The Raw Truth: Why Store-Bought Milk Wasn't Right for Us

So, dairy and my family did not used to get along. When Natalie was 1, we gave her store bought milk..BLAH

And she always refused to drink it.

When she turned 2 and started talking she used to say it hurt her stomach…now I don’t know that many 2 year olds that are in tune with their body so we didn’t really listen.

We kept forcing the store bought milk because “raw milk” can make you sick(this was a belief that I had).

Jordan actually grew up on raw milk and never got sick from it once. He suggested we switch to raw milk and see how she tolerated it.

Never AGAIN will we go back.

Now that I’ve done my own research and we’ve traveled farther down our own heath journey I realized how uneducated we are about “real” food.

Pasteurization of milk originated in the late 19th century to address concerns about milk safety and long transportation distances. It became a standard practice to pasturized milk because milk was often produced and handled in unsanitary conditions, leading to contamination. Cows were living in unhealthy environments and were getting sick thus producing sick milk.

Now that we have the technology we do, we can produce clean and safe milk. We can sanitize the udders of cow, and bottling equipment. We have hot water to keep areas clean.

We are also far more educated on how the health of our animals impact the health of the products they produce.

The cows at our farm are happily grazing on lush pastures. The cows look clean and healthy. It’s a total different product vs the milk that’s produced in a barn where a cow is fed your typical silage.

And guess what….a happy, healthy cow produces the most healthy milk you will ever find.

We switched our family to raw milk back in 2017 and haven’t looked back.

I’ve drank it through all my pregnancies, give it to our babies once they are weaned and our kids thrive on it.

Our milk is carefully and intentionally produced for direct human consumption because we want that for our own family.

Raw milk is one of the easiest ways to get a balnce of fat, carbs, and protein.

I use raw milk in everything.

And raw milk makes THE BEST cottage cheese.

You’ll try it and never want to go back…on occasion life happens and I do switch back, get the daisy natural cottage cheese it has no fillers in it ;)

But if you’re ready to jump in and make your own here’s my favorite way to do it:

Raw Milk Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon raw milk

• 1/4 cup white vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2/3 Tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions:

1. Skim cream off your jar of milk(save some for adding back in later)

2. Heat the milk in a large pot over medium heat to around 190°F (88°C). Be careful not to let it boil.

3. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the vinegar slowly. The milk will begin to curdle immediately.

4. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, allowing the curds to separate from the whey (liquid).

5. Line a colander with cheesecloth or use a fine mesh strainer and pour the mixture through it. Let the whey drain for 30 minutes.

6. Transfer the curds to a bowl and stir in the salt.

7. For a creamier texture, you can add the heavy cream

8. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

9. Store your homemade cottage cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

**This will make about 1/2c cottage cheese

And voila! You're the proud owner of homemade cottage cheese.

Hope you enjoy learning about the history of raw milk and a little piece of our families journey.

Happy Cooking,

Rachelle

Hi, I’m Rachelle Meyer fellow mom and farm wife.

I help moms feel confident nourishing their families.

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