You might not be the only one. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, more than 6 billion people worldwide consume milk and dairy products. But just strictly drinking milk in liquid form can get pretty tiring, wouldn’t you agree?

But fear not – this is The Bailiwick Academy, after all! We wouldn’t want you getting tired of consuming it and missing out on the many benefits of milk. That’s why this article is all about using milk in your cooking – as well as in baking and many other ways too.

Let’s get to it!

How to use milk in cooking: make plenty of cheese

Cheese recipes are plenty, and milk is definitely a requirement in all those recipes. So if you want to, say, eat milk instead of drinking it, go make mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, or whatever cheese you like!

Speaking of cheese sauce, as we mentioned in our blog about food recipes for Lent, we have a Quattro Formaggi Spread class! Go check it out.

How to use milk in cooking: make macaroni and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of those classic American recipes that no one ever gets tired of. Even Filipinos love mac and cheese! But you know how to make it even creamier? Boil your pasta in your cast iron skillet or whatever pan you have with milk. Plus, you’ll have an easier cleaning time, since you’ll only be using one pan.

How to use milk: as a facial!

Have you read our article about the use of leftover egg whites? If you have, then you’ve probably watched the video in that post where you can use leftover egg whites as a facial. And you can do the same with milk! And not just for a facial – milk can be part of your overall beauty regimen. You can use the leftover milk you no longer want to drink to remove makeup, make a face mask, as a shaving cream, as a hand cream, as a massage oil, and even as a bath to keep your skin healthy and glowing, just like Cleopatra!

How to use milk: for thawing fish

Preparing fish for lunch or dinner? Maybe some salmon for Chef RV Manabat’s recipe in his House of Lechon and Paella class? Well here’s a hack for you: if you get the fish from the freezer, thaw it in milk in one of your mixing bowls or something. And when you cook it, guess what will happen? It will taste like it’s freshly caught! Amazing, right?

How to use milk in cooking: movie night treats! 

Milk isn’t just something to give you vitamins, nutrients, and minerals. You can also use milk for various treats while you’re enjoying movie night or a party with family and friends. For example, instead of ordering a latte from your favorite coffee place, make your own latte at home. You can also use milk to make whipping cream as a topper to your favorite dessert or make a sour cream dip for your beloved chips. End the night with some hot chocolate milk or iced chocolate milk – the choice is yours!

How to use milk: make overnight oats

Overnight oats are basically oats that have been soaked in liquid overnight, usually milk. Why soak them? Well, instead of cooking the oats, this process will soften the oats since they absorb the liquid. That saves you time and gives you food you can immediately access whether you’re rushing in the morning or you just want a snack. You can even prep overnight oats for one whole week if you want – and provided they fit your refrigerator. They’re so convenient!

Plus, oats are delicious, filling, and loaded with fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium, and so many others. But the best part is that you can preload overnight oats with whatever flavor you want, whether you use chocolate chips, fruit, nut butter, maple syrup, or vanilla and cinnamon.

How to use milk in cooking: make yema

You’ve encountered yema before in our Yummy Tarts blog post. To refresh your memory, yema is a specific and distinct Pinoy custard. It’s a delicious treat that both kids and adults enjoy. How to make yema? From condensed milk!

How to use milk in baking: make a milk cake

Have you heard of the tres leches cake? It’s one of the best things you can ever find in one of your baking dishes. 

According to our very own Chef Joey Prats, tres leches cake, also known as Torta de Tres Leches in Spain, is a uniquely Latin American dessert, composed of a vanilla sponge cake layer soaked in a mixture of three kinds of milk with whipped cream frosting on top. Thanks to Nestlé printing tres leches cake recipes on their sweetened condensed milk in the 1940s, the whole world discovered it.

Good thing too, because it’s a simple but absolutely delicious treat! Plus, you usually serve it with fresh fruit, making it even yummier!

Is it ok to use spoiled milk in cooking?

So maybe your milk has soured. Should you throw it away immediately? Well, not necessarily. 

But do check the type of milk you’re dealing with. Milk that you commonly buy in supermarkets may taste a little off when they’re past its due date, but you can still use it. However, if the milk has started to separate, and there are lumps, as well as a change of color, throw that milk away!

Got it? Good. Now, going back to the usable soured or spoiled milk. According to Little Things, you can do the following:

• As a baking ingredient for cornbread, scones, pancakes, and anything else you can think of
• For adding better taste to any stew or soup
• For making your meat tender – soak the meat in the milk!
• For giving your plants more calcium

One last reminder: mind the milk’s shelf life!

Milk is probably something that you’ll never forget to buy during a grocery run. You use it for your cereal, for your kids, and as you can see in the list above, for so much more. And because you use it a lot, you might think that storing milk (as in buying plenty of cartons) is a good idea, right?

Well, not exactly. While there’s nothing set in stone, do note that most research about the shelf life of milk will say that unopened milk will be good for consumption for 5-7 days after its listed expiration date. On the other hand, opened milk will last 2-3 days after its expiration date.

And while we did mention some stuff you can do with expired or soured milk, make sure not to drink milk that’s expired or soured directly to avoid feeling really bad (to put it mildly)! We know you want to avoid food waste as much as possible, but we’re telling you right now, it’s not worth it.

Speaking of tres leches – make your own in the latest class of The Bailiwick Academy!

Since we know most of our readers are home cooks or home bakers looking for that next amazing recipe to try, we also know that in this list, the one thing you’re dying to try to make is the tres leches. Are we right, or are we right? 

Well, you’re in luck. Chef Joey Prats has just released his latest lesson with us! Introducing: his Tres Leches Cake class!

Imagine sinking your teeth into a fluffy chiffon cake soaked in sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and liquid whole milk, topped with a light, billowy whipped cream frosting. And those strawberries… yum!

Chef Joey put plenty of time and effort into doing his research into making the best-tasting tres leches cake ever, and we guarantee you will be satisfied with the results!

So what are you waiting for?  Enroll in The Bailiwick Academy today and learn the fundamental techniques and expert methodologies to make this Latin American three-milk cake, Chef Joey Prats-style!

The post How to Use Milk in Cooking (and in Other Ways, Too!) appeared first on Online Baking and Cooking Classes - The Bailiwick Academy.