Many housewives are accustomed, without hesitation, to boil milk, especially if it is intended for small children. Let's see if boiling is so necessary and what are the subtleties of this process.
Why boil milk?
Boiling helps to disinfect raw milk, freeing it from bacteria. Like any product, it is a fertile environment for the propagation of harmful microorganisms that die during heat treatment. And since the bacteria are destroyed, then boiled milk is stored longer than raw milk.
Boil or not?
True, this procedure has its drawbacks. High temperature not only destroys bacteria, but also destroys vitamins and minerals contained in unpasteurized milk, and also changes the structure of milk protein. The longer the product is cooked, the less vitamins remain in it. Nevertheless, even after this procedure, a sufficient amount of nutrients is stored in milk. But if you don’t boil the milk purchased from your hands, there is a risk of contracting some unpleasant disease, for example, E. coli or Salmonella. So be sure to boil unpasteurized milk!
Milk from the store
So, a product purchased at a market or from a village grandmother must be boiled. But what about milk from a store or a hypermarket? This product has already gone through all the stages of heat treatment by the time it is on the shelf of the store and is completely ready for use. If the packaging indicates that the milk is pasteurized, ultra-pasteurized or baked, boil it is not necessary. The same applies to infant formula - as a rule, they are enriched with vitamins and minerals necessary for the child, which can be destroyed by heat treatment. In some stores you can see lactose-free sterilized milk. It is suitable for people with intolerance to milk sugar. Such a product also does not need to boil.
We choose the dishes for boiling
How to boil milk? In which dishes is it better to do? The bottom of the boiling pan should be thick or even double, this reduces the likelihood of burning. As for the material, it is preferable to take the dishes from stainless steel. If this was not found on the farm, an aluminum, glass or ceramic container is also suitable. But it is not recommended to use enameled dishes - in it milk can easily burn, and washing such a container will not be easy. By the way, some manufacturers of kitchen appliances produce milk cookers created exclusively for this procedure.
How to boil?
How to boil milk? Rinse the pan with cool water before placing on the stove, this will save the product from burning. If you place a small saucer on the bottom of the dishes, the milk will probably not run away: tapping the walls and the bottom of the container, the saucer will not allow foam to form on the surface when the liquid begins to boil.
Having put the pan on the stove, pour a little water into it and wait until it boils. Add a little milk to the boiling water, and if it has not curled, pour in the rest. Stir occasionally, bring the product to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce it. After one to two minutes, the pan can be removed from the stove.
During boiling, milk can escape due to the foam that forms on its surface and does not allow rising air bubbles to burst. It can be removed only in the process of boiling, but not after. It is better to leave the film on the cooled product, since it contains the majority of useful substances.
How long does it boil?
How much to boil milk? Nutritionists disagree about how long it needs to be boiled. Some doctors recommend doing this for ten minutes or even longer, in order to surely destroy all harmful microorganisms. But many nutritionists advise boiling milk until it starts to boil.
So how long does it take to boil milk? It is believed that harmful microorganisms will be neutralized even in a short time. In addition, the shorter the duration of the heat treatment of milk, the more nutrients it retains.
Is it possible to boil in the microwave?
Doctors say that in the microwave, milk can also be boiled. True, after this procedure, vitamins and minerals in it will remain even less than after boiling on the stove.
How to boil milk in the microwave? An exact recipe for the heat treatment of this product in a microwave oven cannot be given - the duration depends on the volume of liquid and on the capacity of the unit. In addition, when using a microwave oven, it is difficult to notice the moment when the milk begins to pour over the edge, so we recommend pouring it into a glass or other deep container.
Useful Tips
Specialists and experienced housewives recommend listening to the following tips:
- To prevent boiled milk from spoiling for a long time, add a teaspoon of sugar for each liter of product while it is boiling.
- If desired, the saucer will be replaced by a special circle or “gatehouse” - these devices can be bought at any hardware store.
- Neither a cup nor a saucer will be needed if the walls of the pan are oiled a little higher than the level of milk - this way it will not run away either.
- A pinch of soda will not let the stale milk curl up if you need to boil it.
- If the milk is still burnt, pour it into another bowl, add half a teaspoon of salt for every 2 liters of product, and dip the dishes in a large container filled with cold water (for example, a basin). It is better not to give burnt liquid to small children, but you can add it to baking.
- If you are not going to drink milk immediately after boiling, pour it into a tightly sealed container so that it does not absorb the smells of other products, and refrigerate.
- The plaque that forms after boiling milk must be thoroughly washed off. It’s better to have a separate container, which you will use only for this procedure.
- If it is not possible to store sterilized milk in the cold, boil it twice a day (morning and evening) and cover it only after cooling completely. So the product will last for two to three days.
Now you know how to boil milk. We hope this information will be useful to you.