Milk Flavor Discussion-how it changes with the seasons

Up North · #1 04/06/10, 02:49 PM

I would like to have a discussion on milk flavor and how it changes with the seasons. I have only drank raw milk my entire life and I have never given much thought to how the flavor changes with the seasons. Of course I know it does but what specifically happens to the flavor? How does it affect butterfat? How does it affect making cheese and other dairy products? I would really appreciate your insights into this.

ozark_jewels · #2 04/06/10, 03:14 PM

Well, the only thing we notice a big change in flavour with cheese is this time of year. The first thing green to start growing thickly is wild garlic and onion. If the cows pasture on a stretch that is thick with those plants, we can smell it in the bulk tank at the next milking. So we make garlic cheese with that milk and it is wonderful.
Other things affect cheese yield, such as where the cow is in her lactation, etc. Later-lactation cows give milk that makes for a higher cheese yield. Spring grazing also gives us higher milk production, but slightly lowered cheese yield.

springvalley · #3 04/06/10, 03:55 PM

I realy don`t notice the change in flavor with my cows, I use to more when we had Holsteins. Don`t know why that would matter, but maybe because the jersey`s are higher butterfat in the milk. Thanks Marc

francismilker · #4 04/08/10, 07:15 PM

The folks that drink my raw milk definitely comment on the different flavors of milk I produce. With the grass greening right now some have noticed a darker color to the cream line on top and have made good comments. During the winter months when the cows are only getting their roughage from hay the milk becomes more bland with a lot less cream on top.

I can certainly say that arrowleaf clover makes my cows' milk the best of all.

ozark_jewels · #5 04/08/10, 07:24 PM

Right now there are all sorts of green things coming up out there, but the weeds come up first and the cows are not picky....as long as it is GREEN. At the moment our cream is a very rich colour and the milk tastes stronger than usual.....hard to describe, not "bad", but certainly very "cowy". Not a fan of it myself.

cjb · #6 04/08/10, 07:35 PM

I wonder if flavor is affected by where the individual cow is in her lactation cycle. Unless I'm imagining it, Violet's milk gets stronger (more cowy) when she is well into the cycle.

francismilker · #7 04/08/10, 11:06 PM

IF...............I could afford it, I'd feed my personal milk cow alfalfa hay and chopped corn with molasses. Over the years I've found that to be the best milk flavor and the most cream on top. I agree Emily, when the cows are browsing for whatever "green" that's coming up it can get pretty cowy/strong flavored. My critters have been standing in so much mud and cow patties this winter they'd be willing to eat anything if it's green!

BTW, my grandma used to say if a cow eats ragweed, garlic, or wild onions you might as well throw the milk to the hogs because it would be too strong to drink and for most cooking projects.

Up North · #8 04/09/10, 01:04 PM

I had one customer bring back her milk last week. She is new to drinking raw milk and has a very sensitive palette. She wanted to know if her milk was still good. The scent and taste had changed. Luckily she brought the milk with her so I could taste and smell. There was nothing wrong with it at all. I had to explain to her that I am changing the cows over from winter feed to spring/summer feed. I can't really explain how the scent of my milk has changed but to me it just has a bit more of a "green" taste to it. It's still tasty to me but just different than their alfalfa hay milk. BTW, ragweed milk is NASTY. You can't even mask the bitter taste with a strong batch of breakfast sausage for biscuits and gravy.

highlandview · #9 04/09/10, 04:05 PM

I've never tasted raw milk and I don't even know where to get it around here. I would love to have a dairy cow for milk, cheese and butter. My mom "had to" drink fresh milk when she was young and she claims she was so happy when they started buying milk from the Piggly Wiggly instead. I'm going to have to hunt some down to try.

mistletoad · #10 04/09/10, 05:51 PM

Today was my first day milking our cows - I had never done it before and they had never been milked! I only got a couple of ounces but they still have their calves on them and it was enough for everyone to have a sip and declare it the best milk they ever tasted.

Sorry, I have no opinion on the changing seasons but I am so excited about this and have to tell everyone! lol

Up North · #11 04/09/10, 08:12 PM

Congratulations mistletoad!

glenn amolenaar · #12 04/10/10, 06:22 AM

The only time we noticed a big difference was spring when wild onions and garlic started.
Other than that we had a couple cows that always had super tasty milk, we milked Holstein, Jersey and cross' to us the best taste came from Jersy/Hol cross.
Glenn

Onthebit · #13 04/11/10, 02:18 PM

I milk dexter s and feed brome and alfalfa with some rolled barley and find the milk tasty and sweet. But when they get out to pasture next week (or so) and start eating that clover it will become even more succulent. Cant wait!

Cat · #14 04/13/10, 01:58 AM

The last time my cow calved I couldn't stomach her milk, literally. I thought I had just gotten out of the raw-milk vibe and it was me. This year her milk started out superb and has now changed to awfulness again. *blech* It didn't occur to me last time that it was our pasture!! The pasture she's in is mostly kochia weeds in which I dumped her bale of alfalfa. Even though the weeds aren't an inch tall yet she's been going to town out there grazing. The only other thing out there that I can see is *#&$& flixweed. Our other pasture is an old stand of brome and a fair dose of cheat grass. I hadn't planned on putting her on that side yet since her bale is in the other field but I'm going to have to do something if her milk doesn't improve!

francismilker · #15 04/16/10, 11:09 AM

I done some reading a few years ago and I'm trying deperately to find the website I was on again to post a link here. The jist of it was flavor of milk versus grass variety input. Basically what I got from it was that while all cows would show a hint of flavor distortion if they got into some bad weeds when a cow's milk got really rank it was due to a rumen inbalance and lack of the right kind of microbials in their stomach. If the acid isn't right, the feed input is spilling over without getting properly digested.

Onthebit · #16 04/16/10, 12:13 PM

Here is some interesting observations: http://www.farminfo.org/dairy/flavor-m.htm

Also while searching I found that 20% ink on newspapers fed to cows at 8-12% of their ration will not affect the taste.