I can’t believe we waited this long to get milk from the local dairy. We would drive the hour up here to get it when we lived in Nevada, MO and we’ve been here for months and this week was the first time we bought it.
I don’t want to get into the debate about whether raw milk is safe to drink or not. I’ve read lots of info on the internet about it. The bottom line for me is that from about birth to 5 years old, I drank only raw milk and then til I was probably 15, I drank it more than storebought milk. In my grandparents’ house, it was all that was ever available and it was the same with so many of their friends and they all survived. There’s a lot we do that probably isn’t healthy according to government regulations/guidelines and health advice so we all pick and choose what we do . . at least for now. You can find a study to bolster just about any opinion you have. I would much rather drink milk from a local dairy where I drive up, see the cows out in the pasture, go inside, see the folks working, see how clean the place is, know it’s inspected and licensed.
So . . don’t take my word on the safety of raw milk. In fact, for anyone who has questions about the safety of drinking it, I’d recommend not drinking it. For those who are convinced it’s the best thing ever, their minds are not going to be changed. For those who are sure we’ll all get sick from drinking it, their minds are not going to be changed. I do accept that there’s some risk but what in life doesn’t have some risk? If I’m culturing the milk for buttermilk or yogurt, I definitely pasteurize it first. No use inviting trouble.
I drink it and Vince won’t drink it raw. Even when I pasteurize it, he’s apprehensive, especially with the cream left in. It does taste different but to me, it tastes so much better.
Yesterday he wanted tapioca pudding and I asked if he cared if I used raw milk. He didn’t care since it was cooked. He went on and on about how much better – more creamy – the tapioca pudding was. This morning he wanted grits. I asked if he cared if I used raw milk. He didn’t . . because, again, it was cooked.
After breakfast, he said “I’m sold! That raw milk with the cream makes everything better!” I said “Want a glass just to drink?” NO! He drew the line there.
I’m always so tempted to scoop off the cream and use it for homemade butter but the milk is so good with the cream mix in.
The dairy is licensed and inspected so I don’t worry about getting sick. It could happen but we could also get in a car accident on the way to the grocery store to buy milk so . . I just weigh the benefits vs. risks in my head and for the flavor of raw milk, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
Dottie Newkirk says
The last time we got raw milk was when we lived in Idaho (from a local dairy) many, many years ago. It was SO good and LOVED that cream we got off the top.
Cilla says
I’m lucky to have a small farm in town. 3 cows, I know the owners. Young couple. Very caring of their animals (goats, ducks, chickens, 3 cows and 2 calves). She also sells raw cream. You might ask at your farm if they sell cream.
Judy Laquidara says
They don’t. They only sell gallons of whole milk with the cream on top.
Nelle Coursey says
There was nothing in my house except cow’s milk directly from the cow! We drank it, cooked with it and made homemade butter. I remember churning the butter. I am now 71 and my brother is 79 so I don’t think it hurt us! I think a lot of the problems were from people not keeping the milk cold or not keeping the milk pail clean.
Judy Laquidara says
Probably back in “those days”, if a cow didn’t seem right, people couldn’t afford to call a vet (if there was one available) and they had to have milk so they just kept drinking it. That’s all we had for many years and the only time I just didn’t like it is when they’d go out and milk the cow before breakfast and we had warm milk to drink. Oh, I did not like that!
Joyce says
My Grandma grew up on a farm, and the only time she refused to drink the milk from their cows was in the springtime. My Great-Grandpa let the cows in the field where there were wild onions growing, and my Grandma said the milk always tasted like onions! She said in the the springtime she would eat her cereal with water. My grandparents bought raw milk from a local dairy too. She always warned me it was raw, so i wouldn’t drink it by accident. My father always said it was an extra special treat when my Grandmother would let him use cream on his cereal instead of regular milk. 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
Just thinking about a glass of milk with the cream makes my mouth water! I love it.