The condensed milk
gradually thickens in the tins, becoming slightly
more consistent up to five or six months, after
which it remains of the same consistency, and
will continue sound and good as long as the tin
remains perfect.
" It will thus be seen that the condensed
milk is simply natural cows' milk, from which a
certain proportion of water has been abstracted,
and to which a certain quantity of sugar has
been added. Speaking in roimd numbers, it
may be said that of cows' milk 85 per cent is
water, but, as has been demonstrated by e^-i-
dence given at various prosecutions under the
• Adulteration of Food Act ' dm-ing the last few
years, the relative proportion of water and solid
matter will vary according to the variation of
the breed of cattle, their age, pasturage, food,
climate, and the seasons of the year. Ordinary
milk, according to Professor Wankljna, consists
of the following proportions: — water, 87" 19;
and solids, 12-81 = 100. Condensed milk, ac-
cording to Baron von Liebig, shows — water,
22-44-, solids, 77-56= 100. The process of con-
densing, or, as it might be called, cvaporising
milk eliminates the greater part of the water ;
and the further analysis of the condensed milk
shows that the caseine, butterous or fat, and
other soHd or nutritive particles remain intact
in their original form. Thus we have an article
which is in reality pure milk with the addition of
a little sugar in order to preserve it, and not an
article made/row* milk. Any introduction of a
foreign substance, in the way of adulteration,
would at once cause the milk to decompose, and
we believe we are quite correct in saying that
no attempt has ever been made to adulterate
this article. When the contents of a tin are
found to be unsound, the cause ic to be sought
in the failure In making a particular batch of
milk — always a most delicate operation — owing
to which the external air has been admitted.
Baron Liebig, in his recorded analysis of the
Swiss milk, says, ' It consists of nothing but
cows' milk and the best refined sugar, and pos-
sesses all the properties and qualities of a per-
fectly pme milk ; ' and Dr. Hassall and other
eminent analysts certify to the same effect.
But it is in the power of any one to test the con-
densed milk without the aid of any chemical
appliances. If sufiicient water is added to the
condensed milk to bring it back to its original
state — i.e., to re-estabUsh the oi-iginal propor-
tion between the water and other constituents,
cream will rise from it in the ordinary way ;
only it must be stood in open flat vessels, and
not in high glass columns, called ' graduated test
tubes,' because the sugar to some extent pre-
vents the cream readily rising. Again, if the
condensed milk, mixed with the proper propor-
tion of water, be raised to a temperatui-e of 70
degrees, it wiU churn into butter like ordinary
milk.
Page 1372
Presented as published in 1892. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The condensed milk gradually thickens in the tins, becoming slightly more consistent up to five or six months, after which it remains of the same consistency, and will continue sound and good as long as the tin remains perfect.
" It will thus be seen that the condensed milk is simply natural cows' milk, from which a certain proportion of water has been abstracted, and to which a certain quantity of sugar has been added. Speaking in round numbers, it may be said that of cows' milk 85 per cent is water, but, as has been demonstrated by evidence given at various prosecutions under the • Adulteration of Food Act ' during the last few years, the relative proportion of water and solid matter will vary according to the variation of the breed of cattle, their age, pasturage, food, climate, and the seasons of the year. Ordinary milk, according to Professor Wanklyn, consists of the following proportions: — water, 87" 19; and solids, 12-81 = 100. Condensed milk, according to Baron von Liebig, shows — water, 22-44, solids, 77-56= 100. The process of condensing, or, as it might be called, cvaporising milk eliminates the greater part of the water ; and the further analysis of the condensed milk shows that the caseine, butterous or fat, and other solid or nutritive particles remain intact in their original form. Thus we have an article which is in reality pure milk with the addition of a little sugar in order to preserve it, and not an article made from milk. Any introduction of a foreign substance, in the way of adulteration, would at once cause the milk to decompose, and we believe we are quite correct in saying that no attempt has ever been made to adulterate this article. When the contents of a tin are found to be unsound, the cause is to be sought in the failure In making a particular batch of milk — always a most delicate operation — owing to which the external air has been admitted. Baron Liebig, in his recorded analysis of the
Swiss milk, says, ' It consists of nothing but cows' milk and the best refined sugar, and possesses all the properties and qualities of a perfectly pme milk ; ' and Dr. Hassall and other eminent analysts certify to the same effect. But it is in the power of any one to test the condensed milk without the aid of any chemical appliances. If sufiicient water is added to the condensed milk to bring it back to its original state — i.e., to re-establish the original proportion between the water and other constituents, cream will rise from it in the ordinary way ; only it must be stood in open flat vessels, and not in high glass columns, called ' graduated test tubes,' because the sugar to some extent prevents the cream readily rising. Again, if the condensed milk, mixed with the proper proportion of water, be raised to a temperature of 70 degrees, it wiU churn into butter like ordinary milk.