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When making custard if I substitute evaporated milk for whole milk will it change the flavor or texture of the custard?

Mary Ellen
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    Do you mean the very thick product as sold in a can, or something more like regular milk that you've made by combining evaporated milk or milk powder with water? – dbmag9 Dec 19 '21 at 11:11
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    @dbmag9 - the *very* thick one is condensed milk, not evaporated - closer to runny honey than milk [& nearly as sweet]. Evap will pour. Condensed will… kind of pour. See https://www.thekitchn.com/what-s-the-difference-between-condensed-and-evaporated-milk-125900 DIY evap, I'd call 'reduced' like one would for gulab jaman etc. – Tetsujin Dec 20 '21 at 16:53

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As evaporated milk is a condensed product, you would need to reconstitute it with water to approximate fresh milk. Carnations's recommended dilution is 1 part (by volume) of the evaporated milk to 1 ¼ part (by volume) water.

The evaporation process results in the caramelisation of some of the milk sugars, which is why the product is darker than milk. This will introduce a different flavour, but one which is likely to be compatible with custard.

There are lots of recipes online for using evap in custard, so it would seem to be well accepted practice and one that some people actively prefer.

Spagirl
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