Chemistry of Lactose Free Milk

[WhateverYouWant]

So my grocery delivery today (yes the local Safeway now does pickup and delivery in our small town) substituted my 2% milk with lactose free 2% milk.

Question is: is there something I should be aware of using this for sauces (bechamel, etc.) and/or baking as opposed to regular 2% milk?

TIA,

-SiP

 

[Andy M.]

A quick google search reveals that there is no difference in baking between the two milks.

 

[WhateverYouWant]

Geez, I should have thought of that.

Thanks.

 

[Andy M.]

Geez, I should have thought of that.

Thanks.

Not a big deal. I wanted to know the answer too.

 

[dragnlaw]

I use lactose free milk. No difference. Biggest difference is if you are drinking a glass of milk you will notice maybe a slight difference in taste.

I don't drink milk per se but I do have it on dry cereal. The first couple of times I used it I noticed the difference... umm ... maybe slightly sweeter? but not really?... don't know how to describe it. But after that - never noticed a difference.

I just appreciate not getting a belly ache, even with my coffee.

 

[pepperhead212]

Lactose free milk is ultra pasteurized, like most heavy cream, at a higher temperature than regular milk. I used to use it sometimes at my mom's house, and never noticed any difference in dishes, but it has a slightly different flavor, side by side, so maybe someone who drinks milk may have a preference. But it's not something that comes through in something like a bechamel, since that is cooked.

And an advantage to the treatment is that the LF milk keeps fresh for longer.

 

[taxlady]

Lactose free milk is ultra pasteurized, like most heavy cream, at a higher temperature than regular milk. I used to use it sometimes at my mom's house, and never noticed any difference in dishes, but it has a slightly different flavor, side by side, so maybe someone who drinks milk may have a preference. But it's not something that comes through in something like a bechamel, since that is cooked.

And an advantage to the treatment is that the LF milk keeps fresh for longer.

Isn't that just the ultra pasteurization? I don't buy lactose free milk, but some of the milk and cream I get is ultra pasteurized and that does last noticeably longer. So does fine filtered milk, which works better than ultra pasteurized, when you are fermenting the milk.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Lactose free milk is regular cow's milk that has gad an enzyme called lactase added to it. Lactase is a naturally occurring enzyme produced by the body, and allows people to digest lactose. For those who are lactose intolerant, The added lactase in the milk allows them to process the milk without digestive issues.

Lactase breaks down lactose into the simple sugars glucose, and galactose. Both of these sugars taste sweeter on the tongue than lactose, making the lactose free milk taste slightly sweeter. No other milk nutrients are affected by the lactase, only the breakdown of the lactose.

Cooking with lactose free milk is the same s cooking with regular milk.
Ultra-pasteurization, and ultra-filtration are not required to make lactose-free milk

Hope this helps,

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GotGarlic]

Lactose free milk is ultra pasteurized, like most heavy cream, at a higher temperature than regular milk. I used to use it sometimes at my mom's house, and never noticed any difference in dishes, but it has a slightly different flavor, side by side, so maybe someone who drinks milk may have a preference. But it's not something that comes through in something like a bechamel, since that is cooked.

And an advantage to the treatment is that the LF milk keeps fresh for longer.

Ultra high pasteurization causes a mild Maillard reaction, which slightly cooks the milk solids, making the milk a bit sweeter. Other than that, it doesn't change the chemistry, so it should work the same way in cooking.

 

[cookwewill]

My wife has a mild lactose intolerance so I'm using lactose free milk and cream pretty often when cooking. Didn't notice any difference to be honest. Lactose free milk is just a bit sweeter but the difference is not that big to be noticeable in a finished dish.

 

[bakechef]

If you went from regular paper carton milk to lactose free in the paper carton, you likely won't notice a taste difference since they are both most often ultra pasteurized. Go from jug to carton and you'll notice a slight difference.