You Might Think To Throw This Ingredient Away, But It's A Retro Secret For Delicious Cake

Nobody enjoys opening the fridge to find that their milk has gone bad. When milk goes sour, you'd normally just throw it out, but perhaps it's not quite done for. Way back when, sour milk was used as an ingredient in delicious confections like cake. Unlike spoiled milk, sour milk is still safe to drink and is sometimes even made on purpose.

Sour milk is milk that's begun to curdle, but milk can also be turned sour on purpose through fermentation or the addition of some kind of acid, like vinegar or lemon juice. When it's done on purpose, it's typically called "soured milk." Soured milk can be used to make a wide variety of delicious foods and adds a tangy, tart flavor and can act as a leavening agent (if you also add baking soda) that makes your confections nice and fluffy. If you like, you can use it on its own or in place of buttermilk. Give it a try next time you're celebrating a special occasion like a birthday with cake.

Of course, this only refers to soured milk, not spoiled milk. Most often, soured milk is created on purpose under specific conditions. Spoiled milk has gone bad and is not safe to drink or use in baking or cooking. If you drink spoiled milk, you risk negative effects such as a whole host of digestive issues. If your milk has chunks, smells foul, is slimy, or has visible mold or discoloration, throw it away immediately.

Panna cotta is a delicious old-school Italian recipe that's perfect for using soured milk. To make it, you simmer milk, cream, and sugar together, add gelatin to thicken, and let it chill. This dessert requires no baking and is an easy, simple treat that can please almost any crowd. Soured milk can be used in practically any cake recipe that calls for regular milk or buttermilk, which also means you can easily use it to upgrade boxed cake mix.

If baking is a bit too demanding right now, you can also use soured milk in simpler confections like oatmeal. Oatmeal cooked with milk is rich, creamy, and tasty and goes especially well with toppings like berries or sugar. Using sour milk adds a signature tangy note that gives the oats depth and complexity.

And it's not just cakes or breakfast foods that can benefit from this ingredient. Soured milk is also a perfect liquid for braising pork. This technique is another classic Italian tradition, one that effectively turns the milk into a curd, not unlike ricotta. It also adds tenderness and a sweet flavor to the meat. When used for pork, the lactic acid curdles the milk, so using milk that's already soured may help to enhance this effect.