Homemade Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk

Don't want the stuff that comes in a can? Me either.

Homemade Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk
(Makes approximately 16 oz or 2 cups)

1 quart (4 cups) organic milk (use whole milk for best results)
1 3/4 cups organic granulated sugar

In a heavy-bottomed pot, bring the milk and the sugar to a boil over medium heat.

Turn the heat down to low and let the milk mixture simmer, very gently, for two hours (yeah, I know ...). The mixture should be barely simmering and never bubbling at any point. You should give it a stir and scrape the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes or so to keep the milk from forming the "skin" on top and to keep the bottom from burning or developing the ugly brown bits. (Tip: a sturdy, heat-proof spatula comes in handy here.)

After 2 hours, remove the pot from heat, cover the pot with a kitchen towel (not the lid) and let the milk cool. The mixture will thicken further after it has cooled.

Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

When refrigerated, homemade sweetened condensed milk has thicker consistency than its commercial counterpart. It can be thinned out by an addition of a few drops of water and some light whisking.