Got Milk?

I was reading the Nickel Ads, not looking for anything in particular when I saw an ad that said: "fresh milk for bummer lambs. Great milk." I knew that there was someone in town with a milk cow and excess milk. I called and sure enough that's what it was. I went over yesterday and bought a gallon (or just short) from the lady on an upturned milk carton who hand-miked into the sterilized 1/2 gal. canning jars I brought to her. The milk costs $8.00/gal and is 12 or 13 miles, round trip.

This is pretzel (the kids got to name her and they figured she's the color of a pretzel). She is a Jersey x Brown Swiss and she will be providing our milk. As part of trying to find more local food sources, I'm going to put pretzel's picture on our fridge.

I've forgotten how old pretzel is, but just a few years old, and has had her first calf - it's a heifer (baby girl cow).

The calf's name is Anne I would love to purchase Anne. We'll have to see. Mr. Greenjeans nearly snorted milk out his nose upon hearing of my latest desire.


I made yogurt last night in the little jars that came with the yogurt maker but since I forgot the vanilla, the kids likely won't want it. I might as well dump all the little jars into the blender and make another yogurt smoothie with fruit.

I think I wait until this afternoon to scoop the cream off the other milk to store for butter.

Pasteurization: Everyone wants to know about pasteurization. There is a big raw milk group out there that has very good reasons for raw milk. The need for pasturization came about due to unclean milking conditions however most folks who have a single dairy cow don't find the need to pasturized, which kills the digestive enzymes. We don't have any medical need for raw milk so I will be doing light pasteurization of the milk in a double boiler at home. Mostly I'll pasturize to save me trouble with the family. They'll be squeemish if I don't pasturize, my parents will hit the roof if I don't, and really there is a slight risk of disease. I won't go to the extreme of ultra high heat pasturization that commercial milk undergoes, however.

After I came home with the milk, I got online and ordered some information about cheese making, and bought glass milk bottles and a dairy thermometer from Leamans Country Store.