Why You Should Avoid Using Condensed Milk From Walmart

Whether you're brewing some Vietnamese coffee at home or whipping up a citrusy and creamy Brazilian lemonade, sweetened condensed milk is the not-so-secret ingredient that sets your recipe to another, higher standard. That's the idea anyway, but that goes out the window pretty fast if your condensed milk isn't up to snuff. Here at Chowhound, we're not in the business of shattering your dreams, and so we'd have to advise you against buying your condensed milk from Walmart's Great Value brand for this exact reason.

In our list of 19 Great Value products that you should avoid buying, the brand's sweetened condensed milk made an unfortunate and somewhat surprising appearance. However, the main reason is a simple and understandable one: The product is just too dang thick. Sweetened condensed milk is supposed to be thick, yes, but when you're having trouble spooning it out of the can, you've gone beyond the pale. Whether you're using it for drinks or for baking, then, there are simply easier options out there that don't really differ in cost, so there's really no reason to bother with a can that isn't worth the trouble.

In a way, the review of the Great Value can of sweetened condensed milk is an apt synopsis of what makes a good condensed milk — if only for the fact that it points out all the things that a great product shouldn't be. The main two factors here are thickness and sweetness — you know, the "sweetened" and "condensed" parts that constitute the product's name. And it's these traits that will determine just how useful your condensed milk will be.

As with many things in cooking and baking, picking the right ingredient comes down to balance. With texture, it's all relative here. Condensed milk is going to be pretty thick based on the simple fact that over half the milk's water content has evaporated away. But you don't want a product that's so viscous that it affects the texture of baked items or is just a hassle to scoop out –- and that's where Great Value runs afoul. You want to look for a creamy texture that's almost reminiscent of good, pure honey. As far as taste goes, you don't want a product that's either not sweet enough to taste or that's so sweet that it loses any creamy flavor — you want the sweetness to be beneficial to the overall flavor with hints of milky and caramelized notes. Great Value fails to please either way, its present sweetness making up for an overall forgettable flavor. If you want ultimate control, you're better off learning to make sweetened condensed milk from whole milk in the comfort of your own home.