343694 Fri Nov 17 14:55:44 -0800 2006 11 31 Home Cooking 0 2029658 OK, so, I'm making rice pudding from an old family recipe which calls for whole milk. Problem is, the store did not have whole milk (in organic, anyway), so I got 2%. I should have bought some half & half right then and there, but did not, and there's no time to get any now; the pot is simmering on the stove. Is there any way I can enrich it with, say, a bit of butter, or 2% Greek yogurt (I know, same percentage, but still thicker and richer)? Thanks for a rapid reply!! Fri Nov 17 14:55:44 -0800 2006 20525 Lisa M 1 2029778 I wouldn't bother changing it. Whole milk is only 3.5% fat or so, so it's not that different. Fri Nov 17 15:38:06 -0800 2006 2029658 18353 DGresh 1 2029845 I would us butter, but not yogurt. unless you want to turn it into buttermilk. Fri Nov 17 16:00:01 -0800 2006 2029658 12766 welle 1 2030306 I would suggest 1 cup of 1/2-1/2 per quart of 2% milk. Butter can be added to milk, but it's very difficult to get it to re-incorporate. Fresh whole milk from the cow can range anywhere from 5-6%(depending on the breed) Fri Nov 17 18:21:38 -0800 2006 2029658 22220 Kelli2006 2 2030321 True, but "whole" milk in markets has had cream skimmed (to be used in cream products) to keep the range 3.5%-4% very uniformly. I always keep cream on hand because I normally drink 1% milk and simply add cream to it to get 4% whole (I have a little table for doing this with halfnhalf, light, whipping and heavy creams) or to create halfnhalf or light cream. It's very handy to do things that way. Fri Nov 17 18:25:48 -0800 2006 2030306 13819 Karl S 3 2030366 Karl, I agree with you. I usually buy 2% in stores, and that is what I use on a daily basis. I am also a pastry chef and occasionally I get fresh milk from friends who have a dairy farm and raise Brown Swiss and Jersey cattle. The higher fat content is optimal for baking pastries and holiday sweets. Fri Nov 17 18:41:39 -0800 2006 2030321 22220 Kelli2006 3 2030386 however the poster doesn't *have* half and half or cream and is looking for other suggestions. my feeling was that in this case the difference between whole and 2% wasn't going to make a big difference. Fri Nov 17 18:47:12 -0800 2006 2030321 18353 DGresh 3 2031076 Karl, I remember when you posted that table and I printed it out for reference. I have since misplaced it and can't find the link on CH either. Would you be ever so kind to either repost this table or perhaps the link to the original post? TIA Fri Nov 17 22:03:32 -0800 2006 2030321 10222 queenie 4 2031097 Add the following to 1 cup of skim milk to approximate 1 cup of 1.5t heavy cream= 1% milk 1T heavy cream= 2% milk 2T heavy cream= whole milk 5T 1t heavy cream= half-&-half 9T heavy cream= light cream 1T light cream= 1% milk 1T 2t light cream= 2% milk 3T light cream= whole milk 5 oz light cream= half-&-half 2T half & half= 1% milk 3T half & half= 2% milk 4T half & half= whole milk Fri Nov 17 22:08:59 -0800 2006 2031076 13819 Karl S 1 2030409 It's possible to enrich milk by reducing it. Boiling off some of the water will increase the butterfat content (by volume), of course, but will also increase the protein content. Not sure how that will work out in a custardy dish like rice pudding. Fri Nov 17 18:53:22 -0800 2006 2029658 42933 PDXpat 1 2032209 Just wanted to give you an update on what I did: I simply added 1T of butter to the simmering milk and rice, and it was absolutely fine. BTW, quantity of milk was 1 qt. Thanks for all the replies. Sat Nov 18 14:50:46 -0800 2006 2029658 20525 Lisa M 2 2032223 Best reply yet. Sat Nov 18 15:00:06 -0800 2006 2032209 36661 Sam Fujisaka