[Sca-cooks] Re: Caramel Laura Secord

[Elise Fleming]

Adamantius wrote:
>Looking at this condensed milk question from a purely scientific
>point of view, I'm on the "open the can first" side. Think of it
this
>way. You're reducing the milk be heating and evaporating, no? Where
>is the steam supposed to go if you don't open the can? Where is the
>water that you're trying to remove going to go? Of course you can
>punch a hole, but then of course you also run the risk of a
dangerous
>jet of steam instead of an explosion.
>Open the blankety-blankin'  can! ;-)

No, you are not reducing the milk, and there is no steam inside the
sealed can.  Sorry if I end up repeating instructions that were
already given, but I've made the dulce de leche numerous times with
no problems.  This is how I was instructed to do it when I was in
Argentina, one of the "homes" of dulce de leche.

You put the _unopened_ can of sweetened condensed milk into a pot
and fill it with cold water to the height of 1-3 inches above the
_unopened_ can.  Bring the water to a gentle boil or simmer and keep
it there for 3-6 hours.  Top up the water level periodically to keep
it above the _unopened_ can.  (If you opened the can, you'd have
water in the condensed milk!)  Do not let the water level fall below
the top of the can.  I was told that the longer (6 hrs) you simmered
the can, the darker the milk would turn.  I've had good results with
3-4 hours.  No steam, no burst cans.  Just the label floating in the
water.

Alys Katharine