Milk - Yecch!

[shel]

I don't drink much milk, and when I do, it's organic milk from one of two local producers who pasture their cows on the rich coastal grasslands of nearby counties. Their milk is bottled locally, and is in the stores within 24-hours of the cows having been milked.

This morning I had a glass of "supermarket" milk, specifically Safeway brand, that a neighbor brought over. Only one sip was needed to determine how terrible the milk tasted. I literally couldn't bear to take a second taste. According to the bottle, the milk was fresh.

This milk had a sweet, somewhat sugary taste, and tasted nothing like the local milk I usually drink.

I never thought there'd be such a substantial difference in how milk tasted, but then, I can't clearly recall the taste of supermarket milk - oh, I've had it, but it's been at least twenty years or so since I've tried it, which is when I started buying from the local producers.

I poured the Safeway milk down the drain ...

Has anyone else noticed a difference in how various milk tastes?

shel

[melis]

I too only buy local milk in glass bottles. My milk tastes different b/c its not homoginized (sp?) and of course the cow's natrual diet vs grain. I don't drink supermarket milk for various reasons...I try to stay away from industrialized food products in general.

If you haven't already, read "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, its been life changing for me.

[Bazza]

This is interesting, as many of you probably do, I watch quite a lot of cookery programmes on TV and have noticed that many of the chefs say that they dont like milk. Personally I cant stand it as a drink, although if you stick a bit of chocolate in it and heat it up I'll go for it, but milk on its own YUK! Maybe its because I have only ever had pasturised milk and it has put me off. Am I missing something?

[bughut]

For drinking, cereal, I buy organic semi skimmed from the supermarket and to me it tastes as good as whole milk. For cooking (business) I buy whole regular milk. I buy whole organic for making yogurt.

[Mezzaluna]

I wasn't born in Wisconsin, but I've lived here most of my life. Milk-drinking is an almost sacred tradition here. My mom bought skim milk for me and whole milk for my brothers. It didn't help me get or stay slim; rather, it gave me a distaste for milk. I used to use it on cereal but

Personally, I think people feed too much of it to their kids- especially the kind that's not hormone-free. If children fill up on milk, they won't get other food such as vegetables and fruit. I know households with two children who go though four to six gallons of milk each week. Then there's the milk with sugar added. I see people in the supermarkets with gallons of chocolate and strawberry flavored milk in their carts and I want to ask, "Why are you giving your children that sugary stuff? Feed them fruits and veggies!!" A cup of chocolate milk has almost as many calories as a candy bar. Is that healthy???

[AndyG]

I buy regular supermarket milk, but I only use it in coffee.

On cereal I use soy milk, Pacific ultra soy plain. I like it much better. (I don't like all soy milks, either).

[Anneke]

Originally Posted by Bazza

Maybe its because I have only ever had pasturised milk and it has put me off. Am I missing something?

You will only ever legally drink pasteurized milk. The idea is to taste milk from pastured cows, non-homogenized, like the stuff that makes the best cheese.

It's easier to buy a machine gun in North America than it is to buy raw milk. A friend of mine did experience it recently: she said it was like drinking a milkshake; thick, rich, smooth, milky goodness. SHe couldn't believe she was drinking plain old milk. Of course this is not something I'd recommend to just anybody. Farmstead cheesemakers who make raw milk cheese have every advantage in ensuring that their facility is as sanitary as an O.R. I wouldn't drink Joe the farmer's milk who pools his milk and doesn't care where it ends up because it'll be pasteurized...

[AndyG]

pasturized cows

[Anneke]

Pastured, not pasteurized.

[AndyG]

Yes I know that Louis Pasteur was not a meadow I was just being silly.

Just imagine pasteurized cows, whose milk you can use raw without worry. Kind of like Gary Larson's "boneless chicken farm" cartoon where the chickens are draped over the fence and all.

[siduri]

I like milk any way i can get it, except uht. I drink about a liter a day. I rarely have it straight, but in coffee, tea, cooking, etc. I had milk from the cow once when a guest in my cousin's house - she pasteurized it at home heating it to near boiling - it was not remarkably different, i thought. But i drink italian milk, so i don;t know. In the states, when i visit, everyone seems to have skim milk, the real fat-free stuff, which turns your coffee grey. To that, i say Yuck. But i guess i'm lactose dependent, because i'll drink that too if it's all there is.

[shel]

Originally Posted by Anneke

You will only ever legally drink pasteurized milk.
[...]
It's easier to buy a machine gun in North America than it is to buy raw milk.

The last time I checked, the sale of raw milk was legal in about 30 states. Here in Califdornia raw milk can be found in many outlets, including Whole Foods stores.

shel

[Anneke]

I knew of only 5-6 states that allowed it Shel, that's good to know. hopefully some day in Canada we'll be able to consume it too.

[CSG]

For those of you using milk with cereal, try using yogurt instead. I buy non-fat plain yogurt and top it with my favorite Nature's Path cereal. Add a little honey if you want it sweeter.

Milk as a beverage? Nope.