Improper heating can severely damage the nutrients and beneficial substances in milk. If you want to heat fresh milk without losing nutrients, check out the following tips!
1 Heat Fresh Milk in a Pot on the Stove
Many people use the microwave to heat fresh milk, thinking it’s safe and convenient. However, when using a microwave, you cannot stir the milk during the heating process, which can cause the proteins and fats to clump or stick to the sides of the container, resulting in a loss of nutrients. Moreover, microwaves can also be dangerous if not used correctly.
It’s best to use a pot and heat the milk on a gas or electric stove so you can control the heat and easily stir the milk, preserving its nutritional value.
Heating fresh milk in a pot on the stove
2 Use High Heat
To avoid milk boiling over, some people believe that heating milk over low heat for a longer time will kill bacteria and prevent nutrient loss. This is a misconception!
Heating milk over low heat for an extended period will expose the nutrients to oxygen breakdown. It’s best to use high heat and turn off the stove as soon as the milk starts to bubble and boil. This method preserves the nutritional content, sterilizes the milk, and prevents boiling over.
For further reference:
Using high heat
3 Quick Heating in 3-6 Minutes
We can boil fresh milk in 3 minutes at 70 degrees C or 6 minutes at 60 degrees C.
At 60 – 62 degrees C, milk begins to lose water, and protein particles change from a liquid to a solid form and settle. If we boil milk to 100 degrees C, the lactose in the milk may burn and increase the risk of cancer.
At 100 degrees C, the sugar in the milk also starts to caramelize, turning the milk brown and gradually breaking down into lactic acid, producing formic acid, which gives the milk a sour taste and affects its flavor.
Additionally, the calcium in the milk may precipitate at high temperatures, reducing its nutritional value. Therefore, fresh milk should be heated just to boiling and not for an extended period.
During heating, gently stir the milk to distribute heat evenly, dissolve fat, and protect nutrients while killing bacteria.
Fresh milk can curdle, change taste, and produce harmful substances if heated for too long at high temperatures
4 Do Not Add Sugar to Fresh Milk Before or During Heating
Adding sugar to fresh milk before heating or while it’s boiling can cause lysine in the milk to react with the sugar at high temperatures, forming lysine-glucose, which is harmful to the body.
The correct way is to add sugar to the milk after it has boiled and is still hot.
Do not add sugar to fresh milk while heating on the stove
Fresh milk is a rich source of nutrients for the body. If you enjoy or prefer drinking warm milk, make sure to learn the correct way to boil milk to preserve its nutritional content!