Today, I tried making some shelf stable pudding. It’s actually not as hard as you might think.
First, I grabbed some stuff I already had at home like flour, eggs, and butter. I mixed them all together, and I guess this is what the old-timey cooks called “pudding” back in the day. It turned out pretty thick, more like a solid block than the creamy stuff we’re used to.
Then I remembered reading somewhere that the pudding we know now used to be a kind of soupy thing called “pottage.” It had raisins, spices, wine, and was thickened with breadcrumbs. Sometimes, it even had meat in it, which is kinda weird to think about now.
So, I tried a different approach. I made a simple custard with milk, sugar, and eggs. I cooked it slowly on the stove, stirring it the whole time so it wouldn’t get lumpy. This is a lot closer to the pudding I’m used to having.
- Get a big pot and put it on the stove.
- Pour in milk, and add sugar, stirring until it’s all mixed in.
- Crack some eggs into a bowl and whisk them up.
- Slowly pour the eggs into the milk and sugar, stirring non-stop so the eggs don’t cook too fast and get chunky.
- Keep stirring until the mixture gets thicker. This might take a while, so be patient.
After it was done, I poured it into little cups. I noticed that those Snack Pack puddings don’t need to be refrigerated, I always wondered how they did that. I read up a bit, and apparently, it’s all about how it’s processed and packaged. But my homemade pudding definitely needs to go in the fridge, since I used fresh milk and eggs.
I let the pudding cool down a bit, then put it in the fridge. A couple of hours later, I took one out to try. It was pretty good, not too sweet, and had a nice creamy texture. It did form a little skin on top while it was in the fridge, I guess I could try covering it next time to prevent that.
Overall, it was a fun experiment. I got to learn a bit about the history of pudding and tried making a few different types. Homemade pudding might take a bit more effort than just buying it from the store, but it’s definitely worth it. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into it, which is always a good thing. My family loved it, so I’ll probably be making this again soon.
Next time, I might try adding some different flavors, like chocolate or vanilla. I’m also curious about those baked or steamed puddings, maybe I’ll give those a shot sometime. It’s cool how such a simple dessert can have so many variations and such a long history.
So, if you’re looking for a fun cooking project, give homemade pudding a try. It’s a good way to spend an afternoon, and you get a tasty treat out of it, too!
