When you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk, the dish will be much sweeter and also thicker.
The dish will be much sweeter and thicker when you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk because the condensed milk has significant sugar and also a syrupy texture.
And the evaporated milk is unsweetened and just concentrated milk, which usually ruins dishes that are savory, like soups, but it can work okay in desserts if you also drastically cut other sugars and adjust the consistency, although the flavor and the texture will also be different.
Savory dishes like soups and casseroles will become overly sweet and inedible when you use sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk.
And for baking and desserts like coffee, cookies and pies it will add intense sweetness and richness, but you must also reduce the other sweeteners and may need extra liquid to thin it out, which changes the final result.
Evaporated milk is also not the same as condensed milk for caramel although you can make the evaporated milk into sweetened condensed milk, but it's easier and faster to just used sweetened condensed milk that is already made.
Evaporated milk is unsweetened and requires sugar to be added to become caramel, which results in a different flavor and texture and requires more cooking.
Condensed milk is sweetened and has added sugar, which makes the condensed milk thick and sweet for making caramel which is also known as dulce de leche.
Sweetened condensed milk makes rich and easy caramel, simply by heating it up, and evaporated milk requires added sugar and butter to create caramel, which is a process that takes longer.
When making caramel with condensed milk you boil the condensed milk for 2.5 hours to 3 hours.
To make caramel by boiling the condensed milk, simmer an unopened can of condensed milk submerged in some water for 2.5 hours to 3 hours.
While simmering the unopened can of condensed milk for the 2.5 hours to 3 hours, ensure that the unopened can of condensed milk remains covered by at least 2 inches of water.
Then when done simmering the condensed milk, allow the can of condensed milk to cook completely ore you open the can of condensed milk to avoid burning yourself the hot caramel as it can splatter when hot.
You can also cook the condensed milk in a pot on the stove for around 30 minutes to 40 minutes, while also stirring the condensed milk constantly.
Or you can also cook the condensed milk into caramel in the oven at 425 F for around 90 minutes.
Although the canned method of cooking or boiling the condensed milk into caramel is the classic and hands off approach and easiest method and fastest method.
To simmer the can of condensed milk to make caramel, remove the label from the can of condensed milk, then place the unopened can of condensed milk into a large pot, ensuring that the can of condensed milk is fully submerged.
Then bring the water to a boil, and reduce the water to a simmer once boiling and cook the condensed milk in the unopened can for 2.5 hours to 3 hours, adding hot water as you need too to keep the can of condensed milk covered.
Then carefully remove the can of condensed milk using some tongs and let the can of condensed milk cool down completely to room temperature before you open it.