Using water instead of milk in recipes

Punkie · 06-28-2005, 08:18 AM

We now have our soy/almond/rice milk maker, and I'm enjoying having fresh "milk", but I keep hearing about using water instead of milk in recipes. Are there certain kinds of recipes that it works better for? I know that I tried rice milk in pudding and it never thickened, so obviously that's not a good option. I'm pretty positive that water would've been very bad. Are there any good guidelines for what will work and what won't?

TIA!

cklewis · 06-28-2005, 08:23 AM

I was just going to say the exact same thing about pudding. I gave up after that.

C

Punkie · 06-28-2005, 10:16 AM

Yep, I tossed the pudding down the drain...

I just can't seem to figure out which recipes need milk to "thicken" and which are just using it for liquid, I guess.

06-28-2005, 11:31 AM

my general personal rule is baking=water cooking=milk, though there are exceptions to that (muffins, cake, cookies). Generally in cooking, milk is used for the fat content and binding rather than JUST the water.

Punkie · 06-28-2005, 11:57 AM

OK, so my mind may just be pulling a blank, but what besides muffins, cakes, and cookies do you bake? If those are the exceptions, then it sounds like there's not much left...

06-28-2005, 12:07 PM

I make most everything from scratch.

Breads
pizza dough
rolls
tortillas
hot dog/hamburger buns
flatbread
cornbread
pasta (haven't done this much, I'm lazy!)

In the dessert type baking the milk adds fullness of taste (fat issue) in addition to moisture.

Punkie · 06-28-2005, 12:22 PM

Ahhhh! I do too, but I guess I just try to use dairy-free recipes (like french bread rather than regular bread), and my tortillas don't have any milk... Hmm, thanks for the list though! That really does help! That gives me some good ideas. I was just about to make some cornbread, and was planning on trying water

06-28-2005, 12:30 PM

try blue cornmeal sometime! SO yummy!

ShangriLewis · 06-28-2005, 05:48 PM

Yes, I've been using water in baking and it works! I find that sometimes thinks are fluffy or moister if using soymilk..but I don't care. I'm cheap. Punkie have you done a post about using your soymilk maker yet?

To make pudding with a mix (I think all of the Jell-O ones are vegan) you have to mix it with tofu. It just doesn't work otherwise.

boonpnutsmom · 06-28-2005, 06:02 PM

I don't use a milk substitute, I just replace with water. I don't bake much but the cooking part seems to work out great. A favorite of my kids is mashed potatoes and I use the potato water instead of milk,

06-28-2005, 06:04 PM

oh! pudding! I just realized I recently learned one can use arrowroot powder or teff flour for those.

06-28-2005, 08:18 AM	#1
Punkie Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 20,092	Using water instead of milk in recipes We now have our soy/almond/rice milk maker, and I'm enjoying having fresh "milk", but I keep hearing about using water instead of milk in recipes. Are there certain kinds of recipes that it works better for? I know that I tried rice milk in pudding and it never thickened, so obviously that's not a good option. I'm pretty positive that water would've been very bad. Are there any good guidelines for what will work and what won't? TIA! __________________ GCM Admin and Moderator in Questions About the Message Board, Drawing Closer, Let's Talk, Weight Management, In the News, and Electronics. Homeschooling mom to 4, certified herbalist, homesteader, and overly ambitious crafter

06-28-2005, 08:23 AM	#2
cklewis Deactivated Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 11,911	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes I was just going to say the exact same thing about pudding. I gave up after that. C

06-28-2005, 10:16 AM	#3
Punkie Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 20,092	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes Yep, I tossed the pudding down the drain... I just can't seem to figure out which recipes need milk to "thicken" and which are just using it for liquid, I guess. __________________ GCM Admin and Moderator in Questions About the Message Board, Drawing Closer, Let's Talk, Weight Management, In the News, and Electronics. Homeschooling mom to 4, certified herbalist, homesteader, and overly ambitious crafter

06-28-2005, 11:31 AM	#4
GrowingInGrace Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes my general personal rule is baking=water cooking=milk, though there are exceptions to that (muffins, cake, cookies). Generally in cooking, milk is used for the fat content and binding rather than JUST the water.

06-28-2005, 11:57 AM	#5
Punkie Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 20,092	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes OK, so my mind may just be pulling a blank, but what besides muffins, cakes, and cookies do you bake? If those are the exceptions, then it sounds like there's not much left... __________________ GCM Admin and Moderator in Questions About the Message Board, Drawing Closer, Let's Talk, Weight Management, In the News, and Electronics. Homeschooling mom to 4, certified herbalist, homesteader, and overly ambitious crafter

06-28-2005, 12:07 PM	#6
GrowingInGrace Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes I make most everything from scratch. Breads pizza dough rolls tortillas hot dog/hamburger buns flatbread cornbread pasta (haven't done this much, I'm lazy!) In the dessert type baking the milk adds fullness of taste (fat issue) in addition to moisture.

