Raw or not.....question for milkers.

[dublinup]

I know there are quite a few goat milkers, a couple of cow milkers and a couple of sheep milkers. I'm curious as to how many of you go raw, and how many pasteurize?

We are a raw family. It was my motivation for getting a cow in the first place, as raw isn't legal to obtain here, so milking myself was really the only option.

[slimy72]

We drink raw cows milk from a local dairy as we don't have room or time for a cow. We currently have a milk sheep, but not on purpose. And we aren't drinking her milk. I'm freezing it for the inevitable bum lamb (also raw) and I am saving some to make cheese, that I am pasteurizing.

[Manderzthegr8]

My husband is a dairy farmer. We take it from the tank and drink it raw. We have a pasteurizer but don't use it often for the milk we bring home.

[raisingcropsandbabies]

We drink it raw... too many benefits. I used to want to pasteurize it when we were first married (the thought of raw milk was so strange to me, but when I researched why pasteurization came to be and all that stuff, my mind was changed). One family we barter with, low-temp pasteurizes it because her mom flipped out completely when she found out! haha.

[slimy72]

How do you low temp pasteurize? I only pasteurize for cheese but I'd be interested in knowing how to do that. I much prefer to drink raw milk.

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Raw here. I don't remember who said it but the difference is that pasteurized is a beverage and raw is a nutrient.

[painter412]

we are raw, too, but we don't drink any milk. vitamins from milk can be found in other foods. if we do milk, we do goats.

[~happy2Bamommy~]

Raw goats and cows milk here!

[Macyllehub]

Raw. We have our own dairy goat and have a herd-share for 1 gal raw cows milk a week too.

[FernHollow]

I drink it raw, but I low temp pasteurize for my kids or make raw milk kefir. I have a kiddo with a very weakened immune system and while I think raw milk is an excellent healthy food, it is not safe for him even when it comes from our healthy goats. I am very careful with our sanitization and testing, but we have to be really careful with him. It just isn't worth the risk and stress.