For most of the 6,000 or so years man has been populating the earth, raw milk was the only milk available. For that matter, I'd say raw milk still dominates worldwide. No one told me that raw milk was so controversial! Even mentioning it to folks of my parent's generation brings winces of pain. They were trained by public schooling to believe that industrial food was safer, cleaner, and more modern than any farm or homemade product. Milk from the cow was for poor folks and was of questionable quality.
Anyway, little did I know, but you can't buy raw milk from the store in North Carolina. It's a good thing that I live about 14 miles from South Carolina, where freedom and raw milk reign! Gas is also about 45 cents per gallon cheaper in SC than NC so I ran "down" to Pickens on Saturday and picked up some raw milk and gasoline.
I purchased my milk from Bee Well Honey Farm Store in downtown Pickens (across from CVS). The milk was from M & M Dairy Farm in nearby Westminster. First off, the Bee Well Honey farm is a really neat store. They sell all sorts of beekeeping supplies as well as fresh honey, meats, and milk. M & M dairy is a grade A dairy and licensed to sell raw milk in SC.
I picked up 2 gallons. We made mozzarella cheese with 1 gallon and consumed the other gallon. Let me say that this milk is delicious and also makes great cheese. I don't know what I was expecting - I think some sort of thick or gamey taste. Not so, it was fresh and "clean" tasting. In a side-by-side comparison with "Big Box" milk, the Raw Milk tastes creamier and lighter. The aftertaste is stronger with the "Big Box" milk. The only downside is that Raw Milk is about twice as expensive- so we will have to buy it occasionally for a treat. Hopefully next year, Lord willing, we will be producing a little milk of our own.
Anyway, little did I know, but you can't buy raw milk from the store in North Carolina. It's a good thing that I live about 14 miles from South Carolina, where freedom and raw milk reign! Gas is also about 45 cents per gallon cheaper in SC than NC so I ran "down" to Pickens on Saturday and picked up some raw milk and gasoline.
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| Raw Holstein Milk from M&M Dairy in Westminster, SC |
I picked up 2 gallons. We made mozzarella cheese with 1 gallon and consumed the other gallon. Let me say that this milk is delicious and also makes great cheese. I don't know what I was expecting - I think some sort of thick or gamey taste. Not so, it was fresh and "clean" tasting. In a side-by-side comparison with "Big Box" milk, the Raw Milk tastes creamier and lighter. The aftertaste is stronger with the "Big Box" milk. The only downside is that Raw Milk is about twice as expensive- so we will have to buy it occasionally for a treat. Hopefully next year, Lord willing, we will be producing a little milk of our own.
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