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MILK
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Description:
Milk is also a very versatile food. Milk has been used for human consumption for thousands of years. Today cow's milk is one of the most popular animal milks consumed by humans.
How to select:
The quality of any milk depends on the time of the year (summer pasture milk being traditionally the best), the breed of the animal (cow, buffalo or goat) and the type of fodder provided.
Commercially available milk goes through varying processes to produce different "grades" and to destroy harmful bacteria.
Use:
It is the basic ingredient of fresh cream, butter, cheese and yoghurt and it makes a delicious drink, either on its own or flavoured with fruit, vanilla, chocolate etc. It is stirred into tea and coffee and forms the basis for many hot drinks, notably chocolate. Milkshakes are popular all over the world. Desserts such as 'custards', cooked creams require quantities of milk as do ice creams and batters for large pancakes, waffles and fritters. Milk is an indispensable ingredient in modern cookery and is essential for many sauces like white sauce among others.
How to store:
Always pick up your milk and cream near the end of your shopping trip so they will still be cold when you put them back into your refrigerator at home.
Health benefits:
Milk makes a very valuable contribution to the diet, being rich in protein, vitamins, calcium and other minerals. It is, in fact, the most complete single food we know of for vegetarians.
The different varieties of milk most commonly available are :
Untreated Milk or Raw Unpasteurized Milk
Description:
This milk retains all its natural flavours and characteristics. As its name suggests, this milk is not pasteurised and is sold directly from the farm from where it is procured. It is sold by measure and rarely bottled. It is advisable to boil untreated milk for at least 5 minutes before it is consumed.
Pasteurised Milk
Description:
Pasteurised milk undergoes mild heat treatment which destroys any harmful bacteria and improves the milk's keeping qualities. There are several kinds of pasteurised milk depending on the fat content in the milk like cow's milk (with low fat content), whole milk (full or high fat milk) or skimmed milk (with the least or almost no fat content).
Ultra Heat Treatment or UHT Milk
Description:
UHT milk which is heated to a temperature of 140 degree C to 150 degree C for a very short period (1 to 3 seconds) and immediately cooled under vacuum.
UHT milk or Ultra Heat Treated Milk retains its flavour and nutritive qualities. This milk is homogenized and is sold in tetra packs.
Unopened, it has a shelf life of six months, but once opened, it should be kept in the refrigerator. It tastes quite different from pasteurised milk.
Condensed Milk
Description:
It is concentrated milk made from whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk to which sugar is added. It is sterilized and canned. Unopened, it will keep almost indefinitely. The net weight of the can is usually 400 grams.
Dried Milk / Milk Powder / Powdered Milk
Description:
It is spray dried whole milk to which vegetable fat is added. Water is evaporated from the milk by heat to produce solids. Powdered milk is packed in airtight containers or vacuum packs and has a long shelf life. It can be reconstructed by dissolving it in water.
Skimmed Milk Powder / Skim Milk Powder
Description:
It is the same as dried milk. The only difference is that skimmed milk is used instead of whole milk and is therefore low in fat.
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Cooking Terms
Ingredients
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