150 Condensed Milk and Milk Powder 



pounds of fresh milk, so that the condensed milk contains about 45 

 per cent, sucrose. 



Owing to the poor keeping quality of the summer condensed 

 milk, it is advisable not to store any milk made during these months, 

 but to sell it, even at a small margin, as fast as it is manufactured. 



Effect of Finishing in Pan With High Steam Pressure on 

 Thickening. — Abnormally thick condensed milk is also the result 

 of overheating the condensed milk in the vacuum pan toward the 

 close of the process. The batch should be finished with low steam 

 pressure in the jacket and coils, not to exceed five pounds of pres- 

 sure, and the milk should be drawn from the pan at once after con- 

 densation is completed. 



Effect of Age on Thickening. — Finally, all sweetened condensed 

 milk has a tendency to thicken with age. Exposure to high storage 

 temperature (summer heat) hastens this action. The rapidity of 

 thickening in storage increases with the increase in temperature. 

 This tendency is very much reduced, therefore, by protecting the 

 goods from high temperatures and by storing them below 60 degrees 

 F (See Chapter on "Storage," page 112). 



Lumpy Sweetened Condensed Milk 



General Description. — Lumps of varying denominations are 

 not infrequently found in sweetened condensed milk. They may be 

 soft and permeate the contents of the can throughout, or may appear 

 especially in the form of a "smear" along the seams of the can ; or 

 again, they may float on the surface, in which case they are usually 

 hard and cheesy, and either white or yellow in color. Their pres- 

 ence gives the contents of the can an unsightly appearance at best, 

 and in many cases, they spoil its flavor. They naturally suggest to 

 the consumer that something is wrong with the condensed milk, and 

 cause him to reject the whole package. 



Causes and Prevention. — The chief causes of lumpy con- 

 densed milk are : poor quality of fresh milk, unclean pipes in fac- 

 tory, milk from fresh cows, acid flux in tin cans, and unclean and 

 contaminated tin cans. 



Poor Quality of Fresh Milk and Unclean Factory Conditions. — 

 Upon opening the can of condensed milk, even shortly after it is 

 filled, the lid is covered with large and small lumps and specks stick- 



