Raw milk is so magical. Not just because it tastes fantastic, but because you can turn it into so many things. Kefir, buttermilk, yogurt, butter, cream cheese, whey for fermenting foods, the possibilities are endless.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I love to stretch a dollar. The one thing I’m determined not to cheapen is food. Food is so important because it lays out the foundation for the rest of our lives and our health. If we strive to get the cheapest food out there we will suffer in our health, and to me it’s not worth the trade-off.
I’d much rather splurge on nutrient-dense food than pay for doctor’s visits. And thus far, we’ve been doing just that.
We’ve been purchasing fresh milk from Jersey cows for about five years now. If you are familiar with Jersey milk then you know the cream separates beautifully and there’s really nothing like it.
Here are a few tips on how to get the most from one gallon of milk. You can apply these same principles to any amount of milk you are buying locally.
1) Skim the cream off to make butter. Making butter is as simple as placing cream in a jar and shaking it for a few minutes. The trick is to make sure the jar you are going to shake it in is bigger than the amount of cream you have, otherwise you won’t have enough room for it to really get shaken around. If I’m shaking a quart of cream, I shake it in a half gallon jar. After making butter you will also have a cup or two of buttermilk. This can be used for soaking grains and makes killer pancakes.
2) Use one remaining half gallon to make yogurt or kefir. Whichever probiotic you prefer. Kefir is more like a drinkable yogurt and is great for smoothies, plus it contains more probiotics than yogurt. My kids love both. I culture the yogurt in my dehydrator and the kefir can culture right on your kitchen counter.
3) The last half gallon use for drinking, with cereal or lattes.
So after purchasing one gallon of milk, you will end up with just under two sticks of butter, 2 cups of buttermilk, a quart and a half of yogurt and a quart and a half of milk for drinking.
Your taste buds will be pleased and your family will be healthy!
Don’t forget to join me over in my Facebook Group: Habits for Health by Nelson’s Edible Acres.
Have a great week!
