Fresh milk questions

[Bee_Rain]

I recently found a supplier for fresh, hormone-free milk in my area. The problem is, we don't really like it. Its not pasturized or homonogized and its really heavy. My questions are; how can I seperate the cream from the milk? Do i let it sit in its container (he uses regular milk jugs) in the fridge or room temperature? How long is it good for after it seperates? can I make butter out of the cream without a butter churner?

Any other advice you can give me about recipes or tips for storing/using this milk would be greatly appreciated! I would love to be able to use this milk on a regular basis. Just knowing the milk is organic is worth any extra work it will take to get it to drinking standards.

Thanks all!

[Up North]

I would not let the milk sit out at room temperature. Bacterial growth is exponential.
I would pour the milk into a wide mouth one gallon glass jar. Put in refrigerator overnight. In the morning the cream line will be clearly visible. Then use a stainless steel dipper to dip cream off the top for your uses.
Stir remaining milk and drink. We did this when I was a child whenever we wanted to make homemade ice cream. Which was pretty often
Perhaps the whole milk is just different than what you are used to?

[Bee_Rain]

Thanks for the info. Does it have to be a glass container?

[Up North]

Originally Posted by Bee_Rain

Thanks for the info. Does it have to be a glass container?

No - but it's easier to see the cream line!

[celticfarmgal]

just to be on the safe side I would pastureize it myself ( bring temp up to 180 degrees count fifteen seconds remove from heat pour into a new pan and chill quickly) I use frozen 2 liter bottles( fill with water and freeze solid) ya just set them in the pan of milk and set the whole thing in the fridge or better yet the freezer( as long as ya don't forget it) then repackage in a clean container ( ya can ust the original just rinse with a little bleach added to the water and then rinse really well

[Teacupliz]

Fresh milk is the best. I feel the same way about cow milk being heavey- aftr a day inthe fridge I pull what cream off I can and make butter. If you have one of those jars with the spiket on the bottom you can get the milk out from the bottom with out all that cream- Liz

[JHinCA]

Originally Posted by Bee_Rain

Thanks for the info. Does it have to be a glass container?

I feel like glass gets cleaner than plastic, so I never put milk in plastic.

Jean

[wstevenl]

I would see if you can get your farmer to put the milk in 1/2 gallon glass jars. They are easy enough to handle and store in the fridge, easy to clean, you can see the cream line on the side, etc. The opening is just big enough for me to use a 1/3c or 1/4c measuring cup to dip out the cream. I submerge the measuring cup in the milk and let the cream flow over the top of it until it is full. It's much easier than trying to actually skim it off the top. That way you get a full measuring cup with each dip.

Also, as long as the cows are healthy, the milk is chilled down after milking, and there isn't some outside contaminant in the milk after it's milked, drinking it raw is better. There are alot of enzymes and such that are good for you and nearly all of them are killed at 160-165 degrees much less 180. I'm guessing that 180degrees would be considered Ultra Pasteurized. We get raw organic milk from a local small farm and it's great. We're also starting to milk our Dexter cow this week. If our milk was pasteurized I'd just assume buy it in the store.

Quote from realmilk .com "Pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamins C, B12 and B6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children, osteoporosis, arthritis, heart disease and cancer."

[michiganfarmer]

Originally Posted by Up North

I would not let the milk sit out at room temperature. Bacterial growth is exponential.
I would pour the milk into a wide mouth one gallon glass jar. Put in refrigerator overnight. In the morning the cream line will be clearly visible. Then use a stainless steel dipper to dip cream off the top for your uses.
Stir remaining milk and drink. We did this when I was a child whenever we wanted to make homemade ice cream. Which was pretty often
Perhaps the whole milk is just different than what you are used to?

that's what I do.

