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Newsletter>
Homemade Dairy Products
September 1, 2007
Dear Friends,
You may have heard that milk is something to be avoided if
you are seeking better health. In fact, dairy products
have been linked to illness and disease. It is common for
babies and children to develop allergies to dairy products.
Ear infections, yeast infections, irritable bowel,
diabetes, and even heart disease have been associated with
the consumption of milk. So, why am I encouraging you to
make your own homemade dairy products? Good question!
Fresh, natural milk is a food that was promised to the
children of Israel by our Creator! God speaks good things
about milk. He makes several promises of a land "flowing
with milk and honey". If God thinks that milk is a good
thing and He considers the abundance of milk a blessing
from Him, then I am convinced that I need to drink it and
feed it to my family, as well! But, a catch does exist...
You see, God is speaking of fresh, unadulterated milk. The
milk from cows, sheep, and goats, specifically. This milk
is not pasteurized, homogenized, or chemically-altered in
any way. The animals are fed on grass and wild foods, not
given milk-inducing hormones or growth hormones to increase
yield. They are kept outside in the fresh air, not on
concrete floors in stinky, cramped barns. The animals have
been created to be healthy and, in turn, they will give
healthy milk to encourage the good health of God's people.
God wants us to be healthy. It is His blessing.
A very common way for ancient people to consume dairy
products was by culturing it, or allowing it to ferment.
Yoghurt or kefir, and curds or cheese, were a very
important part of the Israelite's diet. They should also
be an important part of our diet, as well.
To make kefir is probably the most simple way to culture
your milk. For those who do not have access to
unpasteurized milk, this is an excellent way to "put the
good bacteria back in". You simply need to place your
kefir grains in a jar of room temperature milk and let it
set for 24 to 48 hours. It will become thicker and fizzy.
To encourage more fizz, shake it often throughout the
fermentation phase. When it is ready, you simply strain it
through a plastic strainer and remove the grains. Keep the
kefir refrigerated and use it often.
You can make a delicious, simple kefir cream cheese by
leaving the kefir for 36 hours. When the whey seperates
from the curd, pour off the whey (save this!), and pour the
curds into a cheesecloth lined strainer. Make sure you
remove your kefir grains. Allow this to drain for 12 to 24
hours. Catch the whey in a bowl placed beneath the
strainer. When all of the additional whey has drained,
stir the curds into a cream and add salt, garlic, and some
herbs for a splendid cheese. Store this in the
refrigerator for a week.
To make butter, you will need a quart of cold, raw cream.
Place an ice cube or two into the jar and begin to shake
it. It takes about 15 or 20 minutes of shaking. You will
eventually have a ball of butter and a jar of fresh
buttermilk. Pour off the buttermilk and rinse the butter
with cold water while pressing it with a wooden spoon.
Once you are not able to press out any more buttermilk,
your butter is ready. Store it in a butter crock or the
refrigerator. You can also pour your cream into a blender
or mix it with a mixer. Watch for the butter to form and
then stop mixing and pour off the buttermilk. Proceed the
same way by rinsing with cold water and pressing. You can
leave it unsalted, but I prefer to add a teaspoon or so of
sea salt. Making butter could not be easier! You don't
need a fancy butter churn to make delicious, creamy butter.
I have used a Bosch Kitchen Mixer, now I use the
jar/husband method. (Put those strong husbands to good use
and have them shake the jar.) The butter we make at home is
the best butter I've ever had.
Homemade dairy products are so easy to make and so good for
your health! The problem, of course, for many of you, will
be finding a supply of raw milk. Check out
www.realmilk.com for information.
If you have an acre or two, why not consider keeping a
dairy goat? The Nigerian Dwarf is a small goat and two of
them would supply a family of 6 with enough milk. They
take up very little room and don't need much shelter. A
garden shed would work just fine. They are quiet and clean
animals. With the cost of milk going up, you could spend
your milk money for the week on feed for your goats! When
properly handled, goat milk is delicious and tastes very
similar to cows milk. We have even given "taste tests" and
have had people believe that they were drinking cows milk!
If you want to read an interesting little story about how
one of our goats delivered triplets, head to my blog at
www.homesteadblogger.com/fromfieldsandgardens.
Have a fun Labor Day week-end! We are off to Grandpa's
farm for a terrific camping adventure. We'll be cooking
over the open fire, sleeping in the one-room cabin, hiking,
bird-watching, and looking for elderberries and other wild
herbs...I can't wait to get there!
Shalom,
Jennifer Ferris
www.fromfieldsandgardens.com
Jennifer@fromfieldsandgardens.com
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