Fresh, Delicious, Raw Milk

    Check out my links at the bottom to some great dairy related products!

     My Experience With Milk 

     I've never liked milk.  My parents decided when I was born to give me soy milk instead of cow's milk.  They read about the health benefits of soy and the potential dangers of cow's milk.  So growing up I never liked the taste of cows milk because I wasn't used to it.  

     Then about six months ago I began working on a dairy farm milking cows.  I learned all about the dairy industry including cow living conditions, the process of milking, all the safety precautions farmers are required to do, when and how cows are bred, what they eat, all sorts of things that I was always a little curious about but never took the time to learn.  I decided to taste some whole milk from the store.  It wasn't bad actually, I would have a bowl of cereal with it (unlike reduced fat, skim or 2%.  Yuck.)

     I knew whole milk was the closest thing to fresh milk at the store, but I wanted to see if I could tell a difference between that and fresh, raw milk.  So I asked to try some straight out of the tank at the farm They were enthusiastic about it and said I could take some anytime I want!  So I brought a glass jar to work with me and filled it up and brought it home.  This milk.  Was delicious!  I had a small glass of it and offered it to my parents to try as well.  They also enjoyed it.  My mom even had a bowl of cereal for the first time in months!

     So why does fresh raw milk taste so good? Because of the butter fat!  Before milk is bottled and put on the shelves the butter fat, or cream, is taken out to make other dairy products such as cream, butter, ice cream, etc.   All this goodness is still in the milk when you get it fresh from the farm.

     Is fresh milk safe?  Pasteurization became the standard procedure in the 1920's when animals had poor living conditions and milk production practices were not very clean.  But with today's health codes, stainless steel tanks, milking machines, refrigerated trucks and thorough inspections at every farm, pasteurization has become irrelevant.   

     There are actually so many health benefits to unpasteurized milk.  The intense heat of the pasteurization process destroys enzymes, decreases vitamin content, promotes harmful pathogens and tooth decay, and causes many allergies.  Raw milk has natural antibodies that prevent pathogenic bacteria, and has beneficial enzymes and amino acids.  The rich butter fat contains fatty acids which protect against disease and promote a healthy immune system.  Kids who drink raw milk have a better resistance to developing allergies and asthma, grow better bone structure, have stronger teeth and are more resistant to disease!  Raw milk even promotes better fertility!

     

     After doing my research on raw milk, that is the only milk I will have in my house, and someday when I have kids, I will give them raw milk as well.  

     Next I want to try to make butter out of the cream that separates in the top of my milk!

I found some really cool quart size glass milk jars that would look so cute sitting in your fridge with fresh milk in them!  They are very similar to the one that I use which is pictured above.

Glass Milk Bottles - USA Made


And some really cute "DAIRY" drinking glasses with a cow on the front that come with reusable straws!  Perfect to serve milk in or any other drink.

Circleware Dairy Cow Design Glass Milk Bottles


Ok this cow mug is adorable.  And the description is hilarious! "The Udderly Cow Mug is the perfect way to get your day moo-ving with a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate."
This mug would make a great gift for anyone who enjoys cows, farming, or animals in general!

Udderly Cow Mug

A couple sources I found helpful information are...
huffingtonpost.com
realmilk.com