The brand had been promoting its shelf-stable canned milk since the early 1900s, but by the 1950s, Carnation’s Home Service directors were publishing recipe columns in magazines like Woman’s Day — making evaporated milk feel like the practical, budget-friendly choice for everyday kitchens.
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The June 1955 column featured here comes from Mary Blake, Carnation’s Home Service Director, who pitched her recipes as both economical and approachable.
The recipes in this collection show how versatile the canned product could be. The standout is the Tropical Freeze — an orange ice cream-style dessert made with frozen orange juice concentrate and whipped Carnation, clocking in at just 17 cents per quart.
There’s also a 3-Minute Cheese Sauce that skips the flour-and-butter roux entirely, relying on evaporated milk’s natural richness to get a smooth, ready result in minutes.
A few cooking tips round things out, including a handy trick for using pudding mixes with a 50/50 blend of evaporated milk and water for better flavor.
How to be a better cook …and save money, too!
By Mary Blake, Carnation Home Service Director – 1955
Ever discover a recipe so different you can hardly wait to tell your friends about it? Today, I have just that kind of recipe for you — a delicious and entirely new dessert I call “Tropical Freeze.”
It’s just as cool and refreshing as ice cream, yet costs only 17¢ a quart. Imagine! And it’s so easy to make with frozen orange juice and whipped Carnation Evaporated Milk.
Carnation Tropical Freeze
1-2/3 cups (large can) undiluted Carnation Evaporated Milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1 6-oz can frozen orange juice concentrate
Chill Carnation in refrigerator tray until soft crystals form around edges of tray. Whip until stiff (about 1 minute). Add lemon juice and continue whipping until very stiff (about 2 minutes longer).
Combine whipped Carnation with sugar and softened frozen orange concentrate. Freeze in 2 small refrigerator trays until firm (1-2 hours).
Makes 2 quarts
Carnation 3-minute Cheese Sauce
With fresh garden vegetables so plentiful, now is the time to try them with my “3-Minute Cheese Sauce.” Yes, just 3 minutes when you make it with Carnation. Because of Carnation’s double-richness, there’s no need for flour and shortening. And because this is the better-blending milk, your sauce turns out smooth as can be in just 3 minutes!
(Makes about 2 cups)
1 2/3 cups (large can) undiluted Carnation Evaporated Milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 oz) grated process-type American cheese
Simmer Carnation and salt in saucepan over low heat to just below boiling (about 2 minutes). Add cheese; continue heating until cheese melts (about 1 minute longer). Serve over cooked, well-drained fresh vegetables, such as asparagus, green beans or broccoli.
Cooking tips and tricks
- Use frozen orange juice cans for chilling cookie dough. Cut open other end and push down for easy slicing!
- Packaged regular and instant puddings make a quick, easy dessert for hot summer days. And they are especially good when you make them with Carnation. So next time it’s “pudding night” in your home, use a mixture of 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 cup water instead of the milk specified on the package. What a difference it makes!
Vintage 1950s strawberry shortcake with evaporated milk recipe
