# skim milk + 2% milk = 1% milk ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068 "2002-06-26T17:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![knock\_knock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/22d042/32.png) [@knock\_knock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/knock_knock)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/1 "2002-06-26T17:30:33Z")
Is the only difference between milks the fat content? Could I mix skim milk and whole milk in proper proportion and come up with something that was identical to 2% milk? This isn’t just a theoretical question - I’ve tried to mix 2% milk when there wasn’t any available, and it didn’t come out tasting like 2% milk. Was the problem just the proportions, or is there more going on? ---
**Author:** ![kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/2 "2002-06-26T17:49:47Z")
Yes, the only difference is the fat content. Skim Milk contains 0.5% milk fat or less. Whole Milk contains 3% milk fat. Incomplete mixing might have been the cause for the taste difference. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/3 "2002-06-26T18:06:52Z")
Hopefully my math is correct. Follow me here: If 1 cup of 2% milk has 5 grams of fat and 1 cup of skim milk has 0 grams of fat, then one cup of 2% milk plus one cup of skim milk has 5 grams of fat. If one cup of 1% milk has 2.5 grams of fat, then two cups of 1% milk have 5 grams of fat. Now, assuming my grams of fat per cup of milk are correct, it seems to me that equal portions of skim and 2% milk have the same fat content of the same amount of 1% skim milk. According to my formula, 4 ounces of 2% milk has 2.5 grams of fat and 4 ounces of skim milk has 0 grams of fat so one 4 ounces of 2% milk plus 4 ounces of skim milk has 2.5 grams of fat. That’s the same as the grams of fat in one cup of 1% milk. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/4 "2002-06-26T18:26:36Z")
Milk isn’t just water, fat and lactose. In order to keep the milk products from seperating, emulsifiers are often used, and the choice of emulsifier may be slightly different in skim and whole milk. Mixing the different emulsifiers may reduce their effectiveness and this could contribute to the odd taste. If you went all out and used a blender to mix the milk and then drank it right away, it might be okay, but doing an incomplete mix and then letting the result sit around for a while just invites seperation and inconsistancy. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/5 "2002-06-26T18:39:56Z")
Good lord, my answer had nothing at all to do with the OP. Please forgive me. Kirk, I always thought the percentage was the percentage of butter fat in milk. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/6 "2002-06-26T21:22:38Z")
I agree that the difference lies in homogenization. Thanks to the great work of Mr. Homogen (yuk yuk, family joke) the fat is evenly distributed througout milk. Without homogenization, the cream rises to the top. When you mix skim and 2%, the fat is not evenly distributed throughout the liquid (the fattier part is probably on top). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/7 "2002-06-26T21:29:24Z")
Actually, I regularly mix whole milk with reconstituted nonfat dry milk. I agree, the secret’s in the mixing, and I mix them in a little less than a 1:1 ratio. The kunilou kids, strapping teenagers who drink a lot of milk, don’t find the taste objectionable. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skim-milk-2-milk-1-milk/116068/8 "2002-06-27T01:21:28Z")
JuanitaTech–“If 1 cup of 2% milk has 5 grams of fat and 1 cup of skim milk has 0 grams of fat, then one cup of 2% milk plus one cup of skim milk has 5 grams of fat.” Yeah --if you measure two cups, the five grams are still there, but the one cup should be diluted by a factor of two. Five grams total fat in one volume plus 0 fat in an equal volume equals five grams in two cups. One cup should have half that amount of fat–right? Notice you are in Baltimore, I used to live there., the Med school maybe?