As a reminder from last week, by “fresh milk,” I’m referring to milk that comes from healthy, grass-fed cows and that has NOT been pasteurized or homogenized.
We also recommended that you can find fresh milk by locating area farmers or by checking out the sources listed at www.realmilk.com.
So once you’ve found a good source of fresh, clean, raw milk, what do you do with it?
- Drink it! Yum! This is whole milk at its best, so its creaminess might surprise you at first. However, after a few weeks’ of delicious milk mustaches, you’ll never want to drink fat-free milk again.
Did you know… That Vitamins A, D, E, and K are “fat-soluble,” which means they require the presence of fat in order to be absorbed into your body? So how much vitamin D in skim milk can you actually absorb? Hmmm…
- Use the cream! When milk sits for some time, the heavy cream floats to the top of the container. You can carefully skim off some of that cream and use it for delectable desserts, for your coffee, in your morning oatmeal, and to make butter, creme freche, and cheese. The possibilities are endless!
- Feed the baby! Breastmilk is always healthiest for baby, but if you aren’t able to nurse your own baby, don’t rely on commercial formulas that are filled with dangerous ingredients. Use that fresh milk to make a nourishing formula for your baby. Read more here…
- Make a smoothie! Now that summer is here, cool off with a delicious smoothie made with fresh milk. Add fresh or frozen fruit and milk to your blender, with several ice cubes. You could also add two tablespoons of honey, a can of coconut milk, a half-cup of yogurt, or even a handful of spinach leaves (for a fun green color). Blend and enjoy!
Next week we’ll talk about ways you can still enjoy milk after it’s been in your refrigerator for a week and starts to get a little sour. The best thing about fresh milk is that you’ll never have to waste a single drop of healthy goodness!
Until then,
Dear Anne,
Thank you so much for your information on fresh milk! I had recently heard about its benefits and so was very excited to find out from our neighbor that we could have it delivered to our front door every morning for very cheap. However, where we live–in China–it is often hard to get specific information on how food is processed (and I would not fully trust the information even if it was available; I’m sure you heard about the infant formula scandal here last year).
Though our fresh milk comes from the most trusted dairy in the country, I really doubt the cows here are grass-fed, and I am not sure that the milk is kept cold enough all the way from the farm to our house. It is guaranteed antibiotic-free, but I am still concerned about contracting TB or some bacterial infection if the milk is not completely clean (my 18-month old has not been immunized for TB, and I am expecting). My husband offered to be the guinea pig and has been drinking the fresh milk so for about two weeks with no apparent side effects, while our son and I continue to drink regular pasteurized milk. Do you have any counsel for someone in a situation like ours, or any suggestions for where to look for more information? I have looked at rawmilk.com as well as http://www.raw-milk-facts.com (which is pro-raw milk, but made me wonder whether ours is really safe).
Thanks again for your ministry! It’s a blessing to be able to read your articles here on the other side of the world!
Kristin,
I hope I can give you a good answer (and if anyone has something to add to this conversation, please do!).
As I understand it, ALL milk has the possibility of containing harmful viruses and bacteria. The amazing thing about raw milk is that it still contains agents that can fight against germs; however, once milk has been pasteurized, it can no longer protect itself. So I would go with raw milk over pasteurized any day for safety.
In addition, because it has more nutritional value and its nutrition is better absorbed, if you drink raw milk, your body will be healthier and better able to fight against infection if it encounters some.
I did a search on the Weston A. Price website for tuberculosis and milk, and I came up with a lot!
http://tinyurl.com/mhc9xw
I think you’ll enjoy reading through some of this, and it will be an encouragement.
I hope this helps!
Many blessings,
~Anne
Thank you so much!
Blessings,
Kristin