Raw Milk

We live on a dairy farm and I have drunk it all my life- currently cant due to it not agreeing with DD, and I sure miss it!

You do not need to do anything to it. As long as you keep it in the fridge it lasts the same as normal milk, about a week.

Once it has been sitting in your fridge for a while the cream will seperate from the milk and float on the top (very very yummy on weetbix!), however just shake the bottle and it will mix together again.

I think it tastes way better as it has more fat/cream in it. You can get a container with a tap at the bottom if you dont want the cream, that way you can get the 'trim' milk. Just make sure you use a clean container and the farmer shows you how to take the milk from the vat correctly.

Nope, you don't need to heat it. I don't notice a difference in taste - but then I always have my milk in or on things - never just a glass of milk by itself. The cream will separate and rise to the top - like aethalia, I just shake it up before use. Keeping the cream with it will result in a bit of a "skin" on top of your coffee though when the coffee cools a wee bit. Doesn't bother me, I usually just give it another stir before drinking.

If you heat raw milk - to a certain temperature - it's not raw milk anymore. It becomes pasteurised, meaning you have killed off most good and bad growth within the milk.
So, if you heat it you don't get some of the benefits that are proclaimed by consuming raw dairy products.

We are dairy farmers and drink raw milk, also use it for cooking, etc.

You need to be satisfied that the shed you are getting your milk from is clean and they have good practices in place. We drink our milk without worries as I know my husband pays great attention to keeping as much poo out of the milk as possible. If you get your milk from a substandard shed you face a higher risk of listeria, clampylobacter etc.
I'm pretty sure raw milk is not recommended in NZ for pregnant women / sick people / children under 2 due to the listeria risk mainly (please don't quote me on this as these recommendations may have changed) but it's a personal choice and if we have #2 I will continue drinking it as long as I deem it safe from source.

You can also skim the cream of the top with a turkey baster, syringe, ladle etc once it has settled (about 8 hours in the fridge) and thus make 'skim milk' and use the cream for making raw butter etc.

cole88 wrote: hi my parents live on a dairy farm and whn we go up ther drink it i have no problems with it, just wondering whn children are "aloud it"? my daughter is 17months and i have just started half and halving it with blue top, to get her just to it so she doesn't get the runs lol

I think there is the recommendation to wait until 2 years of age, maybe from the NZ food safety authority...? I suppose the idea behind it is that if your child contracts some sort of food poisioning her immune system is stronger than when a wee baby to 'handle' it somewhat better.

Yummy So long as your cows are healthy & the milking practices are clean & hygienic (which you kinda hope all would be!!), then you're all good. And raw milk is so wonderfully good for you - and tastes a million times better than bought stuff.

We just use old fruit juice bottles or I've got a big glass jar as well. I'd love some really nice milk bottles, tho!!

Hila, I'm sure you will love the taste once you're used to it. There will always be some mug in the milk tho, as the cows teats are filthy (depending on weather conditions). Are you getting the milk just from one cow (which would mean it won't go through the filter in the shed ) or from the vat (silo)?