Though not commonly used today, in the early 1900s, canned milk was considered as a safer option to fresh milk, and widely used in a variety of recipes. To learn how to eat canned milk or use canned milk in your regular cooking, read on and enrich your knowledge.

Canning of milk was invented by Gail Borden in the year 1854 (he patented the technique in 1856). During those days, pasteurization of milk was yet to be invented, and if you didn’t have a cow of your own, getting good quality uncontaminated milk was almost impossible. Gail Borden found that condensing the milk made it more shelf stable, and thus, invented the concept of canned milk. Canning imparted a boiled/cooked flavor to the milk; to mask this flavor Borden would sweeten the milk. Borden’s canned milk got popular in the 1860s after a series of dubious practices followed by local milk vendors was exposed. From then on till mid 1900s canned milk was probably the only way in which people would use milk. 

Today, the sweetened canned milk that Gail Borden invented is marketed as sweet condensed milk. The regular canned milk is marketed as UHT milk, because of the ultra high temperature used in sterilizing the milk. The UHT milk is very similar to normal milk in its physical and flavor properties, but more shelf-stable.

Now, getting back to the main question how to eat canned milk, well, that depends upon the type of canned milk you are using. In case, you are referring to UHT milk, then you can just drink it off the carton (the way you drink normal milk), add sugar, cocoa, or any other additive to it if you like. You can also use UHT milk as a part of other recipes that call for addition of milk (custards, sauces, desserts, milkshakes, etc.)

However, if you are referring to canned and condensed milk, then there are some limitations with eating it in as is form. You see, most condensed milk are heavily sweetened (though unsweetened condensed milk is available, it is not as common as the sweetened version), and has a very thick creamy consistency, which makes it a poor contender for direct consumption. Condensed milk is best eaten as a part of other recipes. Some common recipes that call for the use of canned and condensed milk are puddings, cluster candies, brownies, cakes, ice creams, smoothies, fudges, and pies to name a few. In certain communities, condensed milk is still used as a comfort food or weaning food for young children. 

So, these are some of the ways in which you can savor canned milk. Follow the links, for further information on how to use canned milk, UHT milk, and condensed milk  in different recipes. 

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