Our milkman is an old guy. He probably says we’re old too. We may be older than he is for all I know but, to me, he looks older. I suppose at some point, we’re going to stop doing the things we do with raw milk and we’ll be ok buying milk from the store but every Friday, when he drops off our milk, I say a little prayer for his safety and I’m thankful we found him. For those who don’t remember the story, I saw him in Walmart and he was looking for half gallon Mason jars. They weren’t with the regular canning jars and I had just seen them so I walked over to show him where they were. He was buying about a dozen cases of those half gallon jars and, you know how inquisitive I am . . I asked him what he was doing with them all. He told me he sells raw milk and he delivers it in half gallon jars. Ahhhh . . raw milk! Can get some? Yes! That’s been probably 8 or 9 months ago and we still get milk every Friday.
We get three gallons of milk per week and some weeks, we could use four gallons! Since it comes in half gallon jars, that’s 6 jars.
- 1-1/2 jars – Vince makes kefir a couple of times a week.
- 1 jar – I make cultured buttermilk/sour cream.
- 1-1/2 jars – We use for cereal and drinking.
- 1 jar – I make yogurt.
- 1 jar – I make a soft cheese – almost like cream cheese.
I pour the cream off the milk Vince uses for kefir and the milk we use to drink so that give me enough cream to make butter and to add a pint of cream to the buttermilk/sour cream mix.
It may sound like a lot but it’s routine and it doesn’t take that long and it’s so nice to have homemade buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt and soft cheese.
Every week, we debate about whether to add another gallon to our milk order. Every single week and so far, we’ve decided to stick with the three gallons. If Vince does make a cheese press, which I’m hoping he does, then I think we’ll have to add that fourth gallon.
I love the Homesteading Family Youtube Channel and yesterday I was watching her cheesemaking video and Vince was watching. I had never seen that video and after watching her make the Farmhouse Cheddar, I wanted to do it. She mentions her class on cheesemaking. Vince said “Let’s do it!” He said he would enjoy making cheese so, we signed up for that. I’m so excited but we need to watch a few of the videos, and he needs to make a cheese press before we get the cart ahead of the horse.
Sounds like another rabbit hole to me but if we do it together, I think we’ll both have fun and maybe Vince will learn to make some of the stinky cheeses he loves and maybe I’ll learn to eat them or at least not leave the room when he gets them out!
Kim says
I like their videos also. She has a canning class that I have thought about doing. I bought the Pressure canning book you wrote about a few weeks ago and have had a pressure canner for some time now but haven’t gotten up the courage to use it yet.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I think if you would just try it, you’d find out it isn’t so intimidating. I’m betting Carolyn’s class would be excellent!
patti says
i’ve watched several of their “check us out and see what we have available” type of intro ‘classes.’ she’s the one who got me into sourdough bread, but truthfully i haven’t made one yet that comes out. i think i discourage easily and also am not a great planner ;0)
what do you mean by the “soft cheese” that you make with the milk? i only recently made ricotta and couldn’t believe how easy it was. i was making lasagna and a container of it at the store was $4.69 so i figured it was time to try it on my own. will always now do it at home! in the meantime i’m looking for other recipes to use ricotta since really i’ve only used it lasagna so have no clue ;0) i’m actually on your site looking for red bean and rice posts, but this new blog caught my eye and got me off track. oh, did i tell you i’m easily distracted????
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I get it – I’m pretty easily distracted too.
The soft cheese is similar to cream cheese but a bit more like homemade cheese. I’ll take pictures and share next time I make it. I like making it in the summer because I have lots of fresh herbs and we eat a lot of light dinners with cheese and fruit when it’s hot.
patti says
wonderful! i’ll be watching for it … but no hurry, i read almost daily – and when i don’t get to it i catch up the next time.
Cilla says
I’m so thankful that raw milk is legal in NH. Anything else tastes like diluted milk.
Susan says
That’s work, but if it’s things you want, and work you don’t mind, and you share it, sounds like a great activity to me.
Rebecca L says
Since he delivers in half-gallons, you could add one jar and see if that is enough for your desires! (A jar a day)
judy.blog@gmail.com says
It’s $7/gallon so it’s easier to pay $21/week than to pay $17.50 so we stick with whole gallons. How’s that for lazy? 🙂
Rebecca L says
Oh, Judy, I almost spit water on my keyboard! “Lazy” 😀
Roberta says
If you like cheese curd you make it the same way you do cheddar cheese just stop when you get the solid curds and salt them to your taste and refrigerate. DH and I love them and made that when we had cows. Retired farmers.
Roberta says
Also cheese curd is a more flavorful mozzarella when cooking with it.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
We do love the curd. Even with getting three gallons per week, generally will only have enough milk for the soft cheese, yogurt, butter, kefir and drinking. I usually have to choose between making buttermilk and butter. I love the homemade buttermilk and if I add extra cream, I get sour cream too so . . what I really need is a milk cow. 🙂
Karen says
You are so fortunate to be able to get raw milk. It’s illegal to sell raw milk in NY unless you have a special license and those are rare. Oscar is such a handsome puppy and I’m glad that having him has worked out well for both of you.
judy.blog@gmail.com says
There are so many rules and restrictions that it makes it hard for the dairies but yes, I’m very happy we can buy it here. In Texas, I had a friend with cows and I could buy it from her but she lived probably 25 or miles away so I didn’t get it as often as I would have liked. Every Friday, I remember how thankful I am to be able to get raw milk.