The skim milk is wonderfull

[cjb]

We sell raw milk and drink it ourselves. The taste is too strong and its too thick if you leave all the cream in it, although we do that for our baby so he'll continue to be such a fat little lump

Milk doesn't taste right to me unless its in glass but I'm picky that way. Separate, skim or pour off most of the cream and shake the rest. Also make sure that the milk is really cold.

You might ask the farmer what he's feeding his cow, as well. If she's pastured, the pasture may have weeds in it that make her milk stronger. Once in awhile, this happens with ours and the milk can taste almost like grass. Most of the time, its awesome.

I also wouldn't pasturize but I would want to know the farmer's sanitation methods. We're ultra picky so I feel fine about drinking the milk raw.

[Maria]

You can make butter just by shaking it in a quart jar if you want to. I've also done it by just putting the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer and letting it mix slowly.

[wstevenl]

what works great for us is using a stand mixer and starting with the wire whisks. It takes longer if the cream is cold but will still work. So, let the milk sit out for a while until it's not so cold and then whisk it in the stand mixer until you have watery buttermilk and butter starting to separate. Pour off the buttermilk and rinse with cold water as needed until the butter starts to stick in the whisk too much. Then use a bigger easier to clean attachment like the dough kneading "fingers" to mix and knead the butter. I like these attachments because they actually massage the butter to push out left over buttermilk. Keep rinsing until the water is clean and you're done!
:-)

[Bee_Rain]

thanks for all the information. I don't have a standing mixer so I'm shaking the cream in a quart jar. Good thing I have strong healthy boys to help with this throughout the day.

How long does the milk last in the fridge?

[tailwagging]

Originally Posted by Teacupliz

If you have one of those jars with the spiket on the bottom you can get the milk out from the bottom with out all that cream- Liz

OH HAPPY DAY!
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS!!!

[cjb]

Our fresh cow's milk tastes best for 4-5 days but is still fine for close to 10. I just prefer it in the first 4-5. Raw milks doesn't get rotten, it sours and can be used for cooking, feeding to pets, your husband etc.

[Bee_Rain]

Originally Posted by cjb

Raw milks doesn't get rotten, it sours and can be used for cooking, feeding to pets, your husband etc.

Lol, good idea.

After experimenting tonight...shaking the cream in a quart jar going on three hours, no visible changes yet...and trying to whip some cream into "whipped cream" for almost 30 minutes and no luck, I'm thinking I'm doing something wrong or its the milk itself. Isn't the cream that you skim off the top heavy cream?

Sorry for the ignorance. I'm a chicken farmer who knows nothing about milk cows.

[ozark_jewels]

Originally Posted by Bee_Rain

Lol, good idea.

After experimenting tonight...shaking the cream in a quart jar going on three hours, no visible changes yet...and trying to whip some cream into "whipped cream" for almost 30 minutes and no luck, I'm thinking I'm doing something wrong or its the milk itself. Isn't the cream that you skim off the top heavy cream?

Sorry for the ignorance. I'm a chicken farmer who knows nothing about milk cows.

Did you let the cream warm to room temperature before you started shaking?

[Teacupliz]

LOL- I know a lady who has been amking butter for 50 years at times it just does not come out. But the only way it works for me is to put in canning jar about 3/4 full. Let stand at room temp. for 12 hours then shake shake shake- about 30 minutes later all of a sudden boom you got butter- take cold water and rinse rinse rinse the butter milk off or your butter will taste sour.
Liz

[wstevenl]

if you started cold, or if there is too much milk in the butter it will just take longer, even with a mixer... just keep it going and it will come out.
My wife tried making butter without me and it was just whipped cream, I let it sit until it wasn't so cold and let it mix for 20 or 30 mins more and we got great yellow butter.

[Bee_Rain]

You all just solved my problem...I was shaking the jar while it was cold. for some reason, I thought it worked better when chilled. silly me.:P

Thanks, I'll go take my jar out of the fridge now and try it again.

Thanks for letting me know about rinsing the butter liz, I didn't know that. I probably would have thought the butter was spoiled and threw it away!