🧪 Water
~87% of milk.
Water is the main part of milk. Whole cow's milk is about 87–88% water: roughly 87.8 g per 100 g. Everything else is “dry matter”: fat, proteins, lactose (milk sugar), minerals and vitamins. They are dissolved in the water or float in it as tiny droplets and particles.
Milk needs water so that it is liquid and easy for the young animal to drink. Lactose and many minerals are dissolved in it. The protein casein and the fat droplets stay suspended in the water, which is why milk is cloudy and white. The amount of water in milk differs between animals. According to the FAO, yak milk is about 83% water and donkey milk about 91%. The less water, the thicker and more filling the milk.
Milk or water? Milk pours like water, but only about 87–88% of it is water; the rest is fat, proteins, lactose and minerals. That is why milk is white and cloudy while water is clear. Compared with condensed milk and milk powder, ordinary milk holds the most water, because part or nearly all of it has been removed from the other two. Cheese and cottage cheese form when a lot of water leaves with the whey. Watering milk down is not allowed.
On the shelf, read the product name: “milk”, “condensed milk” and “milk powder” are different products with different water content. The ingredients of plain milk should list milk only. Milk powder is sold in bags and tins, condensed milk in tins or tubes. You find them in supermarkets, at the dairy aisle or the baking shelf, while fresh milk usually sits in the chiller cabinet.
Removing water is the basis of many dairy products. Boil off part of the water and you get condensed milk. Remove almost all of it and you get milk powder. Milk powder keeps for a long time because germs need water to grow. Cheese and cottage cheese are also made when a lot of water leaves the milk along with the whey. But adding water to milk is not allowed: that is fraud.
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Frequently asked questions
How much water is in milk?
Whole cow's milk is about 87–88% water, roughly 87.8 g per 100 g. The rest is dry matter: fat, proteins, lactose, minerals and vitamins.
Is it true that milk is mostly water?
Mostly, yes: more than 87% of it. But milk is white and cloudy because the protein casein and tiny fat droplets stay suspended in the water.
Is it okay to add water to milk?
No. Adding water to milk is not allowed: it is fraud.
Which milk has the most water and which the least?
According to the FAO, yak milk is about 83% water and donkey milk about 91%. The less water, the thicker and more filling the milk.
Why does milk powder keep so long?
Almost all the water has been removed. Germs need water to grow, so the powder keeps for a long time. Boil off only part of the water and you get condensed milk.
What to read next
- 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Scotch from a single distillery: only malted barley, water and yeast, distilled in pot stills; at least 3 years in oak, 40% ABV (80 proof in the US) or more. Not the same as single cask.
- 🥃 Scotch Whisky — Scotch whisky is whisky distilled and matured in Scotland from water and malted barley (plus whole grains of other cereals), at least 3 years in oak, bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more. EU-protected since 1989.
- 🧀 Cheddar — A hard aged cow's milk cheese from Somerset; the word is free to use, but West Country Farmhouse Cheddar and Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar are protected.
- 🥃 Glenfiddich — Single malt Scotch from Dufftown in Speyside, founded by William Grant in 1886 and still owned by the family firm William Grant & Sons. The flagship 12-year-old is 40% ABV, matured in American and European oak.
- 🥛 Cream — The fat-rich part of milk, at least 10% fat under the Codex: coffee cream at 10–18%, whipping cream at 35–40%.
Similar
🧪 Milk fat · 🧪 Lactose · 🧪 Casein · 🦴 Calcium · 🧪 Vitamin B12 · 🧪 Vitamin A