The Basic Preparation Of Foodstuffs: Dairy Products
These fairly basic tips may seem quite unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator in the kitchen, but modern devices do make people sloppy 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 parts in 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 utmost importance for the growth and development of adolescents, but it must be clean, because bacteria find it very nourishing too and quickly grow in it. If you did not buy your milk pasteurized, then you should scald it and cool it quickly before drinking it.
How To Scald Milk: Rinse out a clean pan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles rise around the side of the pan. Maintain the milk at this temperature, ie, do not let it boil, for three minutes. Do not let it overheat, as milk burns very easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and stand it in a basin of cold water and cover with a muslin cloth to discourage the ingress of flies and dust.
How To Keep Milk Fresh: If milk is not be preserved in the containers in which you bought it, pour it into a clean bottle, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm container will cause milk to stick to the sides and go off much more quickly. You should always keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always keep it covered. it is worth remembering that draughts are usually at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the receptacle in a bowl of water with the cloth covering hanging in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which dissipates the heat, ensuring that the container remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs smells easily. Never mix new and old milk together.
Sour Milk: Milk straight from the cow is slightly alkaline, but as it ages, lactic acid is formed and it becomes what we call 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk slows down this process. Milk which is 'just on the turn' can be revived by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore the alkalinity. Once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thereby 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 much goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or other before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk does.
Condensed Milk: This form of milk is merely evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before being placed in its container. The sugar acts as a preservative and preserve 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 is available in a variety of forms and particular attention should be paid to the instructions on the label. Niche market products can be bought especially for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they contain a great deal less fat than normal milk. - 32406
These fairly basic tips may seem quite unnecessary for most modern households with a refrigerator in the kitchen, but modern devices do make people sloppy 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 parts in 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 utmost importance for the growth and development of adolescents, but it must be clean, because bacteria find it very nourishing too and quickly grow in it. If you did not buy your milk pasteurized, then you should scald it and cool it quickly before drinking it.
How To Scald Milk: Rinse out a clean pan with cold water, pour in the milk and heat until bubbles rise around the side of the pan. Maintain the milk at this temperature, ie, do not let it boil, for three minutes. Do not let it overheat, as milk burns very easily. Pour immediately into a clean receptacle and stand it in a basin of cold water and cover with a muslin cloth to discourage the ingress of flies and dust.
How To Keep Milk Fresh: If milk is not be preserved in the containers in which you bought it, pour it into a clean bottle, which has been rinsed with cold water. A warm container will cause milk to stick to the sides and go off much more quickly. You should always keep milk in the coolest place in the larder and always keep it covered. it is worth remembering that draughts are usually at ground-level and that hot air rises. Never keep milk in an airless cupboard and in hot weather stand the receptacle in a bowl of water with the cloth covering hanging in the water. The cloth will soak up water, which will evaporate, which dissipates the heat, ensuring that the container remain cool. Keep milk away from strong-smelling foods, as it absorbs smells easily. Never mix new and old milk together.
Sour Milk: Milk straight from the cow is slightly alkaline, but as it ages, lactic acid is formed and it becomes what we call 'sour'. Pasteurizing or scalding the milk slows down this process. Milk which is 'just on the turn' can be revived by boiling with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda to restore the alkalinity. Once the milk has gone too far and has curdled, it can be strained through (cheese) cloth, thereby 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 much goodness.
Evaporated Milk: Evaporated milk is ordinary milk, which has had some of its water content driven off by heat in some form or other before being canned. Once reconstituted by adding water, it will last only slightly longer than fresh milk does.
Condensed Milk: This form of milk is merely evaporated milk to which sugar has been added before being placed in its container. The sugar acts as a preservative and preserve 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 is available in a variety of forms and particular attention should be paid to the instructions on the label. Niche market products can be bought especially for babies, invalids, convalescents and dieters, all of which contain varying amounts and types of added vitamins and minerals. Usually, they contain a great deal less fat than normal milk. - 32406
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