Kitchen Q&A: What’s Half & Half Cream? (And More)

This week’s Kitchen Q & A answers questions on why brown sugar gets hard, what the difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk is, what half and half cream is and how to tell if that old bottle of spice you found is still ok to use.

Kitchen Q&A: What’s Half & Half Cream? (And More)

If You Have Evaporated Milk Leftover From Baking, Try Adding Some To Your Coffee For A Rich Flavor!

1. What’s the difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk? Both have a large percentage of water removed from the milk (60%) so it’s condensed, but evaporated milk doesn’t have sugar added to it like condensed milk does (condensed milk has about a 40% sugar content). They are not interchangeable in recipes but you can add quite a bit of sugar to evaporated milk to substitute it for sweetened condensed milk (about 1.25 cups of sugar per 1 cup evaporated milk–stir together then heat to dissolve sugar then refrigerate).
2. What’s half and half cream? It’s 50/50 whole milk and cream, this doesn’t whip but you can use it as a substitute in baking for heavy cream (to reduce fat).
3. Why does brown sugar get hard? Brown sugar contains molasses and when the molasses dries out, the sugar gets hard. The best way to avoid getting hard brown sugar is to store it in an airtight container with a slice of apple or a piece of bread. You’ll find a few suggestions for making brown sugar soft again here.
4. What’s the difference between a soft boiled egg and a hard boiled egg? A soft boiled egg is cooked the same way as a hard boiled egg but it’s not cooked as long–the yolk is runny rather than firm. Medium boiled eggs have a slightly firm yolk.
5. Is it safe to use an old bottle of spice I found in the back of a cupboard? I can’t tell what the expiry date is. Spices don’t spoil but they do lose their flavor over time. If the color looks good take a little taste to see if there’s still some flavor to be found. You can also check expiry dates online if you have the original packaging, see Herbs & Spices: Storage Tips Guide for more info.
6. Any way to get butter soft quickly? One way is to arrange the amount of butter you need on a small plate. Take a glass bowl that will fit over the plate and fill it with boiling hot water. Let the water sit for a couple minutes to heat the bowl. Dump the water and fit the heated bowl over the butter. After a few minutes the butter will be softened. You’ll find more suggestions for softening butter here.
7. If a part of a block of hard cheese (such as cheddar cheese) grows mold or gets hard and discolored, can the block of cheese be saved or should it be thrown out? If you cut deep around the mold or old part and remove it, the rest of the block of cheese is fine to eat.
8. How long can gravy be frozen for? For best results use the gravy within the month.
9. I have a couple boxes of cake mixes that expired a short time ago–are they still ok to bake with? I’d throw them out, the ingredients could be rancid or have lost their flavor plus they’ll likely not rise well either.
10. What size eggs should I use if a recipe doesn’t say what to use? Large eggs are the standard unless otherwise noted.
11. When I bake homemade bread, the crust is always soggy. How can I fix this? You’re likely keeping the just-baked bread in the pan too long, let the loaf cool on a wire rack rather than in the pan. See troubleshooting tips Baking Homemade Bread: Troubleshooting Tips.
12. Is it possible to make my own superfine sugar at home instead of buying it? You can pulse granulated sugar in a food processor or blender until it’s finely ground like a powder.

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