is indicated for people with frequent bouts of heartburn, because it reduces the level of acidity of gastric juice.

Finally, a large amount of protein makes the concentrate a good choice for athletes who want to build muscle mass in the shortest possible time. A large amount of vitamins allows us to recommend this product to people suffering from various forms of beriberi.

At the same time in the fresh product of useful substances will still be somewhat more, therefore, the only advantage of the concentrate over the natural product is a longer shelf life. But the “condensed milk” concentrated version wins significantly lower calorie due to the rejection of the use of sugar.

Many of the beneficial properties of concentrated milk have something in common with its beneficial aspects. So, in view of the effect of reducing acidity, it is not necessary to abuse these products to people with low levels of acidity of gastric juice. The relatively high caloric content leads to the need to limit the use of the concentrate by people with an increased body mass index, as well as by persons suffering from diabetes.

The high content of vitamins leads to the need to limit the use of the product to people with hypervitaminosis. And of course, it is strictly forbidden to concentrate those who suffer from lactose intolerance.

Pregnant women and lactating young mothers should carefully use the concentrate. On the one hand, the product restores the balance of calcium and milk proteins, on the other - it has a relatively high caloric content.

It is easy to make ordinary milk from the concentrate - it is enough to dilute with water in the correct proportion, which is about 1 part of the concentrate to 1 part of water (that is, in half). With the product, you can make delicious tea or coffee with milk, add it to cocoa, or use it to make sweets.

When using the product in cooking, it should be borne in mind that, unlike sugary-sweet condensed milk, the concentrate has a light sweet-salty taste with obvious milky notes.

If the product is not in stores, it is quite possible to cook it yourself - just boil ordinary milk in a saucepan with a thick bottom, and then evaporate it over low heat. Willingness comes when the volume of milk visually decreases by half. In the process of cooking the liquid must be carefully mixed.

How to make concentrated milk, see the next video.