You need a large pot, preferably one with a metal rack for the inside or one that will fit a metal rack you have inside it. I've done this without the metal rack but it's more controllable with one.
Ingredients: one can of sweetened condensed milk, unopened. Eagle is a common US brand name. Don't open the can, just remove the label.
Put the unopened, labelless can on the rack inside the large pot. Fill with water to a level two inches or more above the level of the top of the can. Add a pinch of salt to the water.
Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for about three and a half hours. Yes, you're boiling the unopened can in a pot of water, just like modern cowboys prepare their caramel in their camp trailers out on the range. :)
IMPORTANT: Keep the water level well above the top of the can to forestall any danger of the can exploding.
At sea level with salt in the water, boiling for one to two hours will produce a nice caramel sauce. More boiling, thicker sauce. Three to four hours will get you a pudding or custard consistency. At five hours it begins to turn to candy, at eight hours the result will taste burnt. At altitudes above 1000 feet, adjust times as you would with any other recipe.
When you've boiled the can sufficiently, turn off the heat, remove the hot can from the water with tongs and let it cool on a rack before refrigerating overnight. The next day, open one end of the can for sauce; open both ends for custard and push out onto a plate.
Share with friends, this is a very rich dessert: about 1000-1500 calories in a can. Cans vary in size from 5oz to 16oz, smaller cans will take a bit less time, larger ones a bit more. Above times are for a 14 oz standard American can (about 400 grams if sold by weight which Mexican brands usually are).
Flavored, low-fat and non-fat versions of sweetened condensed milk exist; they all will work. Chocolate low-fat is just sinfully good but the cans are hard to find.
Enjoy but do remember to keep the can covered by the water while boiling or you may find out why cowboy camp trailers sometimes have patched holes in the roof and sides!
Hugs,
Erin
Comments
S'good!
I've made this twice this week for my roommate and I... soo good! It's a creamy smooth caramel, tastes like it's good for a pie/cheesecake filling. I let mine boil for 3½ hours, but I don't use salt in the water.
Better to leave salt out than add too much
If you added a couple of tablespoons, you might raise the boiling point of the water to the level that the can would explode while submerged. Just a pinch is enough to shorten the boiling time a bit.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Thank you, Erin!
Thank you, Erin, for reminding me of that!
Many, many years ago I used to go cave exploring (potholing, or spelunking), and for longer trips underground we were always looking for tasty, rugged, high energy density foods to take with us for snacks or meals in the cave. One fellow brought this treat which won on all those attributes.
If you forgot to bring a spoon you could just dip a finger in the custard. Of course that resulted in eating some mud along with it, but you were usually eating mud crawling around through the cave anyway.
Kris
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
One Tiny Qualm...
The linings of cans typically contain bisphenol-A, a known hormone-disrupter. There's a pretty good article on the chemical over at Wikipedia.
Heating the entire can for an extended period is pretty much guaranteed to release any of the BPA that hadn't already leached out on its own.
However, in the mtf ts community, the disruption might be a desired one. I could see your Cowboy Custard being a very popular food!