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 wish I lived close to one of you – just started with raw – bought a half gallon of milk (smallest container they had), a container of cottage cheese (wow! delicious) and some sheep kefir. Well, the milk is spoiling in the fridge – I just don’t drink it (well, I drank a little) and no kids here to scoff it down. So I won’t buy the milk anymore. But love the cottage cheese, kefir, and cream………..
Thank you for your post about the Organic milk – I have been known to put it to get us through the week until Friday’s raw milk delivery. I’m guilty of being duped.
My kids LOVE raw milk. We used to go through less than a gallon of milk a week – nobody cared for it and I had concerns about dairy so we just didn’t drink it.
But we just began raw milk last month and we went through our first gallon in 24 hours! Unheard of at our house.
Don’t feel bad, Katherine. We’ve all been snookered at one time or another. The marketing goons at Big Food and Big Dairy spend all day sitting in their boring little cubicles pulling in 6 figure incomes trying to figure out how to fool us and once in awhile it works – but not for long for those of us on the lookout. 🙂
Love raw milk! Our family of five goes through 8-9 gallons every 2 weeks sometimes more:) it is worth every penny!
2 adults 2 children (3 & 6yrs). we go through 3 gallons raw milk plus 3 -4 quarts kefir and 2 qts raw sheep’s milk yogurt. if we run out we’re without till the next raw milk pick up. there is no substitute for real milk.
Hi Sarah
I was wondering if I can ask you a question about cheese given we are talking dairy. In Australia where I live I can get raw milk (sold as bath milk as it is il legal to sell raw milk for drinking) but I cannot get raw feta and cheddar cheeses. Are you better to not eat cheese if al you can get is organic pasterised cheese or is cheese ok to eat not raw. I am looking into making my own feta but the cheddar process is full on.
Can I also ask why do you get cows milk and goats milk?
Thank you again
Lara
My family likes both cow and goat milk so we get both to mix it up since we have easy access to both. Kind of like eating both chicken and turkey for lack of a better example
Eat cheese if you can digest it even if you can’t get it raw. Just make sure it is real cheese and preferably from grassfed cows.
Adding that we go through about 32oz of ghee/ wk also, 1 gal of sour cream and 1/2gal of goat.
We go through 3 gals of cow a week, but in the form of kefir or yogurt. We’re on GAPS, so only fermented dairy for us. Oh, we’re a family of 5, with 3 under 6.
We are going through 24 lutes a week here in Australia…. Don’t let the raw milk situation deter you from moving back to OZ, I’m only paying $3.85 per 2litres and it’s organic jersey milk, there are lots of farmers producing it here now even though it’s completely illegal. Certain areas in Australia are far more conscious about healthy living than others!
what state are you in? I’m in Melbourne and would love to find such a reasonably priced source for raw milk!
I don’t drink that much dairy. I only use raw when I do. I like it – raw sheep’s milk yogurt (the most amazing yogurt I’ve ever had!), goat kefir, cream for ice cream – are my favorite ways of using it. I mix the yogurt and kefir w/raw strawberry whey protein powder for right after the gym. I read that this is very useful to the body to rebuild the tiny torn muscle fibers.
For those of you who run out before your next pick-up, have you ever tried freezing your raw milk? I had half of a gallon I had frozen at my mother’s at Thanksgiving that I didn’t defrost until a few months ago. It has a nice bite to it, but it’s just as flavorful as fresh.
Has anyone tried camel milk? I can get it frozen from my buying clubs, but I haven’t yet tried it.
Not legal in my state but husband travels on his job and brings back about 2 gallons for 2 week. Just started and hope it continues working out. And is $8.99 gallon and very yummy. I have made ice cream 3 times in 1 week. i use whole milk and we think it is wonderful. Think I will go get a piece of homemade peach pie and a scoop of homemade ice cream..Yum!