Evaporated milk

Evaporated milk is cow's milk that has had roughly 60% of its water gently boiled off under vacuum and then been sterilised in the sealed can, leaving a thick, faintly cream-coloured liquid about twice as concentrated as ordinary milk. Unlike its sweeter cousin condensed milk, it contains no added sugar; the in-can sterilisation gives it a distinctive lightly cooked, caramel-tinged flavour and a shelf life of months to years. It works as a shelf-stable cream substitute — enriching sauces, custards, pumpkin pie, coffee and tea — and reconstitutes back into ordinary milk with an equal measure of water.