Help with arequipe which more closely resembles a rock than a pleasant dessert!

Gator says on Feb 1, 2005, 07:15:

The wife said.... 1. You possibly used too much sugar-not enough milk or a combination of both.. She said here is the receipt her mother used: 3 litros (quarts) milk, 2 lbs. sugar, pinch of salt
one cinnamon stick. Now the hard part. Combine the milk and the sugar in a large saucepan and let it simmer while constantly stirring with a WOODEN spoon, you see the milk change colour to a light brown. When it changes color the consistency should be thicker. Now the hard part. The wife said you need to watch it like a hawk and it needs to be stirred for about 3 to 5 hours. The stirring has to be CONSTANT so it won't stick to the pot. Then let it cool. Open and the kitchen god has changed it to arequipe.

2. Yes, you could try adding additional milk and heat over a low heat stirring like crazy.
3. She said it is a PIA to make at home. You have to stir, and stir,and stir, and stir, and stir and then stir a lot more.
4. She buys it ready made at the market in order to prevent a divorce.
5. She also used her pet name for me, "Gringo boba(o)!"

She said one of her amigas has a quicker way but she has never tried it(remember the trip to the super market.)

Use one can of condensed sweet milk (like Eagle Brand in the USA or Nestlé in Colombia)..
Put the UNOPENED can of condensed milk at the bottom of large saucepan filled with water over the top of the can. Let it boil rapidly, and then turn the heat down, so that it boils for about 2½ hours. Make sure that the can is always covered with plenty of water.
After it has finished boiling, place the pot under running cold water. When the can is COLD, open it and you will see that the milk has become thick and brown arequipe.

"Bene, cum Latine nescias, nolo manus meas in te maculare" .

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Jojo says on Feb 1, 2005, 08:12:

Arequipe I made it the other day with quite a bit of success. My abuelita used to make it a lot and give it to us in half a totuma for Christmas.

The secret has to be doing it slowly and stirring, stirring, stirring.

I made it with two whole milk to one sugar. Worked really well. Use a wooden spoon. I didn't put the canela in but wished I had.

It takes for ever but beats the condensed milk version hands down.

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 1, 2005, 08:36:

Teppar--- a few points..... Gator is right...and especially about the second method.

My advise is forget about the stiring forever. That is a huge pain in the ass. If you end up burning it, it's ruined and like any other food, there is no repairing or undoing something that is burned. Burning can occur so easily if you are not sitting right on top of things. The phone can ring. The TV. You can fall asleep. Ok, that being said the second method is the best.

The second method imvolves putting the canned sweet condensed milk in the saucepan witht the water, and boil it for 2 hours and walk away. All those brands Gator mentions works fine. Just make sure you by the sweetened brand.

Now one question. Do you have a pressure cooker??? If you do, instead of putting it in the saucepan, you can put it in the pressure cooker with water for 30 -40 minutes (depending how dark you want it) and it's done. How about that? Because that is how I make my Arequipe and it comes out great every time. No stiring, no ingredients. No burning. It is perfect!!!

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 1, 2005, 08:42:

One more thing Desi will probably catch this thread and she is really good with this kind of stuff. Catch Desi. I think she can give you some helpful points

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Desideria (Moderator) (Trustee board) says on Feb 1, 2005, 09:23:

sorry to disappoint you gomezman, but I have never made arequipe myself. I don't even like arequipe that much. I prefer manjarblanco, but I wouldn't even try to make it myself. I don't have a paila de cobre and I lack the total commitment and patience the procedure takes.
I'd say that the advice Mrs. Gator gives sounds good. If the stuff isn't burned, there's hope yet. More milk, slow reheating and plenty of strirring...

Cheers,
Desi

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi

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Gomezman5 says on Feb 1, 2005, 09:36:

Forget the stiring crap The stuff is tastier and smoother if you put the leche dule in the pot and let it boil for 2 hours or 30 minutes in the pressure cooker!!

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kat1 (Moderator) (Trustee board) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Feb 1, 2005, 11:25:

Gomezman5 says on Feb 1, 2005, 13:03:

Kat1 I just made that point right above your post!!!

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sydneygirl says on Feb 2, 2005, 09:28:

I have heard that its just caramel, which you can make if you put a can of Condensed milk in a boiling pot, let it boil away and open the can and you have caramel!....havnt tried it though!
the cheaters way!!

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