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Scalding Milk for Pudding


Shel_B

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I am about to make some chocolate pudding, and in reviewing the recipe and my notes I was reminded that some of the milk in the recipe is to be scalded in a saucepan on the stove, which is how I made this recipe in the past. I was planning to heat the milk in the microwave this time.

Does scalding do anything to the milk that is important to the recipe, or would getting the milk nice and hot in the microwave work just as well? I'd be happy to post the recipe should that be necessary or helpful.

Thanks!

Edited by Shel_B (log)

 ... Shel


 

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Microwave is fine but harder it visually judge when it is just scalded- or of course hear that little hiss when you tilt the pan

Not having heard back from anyone by the time I was ready to make the pudding, I used the microwave, kept a close eye on the progress, and the results were pretty good - quite comparable to cooking the milk on the stovetop. Now that I've done it both ways, I agree that the stovetop is a bit easier to judge, but the results are similar. Thanks for your response.

 ... Shel


 

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I know this is after the fact but, pasteurized milk for custard does not really need to be scalded. Scalded milk does not need to be scorched. When it is scalded, technically it just needs to be heated and not necessarily very hot, certainly not boiling. Around 90 C degrees is plenty hot enough. So microwave heating should work just fine. This link discusses why to scald milk.

http://www.thekitchn.com/scalding-milk-is-it-really-nec-112360

Edited by Norm Matthews (log)
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From my notes:

Milk can inhibit bread loaf volume, symmetry, cellular structure and texture because of a whey protein (probably takes more than a ½ cup to notice this). Scalding milk to 180-190 over comes this problem. This may be the protein fragment called glutathione, which acts to slightly weaken gluten strands; hence, smaller bubbles.

I believe some of my notes come from Shirley Corriher's Cookwise.

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From my notes:

Milk can inhibit bread loaf volume, symmetry, cellular structure and texture because of a whey protein (probably takes more than a ½ cup to notice this). Scalding milk to 180-190 over comes this problem. This may be the protein fragment called glutathione, which acts to slightly weaken gluten strands; hence, smaller bubbles.

I believe some of my notes come from Shirley Corriher's Cookwise.

So, how does scalding milk effect chocolate pudding?

 ... Shel


 

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From my notes:

Milk can inhibit bread loaf volume, symmetry, cellular structure and texture because of a whey protein (probably takes more than a ½ cup to notice this). Scalding milk to 180-190 over comes this problem. This may be the protein fragment called glutathione, which acts to slightly weaken gluten strands; hence, smaller bubbles.

I believe some of my notes come from Shirley Corriher's Cookwise.

Thank you for this information. I remember reading "something" about why scalding and cooling the milk was a necessary step, but for the life of me I couldn't remember the details.

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From my notes:

Milk can inhibit bread loaf volume, symmetry, cellular structure and texture because of a whey protein (probably takes more than a ½ cup to notice this). Scalding milk to 180-190 over comes this problem. This may be the protein fragment called glutathione, which acts to slightly weaken gluten strands; hence, smaller bubbles.

I believe some of my notes come from Shirley Corriher's Cookwise.

So, how does scalding milk effect chocolate pudding?

Raw milk contains an enzyme that aids in coagulation, which is killed by pasteurization. Additionally, homogenization creates small fat bubbles, which isn’t as effective as unhomogenized milk.

If the recipe just wanted the milk warm, it wouldn't (or shouldn't) refer to scalding it. Merely warming it would suffice. If, however, the recipe is taking into consideration that raw or unhomoginzed milk may be used, there may be the coagulation matter to contend with: too much resulting in too thick or blobby of a pudding. Additionally, the smaller bubbles created from homogenized milk will result, perhaps, in a smoother pudding as well.

Edited by Starkman (log)
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Scalding milk has many uses like cutting down the cooking time and infusing the milk with flavor. Scalding milk using microwave is find and I have one tip for you: Place a bamboo stick or a chopstick in the milk as it will prevent the milk from super-heating.

I hope this helps. ;)

My Hungry Stomach - my personal food blog

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Here is a link to scalding milk in the microwave. When you scald milk, you do not want to scorch it or boil it. Around 85 C or 185 F is as hot as you want to get it.


http://www.howtobaker.com/techniques/baking/how-to-scald-milk/


"Scalding milk in the microwave is as easy as making popcorn! But do we really have to our scald milk? Many older baking recipes call for scalded milk to kill potentially harmful bacteria and to remove enzymes which prevent the milk from thickening when cooked. Today, the pasteurization pretty much takes care of both these fears for us."


"So why do modern recipes still call for scalded milk? The main reason is heated milk speeds the baking process. By scalding the milk, we are helping butter melt, sugar dissolve, and yeast rise more quickly. Scalding is traditionally accomplished by placing milk in a saucepan and heating until “scalded” or near boiling (185-190° F)."


But, since scalding has essentially become a way to heat the milk why not use the microwave?


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