It’s been sort of a crazy few months around where cows are concerned.
You’re picturing it, aren’t you? With that one little statement, you have now conjured up in your mind a scene in which the local cows are behaving in strange ways, perhaps showing up on people’s doorsteps, speaking in full sentences, or maybe climbing onto billboards to paint a message. (Is anybody else now hungry for Chick-fil-A?)
What I’m really trying to say is that our regular milk sources have had unfortunate issues with their milk cows, leaving us without a source for raw milk. Boy have we ever been spoiled for the past few years.
Thankfully, as of last week, we were able to find another source for this liquid gold. What did I do just as soon as we picked up our milk? Well, I took a picture, of course. Then, I shook up a jar of milk and had a glass. And then I made buttermilk. And yogurt. And kefir.
Besides drinking it, making homemade dairy products is what I’ve missed the most about having raw milk. (Here’s what we did in the meantime, in case you’re wondering.)
Doesn’t it take a long time and a lot of work to make buttermilk, yogurt, and kefir? Only if you consider five minutes a lot of time and shaking a jar a lot of work. Seriously, making homemade, cultured dairy products is so easy – and think of the money it saves!
So there you have it. My fridge is now full of great milk, fresh cream, and all the cultured dairy products I need for baking and making smoothies. You’ll find all the links and instructions for making these products here.
Do you make any homemade cultured dairy products? If so, which ones are your favorites?
I have been making homemade yogurt for over a year now and love it. I just recently started making homemade buttermilk and what I really love is making Creme Fraiche!
Love homemade buttermilk and ice cream! We had a hard time getting it in WI for a while, but now have a good supply again. It’s really hard to go without it as one of our sons is intolerant to processed dairy and can only have raw. If we ever move again, we will make sure we can easily get a supply or turn down the promotion/move!
I just made yogurt yesterday!
We lost ohr source for milk….thought we found another…but had to oass at $10 a gallon :( So…we bought goats. Everyone who tries it, loves it…including my whole family. I do not like it, tho :/
Wow…typos….OUR source…had to PASS
I have dairy goats so fresh raw milk is the best. Right now I have to BUY milk because my does are pregnant and they need the time to recharge to have healthy kids. I love making yogurt. Since we kid in the winter, yogurt making is almost a daily thing. We just let it culture, on the top of the coal stove, overnight. Buttermilk is super simple and kefir even easier. Although I do get the funky looks from people who stop by and see all the jars of culturing mil on my counter. It’s a conversation starter for sure!
Looks like my counter and sounds like my fridge every other Tuesday on milk day! We are blessed here in South Central Kansas to be able to go to wonderful Amish farms for raw milk, cream, eggs, etc. Here’s to glass jars full of liquid gold! Blessings to you and all your readers for an awesome weekend!
I make yogurt and buttermilk every week using the Cultures of Health starters. I have been doing this for over a year and I think the yogurt tastes better now and is thicker than when we first started making it. I can make a pint or a half gallon depending on what we need. I use them as a replacement often in recipes calling for milk. The buttermilk makes the best biscuits!
I love being able to make the sour cream out of the buttermilk starter by using cream. It is really good and really saves our family a lot of money!
Thank you for sharing the idea, Laura.
Hey, I do the same thing and use Cultures for health too!
I always make a gallon of yogurt then use the yogurt strainer
from Cultures for health to make Greek yogurt.
Kefir smoothies. Butter. Ricotta cheese. Yogurt. All “over the moon” YUM 8->!
You are LUCKY. I love in Wisconsin where selling raw milk is illegal. Yea…in the dairy state…go figure. Farmers have to create a club of sorts and if you’re a shareholder in the club, you get raw milk as a membership perk. It’s a run-around the law – you’re not buying raw milk, you’re buying stock in a cow club.
But if you’re a city girl, like me, with no easy access to a farmer, you’re totally out of luck since stores cannot legally sell it.
It’s illegal to buy raw milk (or any milk) from a farmer here in Ontario. We are blessed to live in the country and bought eventually our own Jersey cow. It is lot of work though (milking twice a day, cleaning manure out of her stall or pasture), and she gives about 20 liters (yes, 5 gallons) EVERY day. I make cheese, cream cheese (ladies, this is not too difficult!), yoghurt, butter, buttermilk etc. from our raw milk. We have 4 boys that help me out with the milking chores though otherwise I would buy a milking machine.
Just a suggestion for the ones who make yoghurt: when you make yoghurt, and it is starting to get a bit thin then strain it in a colander lined with a big tea towel for 3 hours or so, and voila you have the so popular Greek yoghurt.
Raw milk is very scarce here in South Africa. I make cottage cheese when I do find it: let the milk curdle (can speed up with a bit of vinegar), then place in a muslin bag and allow to drip till no liquid is released. The milk solids remaining can now be washed, but I leave it as is, adding equal measure of fresh cream, beat a bit (or till smooth if liked) then add some very finely chopped spring onions – eat on a cracker or rice bread or whatever. Yum-yum. A tip: For regular use, a plastic container may be kept for this purpose. Somehow, the milk curdles quicker then.
What on earth is kefir?
Kefir is kind of like a drinkable yogurt. Lots of good live cultures in it for our digestion!
Hi Mara. I have a friend that grew up in South Africa. She’s so much fun to be with 8-). If you like tangy drinks, kefir is so good.
Purchase Kefir Starter..the grains or kernels are placed in your preference of milk and left to culture for about 12 to 24 hours in a warm place (I use a two jars and cover with plastic wrap). Next, you must strain the kefir through a plastic colander using a plastic or wooden spoon to work it through. Do not use metal. You then place the kefir into the refrigerator for several hours to chill. One heaping tablespoon of grains per one quart of milk.
~~Kefir Smoothies~~
Add to blender:
1.5 quarts of chilled kefir
1 cup of frozen berries or fresh fruit
1/4 cup of sweet fresh cream
1-2 bananas
2 Tbsp. ground flax
Sweeten with 2 Tbsp. of pure maple syrup, honey, stevia, or frozen concentrated juice.
Great for Smoothie Popsicles
Hi Birdie – thanks – I’ll try and find the starter, although I think it is going to be a tough one. You guys must pleeeeezzz hold thumbs – it is thundering outside, hopefully we’ll get our first rain of the summer tonight – it has been so, so very dry and hot here – 38 degrees in the shade, whereas you are preparing for winter in the northern hemisphere