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I am trying an experiment, where I am getting two gallons of organic raw milk every week, from Stonewall Farm in Keene, New Hampshire. From that, I am trying to make all of the dairy products that we eat, from butter to ice cream.
I am using raw milk for a couple of reasons. First, I became lactose intolerant when I had weight loss surgery in 1999. (I’ve maintained a hundred pound loss since then, and all this farming is trimming off even more, sweet.) Since that surgery, though, I have a real hard time with almost all dairy products, but especially ice cream. I found out really quickly and painfully that I just couldn’t eat even a bite of ice cream, and I didn’t, for seven long years.
Then I started hearing that raw milk was good for lactose intolerant people. It is a complete food, and has all of the enzymes necessary to digest the milk, and I wondered if it would help me. It has. (Yay!) So, now I start the experiments, and figure out what has to change in recipes when dealing with raw milk.
If you want to find some place near you to get raw milk, try the folks at Real Milk.
So far, I’ve made regular butter, cultured butter, yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream. Oh, and mozzarella cheese. It is so much better than anything I’ve ever bought, and I have a hard time not snacking on it and leaving enough for a homemade pizza.
I’m putting the recipes up in the recipe section, slowly, as I take a break from working outside. Since I eventually want to have a sheep dairy, all of this is good learning for me. I’m also taking a 201 cheesemaking class this month.
OMG! You make fresh mozzarella cheese with raw milk. I wanna come to your house for snacks. I love fresh mozzarella, but have never had it made from raw milk.
Do you make homemade soap? I have a recipe for raw milk soap that I’m dying to try out, but it would need modifications, I’m sure, for using cow’s milk.