Locally made condensed milk a first in the region
One of the things I pride myself on most is keeping on top of what’s new and exciting in Atlantic Canada; whenever possible I will purchase and support businesses that have their roots here at home.
So I was a bit chagrined to find out that I was late coming to the table with Dairy Isles Sweetened Condensed Milk. Now, I have known for the past three or four years that it exists but was not on top of it when it was new, I’m also shocked that when we use the product in demonstrations, just how many other people out there do not know it is available. And unlike some products made in Atlantic Canada, Dairy Isle Sweetened Condensed Milk is available across Canada at Walmart stores. In addition to their regular sweetened condensed milk, they also sell a light version and a delightful Dulce de Leche version.
If you have not yet been acquainted with the Dairy Isle brand, perhaps you may be more familiar with their parent brand Prince Edward Island’s Amalgamated Dairy Limited, otherwise known as ADL. Dairy Isle was created in 2016, when ADL began marketing their products outside of PEI.
While the Dairy Isle brand is still a youngster, ADL goes all the way back to 1953. The company produces milk, (sold on the island only) butter and cheese, and what I absolutely love about Dairy Isle is that it’s 100 per cent local farmer owned—the milk is supplied from 157 local dairy farmers.
Dairy Isle produces its sweetened condensed milk in a production facility located in the Island’s capital. Charlottetown. This facility has been processing dairy products since 1920—however, it was known by different names throughout its history. Dairy processing has been ongoing at this facility for more than a century, a real accomplishment these days.
Dairy Isle is distinct in that it is one of the few remaining dairy canning operations in Canada; in addition to the sweetened condensed milk they also process and can evaporated milk. On a side note there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned cup of Cape Breton tea—made by continuously adding water to the morning’s tea bags—with evaporated milk!
Today Dairy Isle operates with 30 staff members, some of them multi-generational employees.
So what sets Dairy Isle apart from its big-name competitors? First and foremost, when you choose Dairy Isle you are not supporting a large corporation, you are supporting the farmers producing the milk. Rather than adding your hard-earned dollars to the already bulging profit margin of a national or international company, you are sending someone’s kid to hockey camp; you’re paying for dance lessons; and you’re ensuring that farming on Prince Edward Island remains a viable industry.But if that isn’t enough to sway you, consider that Dairy Isle evaporated and sweetened condensed milk products are fresher than their competitors.
We all know that Prince Edward Island is not large in land mass, therefore the farmers who produce the milk that goes into the products that end up on your shelf, lives no more than 30 minutes away from the processing facility (Does anyone else have “There was an old woman who swallowed a fly” stuck on auto-loop now?) that fresh, wholesome milk spends considerably less time sitting on a transport truck, therefore when it arrives at the canning facility, it is still exceptionally fresh.
Canadian farmers must adhere to extremely strict quality standards—some of the strictest in the world. Our farmers here in Canada have developed and abide by 82 requirements for milk quality and food safety; they are not allowed to include any preservatives, artificial hormones or trace antibiotics.
Rising food costs, the pandemic, and a wider knowledge base have all made us hyper aware of what we are buying, how we are spending our money and what we are putting into our bodies.
If you’re going to spend money on a product, make sure that you are buying the best on the market, for the well-being of your family AND that of a farmer’s family.
Dairy isle maple caramel sauce