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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => INGREDIENTS - Milk Types, Formats, & Pre-Cheese Making Processing => Topic started by: chilipepper on December 20, 2008, 04:36:53 PM
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I'm really exicited about my recent ad for raw milk I posted on a local online classifieds site. I found a small family farm that has a Jersey cow they milk and do not have a use for all the milk they get out of her. Starting Tuesday I should be the recipient of a steady stream of fresh raw cheese making goodness. They will separate it for me too which is kind of cool as well if I so choose.
Anyway I just had to share my 'next step' in my cheesemaking adventure!
Ryan
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You lucky devil.
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Congrats, assume it will be reciprocal, ie they get a little cheese in return ;D.
I have no idea on how much milk per day one jersey will give off but from looking (!), I think it's lots, so you could be making a lot of cheese if wanted!
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I think that you might have just started a new trend.
Everyone is going to be putting ads in their local paper now for fresh milk. :D
Well done by the way.
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Thanks... I'm tickled pink!
Cheese Head it was kind of funny when I was talking to the lady she had asked why I wanted it, etc. I told her I was making cheese with it and she had said how she new she should be making cheese for her family with their milk. So long story short, I told her I was a cheese rookie but would certainly offer any assistance to her to get started. So we'll see where that goes and hopefully we'll have a new member here! ;D
As for the 'new trend'... I really hope that people here can have the same luck finding a source. It is really the small providers we are after as the larger ones I found out are pretty much against the idea of pulling out a pail of milk 'special' for you! Good luck to all and certainly post your findings. I'll keep you all posted on mine.. I've got 5 gallons coming on Tuesday and will be turning it all into cheese.
So now I shall ask another questions... any recommendations for what to make? I'll probably make an instant gratification cheese with a gallon (mozzarella or similar) just for the...well... instant gratification! ;D
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Fetta, halloumi, maltese, all cheeses that can be used immediately.
Actually some of the harder cheeses need to be separated. Would be worth having them separate some and then turning the cream into fresh butter. Apparently the success to making a good parmesan is getting a very low cream content in your milk, so you are in the prefect position to have a good crack at it.
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You have to be careful with fresh milk and fresh cheese. USDA says any cheese made with raw milk has to age at least 60 days. If you're making fresh cheese and a culture from the cow has not been analysed by a lab you can get very sick from a certain pathogen in the milk. Personally I don't know what I would do. Most raw milk that is SOLD, the cows are certified and continutally checked to make sure that pathogen is not present. I don't know what the situation is but be careful, maybe ask the cows owners this and see what they say. If they are drinking it without pastuerizing it and they're fine you'll probably fine.
That said...well done. What did your ad say and what section did you post it in. I might do the same.
A jersey cow can produce about 2 gallons a day, 1 gallon in the morning and 1 gallon in the evening.
I would definately gift the people some cheese.
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Thanks for the advice and the words of caution. Like you said I'm assuming that there are drinking it without pastuerizing but I'll find out more on Tueday when I pick it up. I have 6 gallons and 1 qt of cream coming.
As for the ad.. I basically posted in the want ad section of a local online classified. Title was basically something like 'fresh farm milk wanted'.
I'll try and keep an update here when I get and what the story is! :)
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I took after you and posted on craigslist. Thanks for the ideas.
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Here (http://cleveland.craigslist.org/wan/930654148.html) was my ad.
Again, you'd thought i was looking to score some weed.
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Good luck Cartierusm! Keep us posted on your success.
Wayne did you 'score' some with that ad? 10 gallons a week will definately keep you busy.
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Wayne, weed I can score, I don't smoke or do drugs but I live near San Francisco and it's everywhere. I guess if you lived near farms you'd have more that you would know what to do with, probably for free.
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LOL,
I too am not into weed. I get enough static from the wife on my wine.......
But i was made quite aware that should i persue my need for raw milk, someone has what i'm
looking for.
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Not a word from my ad, but I wasn't hopeful as I'm not near any farms. I'll figure something out eventually.
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a quick google search showed several local grocerys that may carry raw milk.
Here (http://www.rainbowgrocery.org/) is one.
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I know as I've mentioned before it's really expensive $14 per gallon.
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Everything is more expensive in San Fran.....
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Ouch... $14/gallon is definitely above the comfort level for raw milk. Hopefully you'll have some luck elsewhere. Keep us posted.
I picked up first lot of raw milk Tuesday. 3 Gallons of pure Jersey goodness. Alfalfa and corn fed, hand milked and delivered. What more could you ask for. Oh yeah $5/gallon.
(http://www.kesabe.com/cheese/Raw_Milk_1.jpg)
The one on the left has one glass missing... couldn't help myself!
I did visit quite extensively with the lady that delivered it. Her and her family drink the majority of the milk. However, the Jersey is producing about 5 gallons a day and even with 8 kids :o they luckily still have some left over! :) I also figured that since they were all actively drinking it raw, I was pretty safe on my end.
First of all we (me and my family) drank the first gallon cream and all. I grew up on a farm and had raw milk growing up but I was amazed how clean and pure this tasted. For the amount of cream that is in there too it was really easy to drink and didn't 'taste' of cream. I was very impressed and luckily so were my wife and kids. I had a glass of store bought milk again tonight with dinner.. now it just doesn't taste as clean and pure. I'm not sure how to quantify that 'clean and pure' assessment but it's the best I can put into words.
The other thing that was extremely interesting and has really had me puzzled since I spoke to the milk lady is that she also delivers some to another family in town that has a son who is severely lactose intolerant. He can however, drink all the raw milk he wants! How does that work??
Lastly, I make some Gouda today with 2 gallons of it and will post some pictures and notes in another thread.
Thanks and sorry for the long post! :)
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Post are never long when accompanied by pictures.
Yes, lactose intolerance comes from the bodies inability to process homogonized milk, so raw milk is fine.
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and even with 8 kids
Hey, what's wrong with 8 kids :D 8) All the more fun. ::)
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Absolutely nothing! I come from a family of 5, we have 4 and my mom's family has 14!!!
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That's good, because I too am a "mother of many".
Your mother must have great memories of her childhood. There must have been lots going on all the time.
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It is pretty amazing (my mom's family) they are a very close knit bunch and still get together almost monthly as many as can make it. There are a few that have past on and a few that live a little far to get together monthly. They do make it a priority to get together (all of them) at least once a year.
There are a lot of great stories that come from that bunch... I wish they could all be recorded some way!
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Start video'ing everyone when they get together. Once they pass on, there is no way to recall their memories and experiences. We have some great memories and stories told by family on video, and to us they are priceless.
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That's what my girlfriend is strating to do, her grandfather is 90 and I got her for Christmas a Flip video camera, perfect for this sort of thing.