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To Sterilize Milk

A method for sterilizing milk using a double boiler and cotton wool.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 2 ingredients
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To Sterilize Milk

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the milk

  1. Put milk into a double boiler.

  2. Heat until a scum forms on top, maintaining a temperature of about 190°F (88°C) for 1 hour without boiling.

  3. Transfer to a sterilized vessel.

  4. Cool quickly by placing the vessel in cold water.

  5. Cover the vessel to prevent exposure to air.

Bottle and heat

  1. Fill bottles with milk.

  2. Stopper bottles with cotton wool.

  3. Gradually heat bottles in cold water to 190°F (88°C) for 1 hour.

  4. Repeat the heating process for 3 consecutive days.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

What each ingredient does

Milk
Is the main liquid being heated and held at temperature over several days.
Cotton wool
Stoppers the bottles while still letting air pass, limiting contact with airborne contaminants.

The step that matters

Heating without boiling. Milk heated above a simmer can scorch on the base and change its flavour and texture. Holding it near 190°F gently heats it without boiling, which keeps the milk smooth.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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