Last Updated on 10/16/2008

Published on 6/10/2008

By Teresa Taylor

ttaylor@postandcourier.com

Mildred Hughes of Johnsonville presented an unusual request a few weeks ago. She's been craving lemon pie and wanted to know if anyone had a recipe for making sweetened condensed milk, figuring it might be more economical than store-bought.

My first reaction was this: Who would want to make condensed milk? But you never know, and obviously I didn't. Several people volunteered recipes.

Then I became curious about the origins of condensed milk. Don't take anything for granted -- there was more to the story than I imagined.

For one, fresh milk wasn't a staple in American households until almost the mid-20th century. That's because milk spoiled easily, especially in the heat, and mechanical refrigeration wasn't developed until the early 1900s. The first home refrigerators appeared about 1916.

But decades earlier, Gail Borden had set out to produce a portable canned milk that didn't sour so quickly.

He got the idea while returning from a trip to London, where he had won a medal for making a long-lasting, travel-friendly meat biscuit.

Supposedly, rough waters in the Atlantic made the cows on board his ship too seasick to be milked, and some milk-deprived infants died en route.

So Borden began his quest, and the result was the creation of condensed milk in 1854. Borden was granted a patent for sweetened condensed milk two years later. (Sugar was added to inhibit bacterial growth.)

At first, the new milk didn't go over so well. New Yorkers, for example, were used to watered-down milk that was made whiter and creamier with chalk and molasses. Can you imagine that happening today?

But business grew substantially after the Civil War. Canned milk was a field ration for the Union army, and word spread when soldiers returned home. By the turn of the century, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk -- also known as unsweetened condensed milk -- were popular and more widely used than fresh milk, according to some sources.

So how do you make your own? Not the way Borden did, by boiling off the water in a vacuum pan.

Maryanne Potter, formerly of Mount Pleasant but now living in Efland, N.C., e-mailed, "I enjoy keeping up with the news of the area through the Internet ... and I always look at the food section. I was so surprised to see that someone wanted a recipe for homemade condensed milk. Believe it or not, I have one that I've used for years, and it makes a pretty good substitute for the store-bought kind. Hope it helps."

Homemade

Condensed Milk

1 cup nonfat dry milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup boiling water

3 tablespoons of margarine (don't substitute butter)

Slice margarine into pan and pour boiling water over. Stir until margarine is melted, then bring it back to a boil. Add boiling mixture to sugar and dry milk in blender and blend well. Pour into a covered container and refrigerate. Makes about 1 can (14-ounce) of condensed milk.

Carol Musselman of North Charleston shares a Paula Deen recipe from the Food Network's Web site with slightly different proportions and a touch of vanilla. "It turns out surprisingly well -- it's very much like the canned sweetened condensed milk."

Sweetened

Condensed Milk

1/3 cup boiling water

4 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup powdered milk (recommended: Carnation)

Using an electric mixer, blend together water, butter, sugar and vanilla.

Add powdered milk and blend until thick. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Similar or identical recipes were sent by Maxwell Mowry, MaryAnn Carruthers, Nell Duffy and Millie Waite of Charleston; Harriet Little and Cheryl Cote of Summerville; Lucy Weber and Sue Ciucci of Mount Pleasant; Tracy Gorman of West Ashley; and Bobbie Maguire of Edisto Island.

And a belated thanks to Kathleen Dempsey of Johns Island for a strawberry pie recipe, which was covered in a previous column.

During our conversation about homemade condensed milk, Mildred said she also would welcome lemon meringue pie recipes. A few readers sent some family favorites.

Janice Sorensen of North Charleston says this recipe is one her mother, Charlotte Wells Schmidt, used to make:

Borden's Magic Lemon Meringue Pie

For filling:

1 1/3 cups (15-ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh, reconstituted or frozen)

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (fresh or dried)

2 egg yolks

1 (8-inch) graham cracker crumb or baked pastry pie shell, cooled

For meringue:

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 cup sugar

For filling: In medium mixing bowl, blend together milk, lemon juice, lemon peel and yolks until thickened. Pour into pie shell.

For meringue: In a small size mixing bowl, whip whites with cream of tartar until they hold a soft peak. Gradually whip in sugar, and continue to whip just until whites hold firm peaks. Pile onto pie filling and seal to inside edge of pie shell. Bake in a 325-degree oven until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool before serving.

Shirley Turner of James Island says she's had this recipe for many years but can't remember the source.

"It is the only lemon pie that I make. The pineapple juice sets it apart from other recipes. My tongue is tingling just thinking about it."

Hawaiian Lemon Meringue Pie

For filling:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 1/2 cups hot pineapple juice

1 teaspoon margarine

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg yolks

6 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 baked pie crusts

For meringue:

4 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For filling: Mix sugar and cornstarch in a pot. Add pineapple juice. Stir well. Add margarine and salt. Cook on low, stirring constantly until very thick. Beat egg yolks. Add some of the mixture to yolks. Return to pot. Cook 2 minutes; cool. Add lemon juice and grated rind, mixing well. Pour into 2 baked pie crusts.

For meringue: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until whites are stiff and glossy. Beat in vanilla. Spread on pie and bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Makes 2 pies.

Thanks also to Carolyn Watson of Summerville.

Cream of the crop: Asparagus Soup

In a completely different direction, we'll turn to asparagus soup. A Summerville reader asked for recipes.

Nancy Bacher of Summerville sent the following:

Cream

of Asparagus Soup

2 pounds green asparagus

1 large onion, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 to 6 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup crème fraîche or heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Thyme or spice if desired, to taste

Cut tips from 12 asparagus spears, 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish.

Cut spears and all remaining asparagus into 1/2-inch pieces.

Cook onion in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add 5 cups broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15-20 minutes. While soup simmers, cook reserved asparagus tips in boiling salted water until just tender, 3-4 minutes, then drain. Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a bowl (use caution when blending hot liquids), and return to pan. Stir in crème fraîche, then add more broth to thin soup to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and whisk in

SEE RECIPES, Page 3B

remaining tablespoon butter.

Add lemon juice, thyme or spice if desired, and garnish with asparagus tips.

Note: Soup keeps, covered and chilled, 2 days. If making ahead, add last tablespoon butter and lemon juice after reheating.

Peggy Anne Simmons of Johns Island writes, "This recipe is as good or better than any I have used with much 'richer' ingredients. I have used it repeatedly for several years. I think my source was Bon Appetit magazine."

No-Cream

Asparagus Soup

2 tablespoons butter

2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

6 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed, each cut into 4 pieces, reserving some tips for garnish

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add leeks and onions, saute until tender, about 15 minutes.

Add stock and asparagus: simmer until asparagus are tender, about 15 minutes.

Puree soup in blender in batches. Return to pot. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to simmer before serving. Garnish each soup plate or bowl with asparagus tip. Makes about 8 cups.

Note: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover. Chill.

Who's got the recipe

Reach Teresa Taylor at 937-4886, food@postandcourier.com or write The Post and Courier, 134 Columbus St., Charleston, SC 29403.