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So – where I am at, milk costs me about $6/gal. This is a raw milk and I understand that it’s around 6% milkfat and I think about the same protein content – it’s milked and packaged the same day and I have been very happy with the quality. The dairy has a commercial side and they sell the raw milk on the side – but because of the commercial operation they have all of the testing in place. Last week when I was getting milk on 5/17 – the folks had a sign in the fridge saying that the milk dated 5/13 was half off. As I am new to cheese making, I would like to ask if is this going to make much difference were I to pasteurize it and get into cheesemaking within 24 hours. I am only making cheese every week or every other week – but I am at the point where doubling what I make would not be a big issue – time wise. I’m just wondering if the quality of the milk goes down that much – that it would make the cost to be not worth it.
What is your experience?
Pete, I have had good luck with raw milk that has been in cool storage for days. I routinely get goat milk that is five or six days old and it makes great cheese. I have read that some of the old time cheese makers would intentionally age their milk for some cheese’s.
Thanks Tom – I’ll give it a try. do you know how long their aging would be?
The story is that for some types of cheese the Europeans would set out the evening milking to begin the ripening process then mix it with the morning milk and make cheese. Not quite the same as cold storage but a view into how they valued the existing bacteria and took advantage of it.
What about freezing raw goats milk ? Will that affect the curds or the final cheese, in quality ?
