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Focus on Co-op
Suppliers: Got Local Milk? Yep!
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by Audrey Schwartz
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Honest Weight carries milk
and other dairy products from Meadowbrook Farm in Clarksville, a farm
owned and operated by the Van Wie family. Delivered directly from the
farm, the milk travels a much shorter distance than some of the other
dairy brands sold at the Co-op. In addition to being locally produced,
the milk comes in returnable glass bottles. There is an initial deposit
on these bottles but at least the container is not going into the waste
stream.
Although the milk, heavy and light cream are not organic, Meadowbrook
does not use bovine growth hormones. Some dairy farmers use synthetic
hormones such as recombinant bovine growth hormones (rBGH) and
recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) in order to boost the milk
production of their cows. These hormones are sold by Monsanto Corp and
are genetically engineered variants of the natural growth hormone
produced by cows.
These synthetic hormones have been linked to health problems in both
cows and humans. Injection of the hormone in cows increases the
incidences of mastitis, lameness and reproductive complications.
According to Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, rBST
increases the risk of cancer by elevating levels of another hormone,
IGF-1. High levels of IGF-1 can promote breast cancer, prostate cancer
and colon cancer. Although the use of bovine growth hormone was banned
in Europe and Canada, it has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration since 1993. Dairy products from cows injected with
such growth hormones do not have to be labeled.
Meadowbrook also does not use antibiotics on their cows. Many
scientists have expressed concern that the substantial use of
antibiotics in animals used in food production is giving rise to new
strains of “superbugs” that are becoming more resistant to antibiotics.
The milk from Meadowbrook Farm is slow pasteurized. “Pasteurized” means
that the milk has been heated to a minimum of 161°F for a minimum
of 15 minutes (or 145°F for 30 minutes for equivalent kill of
bacteria), and packaged under clean and sanitized conditions. Some
dairy products, including some organic brands, are now
ultra-pasteurized. “Ultra-pasteurized” means that the milk is heated to
a much higher temperature (a minimum of 280°F for a minimum of 2
minutes). This temperature and time combination is much more lethal to
bacteria, killing virtually all of concern in milk. However, the reason
many dairy producers are using ultra-pasteurization is that it extends
the shelf life of the product. (This applies only until the product is
opened. Once opened, ultra-pasteurized milk should be use within 7 to
10 days, the same as pasteurized milk.) Some consumers feel, however,
that the ultra-pasteurization process effects taste and gives the milk
a more “cooked” flavor.
As for my own experience with Meadowbrook, I have used their milk, for
several years, to make yogurt. It works very well and produces a creamy
yogurt. (A recipe for homemade yogurt can be found at the end of this
article.) Recently, I purchased a book, Home Cheesemaking by Ricki
Carroll, and have used their milk to make some soft cheeses. I was
pleased to learn their milk is not ultra-pasteurized. The author
recommends against using ultra-pasteurized milk, as it may effect the
outcome of her recipes. A friend and I have tried Meadowbrook heavy
cream and feel that it whips up more quickly and has more volume than
other brands we have used.
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| Homemade
Yogurt |
(Makes
two quarts; recipe can be easily halved if you would prefer only one
quart)
½ gallon milk (whole, 2%, 1%, whatever you prefer)
½ cup nonfat dry milk
6 TBS yogurt (must contain active yogurt cultures)
1. Combine the liquid milk with the dry milk and heat the mixture in a
heavy saucepan or on the top of a double boiler, to 180ºF. Stir
occasionally to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan.
2. Remove from heat and let mixture cool to 120ºF. Stir
occasionally.
3. When the mixture has cooled, you will need a container that will
hold the yogurt and the milk while the yogurt forms. (I use a large
glass jar, which I wrap in a blanket and place in the closet. If you
are making only a quart, you could use a clean warmed thermos.)
4. If any film has formed on the top of the milk mixture, remove it.
Mix a small amount of the warm milk with the yogurt in the container.
Then stir in the rest of the milk mixture. Mix well.
5. Put container in a warm spot where it will be undisturbed for about
five hours.
6. At the end of 5 hours, mixture should have thickened. Refrigerate
for several hours to thicken further.
7. Save some of the yogurt to use as your starter the next time you
make yogurt.
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Audrey Schwartz is a member of the Co-op’s
Nutrition Education committee.
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| Sources: |
http://www.cheesemaking.com
http://www.farmandfood.org
http://www.organicconsumers.org
“Pasteurized vs. Ultra-Pasteurized Milk: Why such long sell-by dates?” (http://www.foodscience.cornell.edu/cals/foodsci/extension/upload/past-up-doc/doc).
Suemedha Sood. 2008. “Why Monsanto doesn’t want you to know about those
hormones in your dairy.” Washington Independent (March 25). |
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