Author Topic: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ  (Read 5406 times)

SwissBrowns

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Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« on: May 26, 2009, 09:46:58 PM »
Hi. I'm new to cheese making and look forward to being able to come here for advice. I have my own herd of 100 or so cows, mostly Guernsey and Brown Swiss, and in the last few months, since the economic downturn started to make itself felt, we have started using our own milk. Before that we used to by pasteurised milk from the supermarket, but now we drink fresh milk, and I make butter, and ghee which I use instead of oils and fats in cooking. And the next step is cheese which I haven't started on yet, but will soon. I've been a dairy farmer for 20 years and was raised on a dairy farm, but it's only recently that I've really started to appreciate just what place cows have held in human existence throughout history. Our farm is run as a closed system with no feed inputs, the cows just graze grass all year, fortunately we have a mild climate and reliable grass growth.

Cheese Head

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2009, 11:25:58 PM »
Howdy SwissBrowns, several Kiwi's here already, and a few of members own cows but I think not on your commercial scale. Lots of info here on making cheese but not so much on butter and ghee!

I work in the oil industry and when young thought that strange that oil companies buy gas/petrol from the station just like you used to buying milk from the store. Also, similar to oil and what we get paid versus price of gas/petrol, my commiserations on what you are getting these days for milk as store price where I am in Houston is very low.

That said looking forward to your new hobby, with your supply, who knows it could one day become a business!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #2 on: May 27, 2009, 03:09:42 AM »
Welcome aboard! Cows are wonderful critters I wish I could have a few...

MrsKK

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2009, 01:08:42 PM »
Nowhere in your league, SwissBrowns, as I have one milk cow.  The economic downturn is hurting here, too, as I have her heifer from last year for sale and was hoping to make enough from her to keep us supplied with hay for the following year, but that is not to be.

How are you liking the raw milk?  I love ours and really enjoy making cheese with it.  I've not tried making ghee, but do make butter for my own use.

SwissBrowns

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #4 on: May 27, 2009, 09:45:49 PM »
Hi Karen. When I was growing up my Mum used to scald our milk on the stove, pretty much nearly up to boiling point (sometimes it would boil, all over the stove), and it tasted yuk, and would get little hard bits of yukky cream after being in the fridge. But with the raw milk, I can't tell the difference from store bought pasturized milk (apart from having to mix the cream up). My wife still buys milk for her coffee, but our kids are drinking the fresh milk, and that's something, as they don't tend to trust anything that doesn't come from the shop. Butter making is fun, with the blender, and I boil butter up to make ghee which I use for any frying, and making doughnuts etc. I'd read that ghee has a distinctive flavour and smell (normally associated with Indian type cooking), but I've found food cooked with it is indistinguishable in taste, although we mainly used to use olive oil. It's a great oil, and in making stir fried vegetables, seems to spread a lot thinner, so it doesn't take much, and it's also supposed to be the healthiest of the oils and fats.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #5 on: May 29, 2009, 03:51:32 AM »
I have never made of used ghee bu now your informations has made me curious about it. Thank you for the information.

MrsKK

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #6 on: May 29, 2009, 06:59:14 AM »
I can't drink pasteurized/homogenized milk without getting very sick, so the raw milk has brought me back to milk and cookies...

I'll have to try ghee now, as you have me intrigued!

Offline Cartierusm

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Re: Ghee Making Talk & Hi From NZ
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2009, 12:56:39 AM »
Wow, that's a lot of mOOOs. Cheese making shoudn't be that hard for anyone with raw milk. Welcome.