Boil A Can Of Sweetened Condensed Milk To Make Cheater Caramel Sauce

In the afternoon, you had freshly baked a cheesecake, ready for serving after tonight's dinner. A luxurious caramel drizzle would enhance your creamy dessert, but you look in your pantry and realize there's no caramel left. A eureka moment strikes when you remember a simple food hack: You can boil a can of sweetened condensed milk to make an improvised caramel sauce. It'll be exquisite and no one will know you cheated in the kitchen. Let's dive right into this cooking hack. 

First, reach for a can of sweetened condensed milk and peel off the label. Boil enough water in a pot or heavy saucepan to fully submerge the can. Remember this: Keep the can unopened and gently immerse it in the bubbling water. Using tongs would make this task easier and safer. Then, cover the pot or saucepan with a lid and let the can simmer for 2 to 3 hours over medium-low heat, diligently maintaining the water level. 

The duration of the simmering process determines the depth of flavor and texture; a longer simmer results in a darker, richer, and thicker caramel, while a shorter one yields a lighter shade, more akin to the color of Werther's caramel candies.

When you're ready to remove the can from the boiling water, first turn off the heat, then use the tongs again to transfer it to your sink. To rapidly cool the can off, submerge it in an ice bath. While the can may feel cool, the sauce inside might still be hot, so be careful. Use a can opener to open the lid and bask in the glory of cheater caramel sauce, easily made from any can of sweetened condensed milk. The simplicity of this technique is inversely proportional to the elaborate, gourmet flavors it produces, making it likely you'll repeat this food hack again and again. 

Should you find yourself with surplus caramel sauce, preservation is simple. Securely bottle it in a mason jar or an airtight container. Stored in the refrigerator, it maintains its delicious integrity for about a month, while freezing extends its life to 3 months. Traditional caramel, however, stays good for up to 9 months in the pantry.

So, now you know. No more need to buy expensive jars of caramel when you can easily make it at home using only a can of $2 to $3 sweetened condensed milk. The possibilities of what you can do with your homemade caramel sauce are endless.