06-28-2005, 12:22 PM	#7
Punkie Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 20,092	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes Ahhhh! I do too, but I guess I just try to use dairy-free recipes (like french bread rather than regular bread), and my tortillas don't have any milk... Hmm, thanks for the list though! That really does help! That gives me some good ideas. I was just about to make some cornbread, and was planning on trying water __________________ GCM Admin and Moderator in Questions About the Message Board, Drawing Closer, Let's Talk, Weight Management, In the News, and Electronics. Homeschooling mom to 4, certified herbalist, homesteader, and overly ambitious crafter

06-28-2005, 12:30 PM	#8
GrowingInGrace Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes try blue cornmeal sometime! SO yummy!

06-28-2005, 05:48 PM	#9
ShangriLewis Moderator in Vegetarianism & Veganism Arrange whatever pieces come your way. ~VW~ Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: North Dakota Posts: 16,446	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes Yes, I've been using water in baking and it works! I find that sometimes thinks are fluffy or moister if using soymilk..but I don't care. I'm cheap. Punkie have you done a post about using your soymilk maker yet? To make pudding with a mix (I think all of the Jell-O ones are vegan) you have to mix it with tofu. It just doesn't work otherwise. __________________ Heather The Prophet 23yob, The Peacemaker 20yob, The Warrior 17, The Little Flower 11yog and The Surfer 9yob and our little birdie girl 4yo.

06-28-2005, 06:02 PM	#10
boonpnutsmom Deactivated Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Kaneohe, Hawaii Posts: 8,112	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes I don't use a milk substitute, I just replace with water. I don't bake much but the cooking part seems to work out great. A favorite of my kids is mashed potatoes and I use the potato water instead of milk,

06-28-2005, 06:04 PM	#11
GrowingInGrace Guest Posts: n/a	Re: Using water instead of milk in recipes oh! pudding! I just realized I recently learned one can use arrowroot powder or teff flour for those.

X vBulletin 3.8.3 Debug Information
Page Generation 0.07500 seconds Memory Usage 7,777KB Queries Executed 13 (?)
More Information
Template Usage: (1)SHOWTHREAD (1)ad_footer_end (1)ad_footer_start (1)ad_header_end (1)ad_header_logo (1)ad_navbar_below (1)ad_showthread_beforeqr (1)ad_showthread_firstpost (1)ad_showthread_firstpost_sig (1)ad_showthread_firstpost_start (1)cyb_flashimagebanners (1)footer (1)forumjump (1)forumrules (1)gobutton (1)header (1)headinclude (1)navbar (3)navbar_link (1)navbar_noticebit (60)option (11)post_groan_box (1)post_groan_javascript (1)post_groan_navbar_search (11)post_thanks_box (1)post_thanks_javascript (1)post_thanks_navbar_search (11)postbit_legacy (7)postbit_onlinestatus (57)postbit_reputation (11)postbit_wrapper (4)showthread_bookmarksite (1)smqre_editor_button (1)spacer_close (1)spacer_open (1)tagbit_wrapper Phrase Groups Available: global inlinemod postbit posting reputationlevel showthread	Included Files: ./showthread.php ./global.php ./includes/init.php ./includes/class_core.php ./includes/config.php ./includes/functions.php ./includes/class_hook.php ./includes/functions_notice.php ./mobiquo/smartbanner.php ./mobiquo/include/classTTConnection.php ./mobiquo/smartbanner/head.inc.php ./includes/functions_bigthree.php ./includes/class_postbit.php ./includes/class_bbcode.php ./includes/functions_reputation.php ./includes/adminfunctions_template.php ./includes/functions_misc.php ./includes/functions_post_thanks.php ./includes/functions_post_groan.php Hooks Called: init_startup cache_permissions fetch_threadinfo_query fetch_threadinfo fetch_foruminfo style_fetch cache_templates global_start parse_templates fetch_musername notices_check_start notices_noticebit global_setup_complete showthread_start template_groups template_safe_functions template_compile showthread_getinfo forumjump showthread_post_start showthread_query_postids showthread_query bbcode_fetch_tags bbcode_create showthread_postbit_create postbit_factory postbit_display_start post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_start post_thanks_function_post_thanks_off_end post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_start post_thanks_function_fetch_thanks_end post_thanks_function_thanked_already_start post_thanks_function_thanked_already_end post_groan_function_post_groan_off_start post_groan_function_post_groan_off_end post_groan_function_fetch_groans_start post_groan_function_fetch_groans_end post_groan_function_groaned_already_start post_groan_function_groaned_already_end reputation_image bbcode_parse_start postbit_imicons bbcode_parse_complete_precache bbcode_parse_complete postbit_display_complete error_fetch tag_fetchbit_complete forumrules showthread_bookmarkbit navbits navbits_complete showthread_complete
Messages: