Raw Milk - Page 2

Lucky you, wish I could get some raw milk. I'd love to make cheese, but the watered down nonsense we buy at the shops doesn't even taste like milk anymore. Don't know if it's worth the bother. I used to work at a dairy farm and I miss the warm, creamy milk I literally had on tap there.

This! My husband was raised on raw milk (they had milk goats) and their family never had any issues with it. I think it raw milk is a lot healthier than the pasteurized stuff. We plan to buy a milk cow soon and will be raising our kids on raw milk. I'd like to learn to make my own butter and yogurt too!

One comes from a goat?  LOL  Actually, Goat milk is higher in protein, but lower in fat.  You can't get all the cream from goats milk to rise to the top, unlike cows milk.  Goat milk costs less per gallon to produce, and the fat is in smaller globules, which makes it easier to digest.  Both can be used to drink, eat, and make cheese, but goat milk will not make yellow cheese, unless you add colorent, or carrot juice to it.

I'm an encyclopedia of useless information.

 

Raw milk can contain pathogens which can make you ill.  Now, if you have a healthy anaimal, say bought young and bottle raised, and never with other animals, your chances of illness are less.  However, many diesease have historically been spread via raw milk.

 

Pasturizing milk eleminates pathogens only.  You can still make cheese and butter with it easily.  I do all the time.  Its when it homogenized (mixed togather with other milks, and the fat broken up into tiny pieces-like goat milk is naturally) that it is harder to cause the whey to seperate, thus making cheese making more difficult, but not impossible.

 

I have had both goats and cows, milked a lot, and I make cheese all the time.  I also studied biology at ESU.  I would recommend strongly pateurizing milk for the safety of children and the elderly most especially.  BUT, if you know your animal is safe (consult a vet for testing), AND you use safe milk handling procedures (wash and rinse udder before and after milking - and wash your hands too - strain milk - cool over ice or in freezor QUICKLY - sterilize your collection vessel - your chances of milk born illness are less, but there is no guarantee without pasteruization.    (Thank You Louie Pasteur for your work in this area)

 

Antoine Bechamp was also a French chemist and biologist (among other excellent credentials) who disagreed with Louis Pasteur's "germ theory".

I have been drinking raw milk for years and make all kinds of cultured foods with it. I see you live in Missouri, a state that allows the purchase of raw milk. My suggestion to you would be to find a farmer that sells it in your area, request to visit their farm, and ask for a tour. Ask lots of questions about what their cows eat, how they milk them, what precautions they take, do they test their milk, and so forth.

You can find a farmer near you by going to www.realmilk.com . The farmers who advertise on this website are typically going to be a reputable source you can feel confident with, but it's best to always visit their farm to be sure!
Edited by Luvmykiddos - 3/17/12 at 3:27pm

If I can get my hands on raw milk, I drink it.  We used to milk our own dairy cow and before that we had dairy goats.  We now have goats again but are waiting for one to kid so that we can have delicious raw milk again.

Any food handled poorly can be dangerous. More people have died drinking pasteurized milk than raw in the last 20 years. Pasteurization has not made milk 100% safe. In fact, raw dairy has only been associated with two deaths in recent history - both from cheese, not milk. As far as foodborne illness goes, raw dairy is responsible for only about .006% of the estimated 48 million people who get a foodborne illness each year. Make sure you get it from a reputable source, handle it properly, and your chances of getting sick are very low. But just like any other fresh food, there's always a chance for illness.

My son is one of those people who can't drink pasteurized milk but can drink raw. Our whole family loves it! I just did a 10 day raw milk fast, and I felt so awesome!

We have dairy goats and I love it. I wouldnt buy that crap they sell in stores ever again. It is legal to sell in SC with a permit,,,so if anybodys looking,,I sell it for $4  1/2 gallon. Raw milk is a lot better for you plus you live longer too!!