home dairy

[breezyhill]

hello

we don't have goats or a milk cow, yet, but we purchase raw cow and goats milk from "undisclosed" locations... ...and it's taken about two years, but we've managed to learn how to make butter, yogurt, cream cheese, cottage cheese, hard cheese...just about anything that you buy at the market, that's dairy.

anyway, looking for other's experience with this, the trial and error stories. also, anyone who would like information on how to get started I would be glad to share what we've learned.

by the way, as a starter, raw milk is so much better for you than pasturized. did you know that the enzymes in raw milk go after and neurtalize the cholesterol in your bloodstream; it's the body's way of naturally keeping cholesterol down. there's been studies that when pasturization was invented, in the 20's I think, that it wasn't too long that people's cholesterol went through the roof.

bye

 

[Deena in GA]

Oohhh...I envy you! We've been looking for years for someone to buy unpasteurized milk from. A couple of friends have or are about to finally move onto a piece of land where they can have cattle. I'm hoping they will eventually have milk cows and milk to share. We've been talking about it for some time now and there are several of us who would really like a source for that milk.

 

[rafter]

I'm interested in getting a couple dairy goats in the near future.

Does the milk seperate by itself?

I want them mainly for cheese and butter so need the cream to seperate.

If I need a seperator, how much do they cost?

 

[Gingergirl]

I make a cheddar-like cheese that is almost addictive.

Easy, but must be carefully watched for temp. (Have found the grocery store clip-on thermometer to be as accuate as any.)

Have not found a starter that gives feta a flavor I like.

Nor have I had the courage to try a swiss as I don't really have a receipe.

Also, I'm currently using a powdered whole milk for cheese (found a source in WI) but would love to have raw.

I've read that cheese making and bread making in the same room will cross-contaminate and cause failure. Anyone with experience in this? (I bake alot of bread.)

 

[Freeholdfarm]

Rafter, goat milk does not separate readily like raw cow milk does, so you would probably need a separator. There are several sources for them, but the least expensive good one runs probably around $300. And they have a lot of small parts that need to be cleaned thoroughly after each use.

There's a web site with a listing of places in each state where you can buy raw milk (maybe not every state, but most of them). I think it's called Realmilk.com. You might have to do a search -- also for the Weston A. Price Foundation.

Hope this helps (and once I get my goats going, I'll have milk for sale, if anyone is close enough).

Kathleen

 

[Army Girl]

rafter,

Can you get raw milk at the little dairy around the corner, on M?

They have some cream separators over at Lehmans, I don't know if they would work for goat milk. But they carry a couple of models.

 

[briches]

I have never had goat's milk. What does it taste like (in comparision to cow's)? Am I correct in understanding that to make cheese and butter from it you would need a "separater"?

For that matter, I've never tasted "fresh" unpasteurized cow's milk.

 

[rafter]

I don't know Army Girl. I have never stopped there. They seem like friendly folk, they wave if they are out in the garden working.

I will check at Lemhans, I am planning a head a few months once we are settled.

Right now, you know we are quite busy.