Adjusting Fat Percentage Of Milk

[Rollin]

Many of the recipes call for different levels of fat in the milk - none, 1, 2. We use non-fat milk and find that most of the other goes sour before we can use it if we have to get it for a recipe. I also understand that Cooking Light reduces the fat content of the milk to the lowest level possible while still maintaining the taste.

Given that, is it possible to adjust the fat content of non-fat milk by adding butter or other substance? If so, what proportions would be used to get 1 percent or 2 percent milk?

[LIsaP]

I use fat free skim milk for all Cooking Light recipies and have never had a problem...

[Vanessa]

I use 1% milk in CL recipes with no problems. I have also used when we had 2% in recipes.

[Beth]

I buy skim for most things and have 2% for the boys. I use the skim for most cooking without a problem. Every once in a while, if I find something really lacking, I can give something an "oomph" with a spoonful of nonfat dried milk I keep on hand for baking and emergencies, evaporated skim milk or I can add just a touch of butter (after all, that the fat that was skimmed off the skim milk). I'd say 9 times out of 10, no adjustment is required.

[venus]

I use skim milk for everything, and have never had any problems. In cases of cream sauces, I sometimes add some 1/3 less fat cream cheese to thicken it.

[Rollin]

My thanks for the suggestions and comments. The reply from Beth was similar to what I was thinking concerning using butter to replace the butter fat removed from the milk.

I do know that I have seen a reply in letters to the editor in the past concerning the use of the different levels of fat in the milk in various recipes that indicated the Cooking Light recipes used the lowest level of fat in the milk that still retained the taste, texture, etc. of the original recipe.

Other people have written in in the past with the similar concern about needing different types of milk. I was hoping someone had a nice formula for recreating a 1 or 2 percent milk from fat free milk along the lines of add 1 tsp of butter to 1 cup of milk to get ...

The idea from Venus for using less fat cream cheese to add thickness to sauces is also a great idea.

Again, thanks for the replies and the ideas.