My family is really going through the raw dairy these days. I got the idea for this post when we – yet again – ran out of any and all raw dairy a full 24 hours before the next farm delivery. I even added a whole extra gallon to our order at last pickup and here we are out once more!
Do I run to the store and pick up a half gallon of ultrapasteurized organic milk to tide us over?
No way! Organic Valley or Horizon organic milk from the store is horrible, health-robbing stuff. I would never buy it. It is way better to go without until you are able to get more milk fresh from the farm.
We haven’t always consumed as much as we are now. It’s just that my oldest is starting puberty and drinking about a quart a day – maybe even more?
My other two kids have all of a sudden gotten into drinking it as well. I’ve always had to pretty much force them to drink their milk in the past (you know the drill – drink your milk or no bike ride after dinner or whatever).
Now they are gulping it down and asking for more.
I know this seems like a lot, but at the moment, our family of five is easily going through 4 gallons of grassfed cow milk and 2 gallons of foraging goat milk.
Per week!
Oh, I almost forgot. Add a half gallon of raw milk yogurt to that.
And 1-3 quarts of raw cream (for raw ice cream of course). Who can live without ice cream? We do a lot of milkshakes at our house.
Plus one pound of raw butter.
That’s a lot of full fat dairy for a family of five. But then again, we don’t buy any sodas, boxed breakfast cereal, and other processed foods so even though the fresh dairy is expensive, it fits within the budget.
Just my opinion, but I would go from two cars to one or move to a smaller house if necessary to afford our raw dairy. You can’t put a price on health. It is more important than any possession.
“Health is the first wealth” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
In light of how much saturated fat my family is consuming, some of you might be thinking that we surely must be a family of large people.
As it turns out, none of us has a weight problem. It’s really true – eat your whole, unprocessed fats and don’t skimp! It really does help keep you trim!
How much raw dairy does your family consume? I want to know and I’m sure others would too!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
I pick up a half-gallon once a week at the health food store. I usually run out a day or two before my re-stocking day. They get milk in fresh once a week from Dungeness Valley Creamer. If I buy a gallon, I usually have too much and it goes sour. I DO drink soured raw milk, or find a way to cook with it, but I don’t particularly enjoy the taste when it has soured slowly in the frig. I have done smoothies too!
I DO clabber, when clabber is made from fresh milk that is set out right away to clabber….I think it gets a different-tasting colony of bacteria going.
If I am planning to clabber milk, make kefir or cheese, or cook a lot with recipes that take milk, I as much as I think I will need.
It’s just me drinking it. My son doesn’t like the taste and won’t touch it.
When I have to, either because the health food store sold out or I am out of milk money, I buy Umpquaa brand pasteurized (NOT ultrapasteurized) milk. I think they are the only brand left in my town that isn’t ultrapasteurized.
I’m a single guy, no kids, living in Maryland, and for the past year I’ve been drinking about 2 cups of raw milk every day, plus some raw yogurt or kefir and some cheese and butter. Before that, I used to drink pasteurized organic milk regularly. Then I figured out the importance of raw milk and learned of a source for it. Now, I would never go back, not even to hold me over for a few days. If I could no longer get it I would eat raw cheese when I could or otherwise go without dairy and eat more seafood. I watch my sister feed her babies organic pasteurized and ultrapasteurized milk, and it kills me, but she won’t listen.
I meant rethink the amount of milk, not the milk itself 🙂
Hi everyone!
I love this site, so much info that you will not get elsewhere! We drink a gallon and a half at 7.50 a half gallon in northern Ca where it is legal thank goodness. I make my yogurt out of half and half because raw milk is so expensive. There are two of us!
Cheers Jean
My husband, myself and my little one year old have been going through about 4 gallons for 2 weeks.. but we just ran out again.. we are drinking more each time we go on a milk run!! MY FRIDGE CANNOT HOLD IT ALL! 🙁
We are placing our first order this week (yay!) and I thought 3 gallons would be enough to last our family of 4 for 2 weeks. Guess I’d better rethink that!
Thanks for the great information! I know that Raw milk is better for you than pasteurized milk, but I am wondering if someone could list or go through the SPECIFIC benefits. I hear things like the proteins are denatured, the vitamins and nutrients destroyed, etc a lot. But I’d like to know, specifically, which vitamins are destroyed during pasteurization (and what temp they are destroyed), which proteins are denatured (and how and at what temp). Would low temp vat pasteurized milk from jerseys be better than raw milk from holsteins (both pastured, grass-fed) ? Does butter and cheese need to be from raw milk as well? Does culturing pasteurized milk restore these lost benefits? I am a totally newbie to all this!! I guess I’d like to know exactly what the benfits are of raw milk (along with grass fed, pastured) so that I can make informed decisions about it. Does anyone have some good links or suggestions where to get this info?? Thanks so much!
realmilk.com is a wealth of information.
Thanks, Sarah! I have been reading the info on the realmilk website and it is very informative. Do you think low temp vat pasteurization has all the same negative effects as regular pasteurzied milk–or is pasteurized just pasteurized?? Does butter , yogurt, and cheese need to be from raw milk as well??
We love the raw milk we get – and generally consume 3-4 gallons a week!
My husband and I just started back onto milk about two months ago. My husband and I drink a 1/2 gallon every week. (No children in our house) We pay 7.50 a gallon, we buy one gallon every two weeks. We normally could go though three-four dozen raw eggs every two weeks depending on supply. We love our eggs! We pay four dollars a dozen.
I live in Michigan, about 45 mins outside of Detroit and I am having a HARD time finding raw milk. Can anyone help me?
you can contact me, i know of a couple place (in case you are still looking)