Raw Milk a subject of Controversy
Raw milk is somewhat of a controversial subject. With many believing it is a lot more dangerous than pasteurized. But the truth is that much more people get sick from pasteurized dairy than raw. The amount of people who get sick from raw milk is actually incredibly low in comparison.
Of course there should be safety protocols in place, afterall there was a reason they started to pasteurize milk in the 1800s. But that reason was the conditions that the cows were in. They lived in close quarters like conventional cows of today and were eating the wrong foods.
Your small town farmer on the other hand was perfectly healthy because their cows had the freedom to go out to pasture and were not confined to such a small space.
So like back then you want to seek out your local small farmer who doesn’t keep their cows confined in such an unhealthy manner. The two in my area that I go to are Bryant Dairy Farm and Clear Creek Organic Farms.
Raw is best
I imagine you wonder why I would go to such a trouble to get raw dairy. Well it is a lot more easier to digest for one because it has the lactase that is burnt off in the cooking process. The original reason I actually switched to raw milk was because of my husband. Pasteurized dairy was making him feel sick so I looked around for an alternative. I thought maybe nut milk at first but stumbled on a post talking about raw milk.
I had vaguely heard of it, but only in passing and it was always in a negative light. So I read many of the comments on this post and found that many people had been helped from consuming raw milk. People who have lactose intolerance were able to drink raw milk without an issue. Others had an improvement in allergies and asthma.
I wasn’t completely sure but decided to look for farms in our area that sold raw milk. And found Russ and Lori from Bryant Dairy farm. We have now been drinking raw milk since 2017 and we believe it has helped us stay healthy. For instance I don’t get nearly as sick as I used to.
Raw dairy on Keto or a Low carb diet
Now I know raw milk is not keto approved. It is just too high in carbs to really fit on a keto diet. If you are low carb however you could easily drink one to two cups a day without an issue.
You can also turn your milk into yogurt which will in turn give you even more probiotics. And if you strain it you can make more of a greek yogurt which is more easier to fit into a keto diet.
Also if you are keto you can buy the raw cream instead and add it to your coffee, meals and desserts. Raw cream is actually very different than store bought. In the store it is in a liquid form. Whereas when it is raw it is more thick and almost looks like it has been whipped already.
Anyway do start exploring the area around you. Many farmers will sell you quality products for less than the store so it is really in your best interest to get to know your local farmer.
Making the Yogurt
Alright let’s get to making some raw milk yogurt. I am making it in my instant pot because it is the best way I have found to make it to stay as close to being raw. It does stay at 110F through the culturing process but doesn’t increase any more than this.
If you don’t have an instant pot I have also included some instructions to do it in the slowcooker. It takes a little bit more effort but it still pretty simple and the results are generally the same.
Also for thickened yogurt like the store it is crucial that you include the gelatin in this recipe. Otherwise your yogurt will be quite liquidy. If however you would like to make greek yogurt refrain from adding the gelatin and then strain your yogurt in a cheesecloth over a bowl in your fridge to separate the yogurt from the whey. This will take about 12 hours. Any longer and you will turn your yogurt into yogurt cheese (labneh) which is not bad if you would like to try this.
Also keep your whey. You can add it to your ferments to help speed up the culturing. This article also has more uses you can do with it if you were curious.
Alright without further ado here’s the recipe:
Raw Milk Yogurt in the Instant Pot
1/2 gallon raw milk or Whole Milk if you can’t find raw
2 Tbsp Gelatin
4 Tbsp Pausterized whole milk yogurt (for culturing the yogurt)
1.Put a couple of cups of raw milk in the Instant pot.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk.
3. Whisk the milk and gelatin together.
4. Press the “Yogurt” button.
5. Next, press “Adjust” once so the display reads “Boil”.
6. Stir the milk constantly, let the milk heat just until the gelatin has melted. You will know its ready when there are no more flakes of gelatin visible in the milk (I check around the sides of the pot, if the gelatin isn’t visible on the sides it is done).
7. Press the “Cancel” button.
8. Add the remainder of the milk to the pot.
9. Then add your pasteurized yogurt to the pot.
10. Stir well.
11. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the venting knob to the sealing position.
12. Press the “Yogurt” button. Use “Adjust” if necessary, to put it on the “Normal” setting.
13. Next, using the -/+ buttons, adjust time. Set it to 24 hours.
14. Put the Instant Pot in a corner of the kitchen (where a toddler can’t reach) to culture undisturbed for the duration of the time; the display will count up to show you how long it’s been.
15. When done, put a glass or silicone lid on the insert pot and transfer to the refrigerator for 24 hours to set up fully. (This is an important step so don’t skip it!)
16. Enjoy!
Slowcooker Instructions
1.Put the raw milk in the slowcooker.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk.
3. Whisk the milk and gelatin together. Put the glass lid on the slowcooker and cover with a towel.
4. Set your slowcooker to low and let it heat to 110F but no higher. (I turn it off at around 109F).
5. Stir your milk again till the gelatin is all mixed in.
6. Take out a cup of milk from the slowcooker and mix in your pasteurized yogurt.
7. Put the slowcooker lid back on and cover once again with a towel to keep the yogurt warm.
8. You will now want to check your yogurt with the candy thermometer every few hours to make sure it stays within the 95-100F range. If it dips below 95F, turn the slowcooker on to “warm” and check it in 10 minute and 5 minute intervals. I like to get back up to 100.
9. You will continue checking the temperature till you reach your bed time. Heat it one more time and leave it overnight to culture.
10. Once it’s morning take the slowcooker insert out and refrigerate the yogurt for 24 hours to set up fully. (This is an important step so don’t skip it!)
11. Enjoy!
Adapted from Traditional Cooking Schools raw milk yogurt.
RAW MILK YOGURT IN THE INSTANT POT
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon raw milk or Whole Milk if you can’t find raw
- 2 Tbsp Gelatin
- 4 Tbsp Pausterized whole milk yogurt for culturing the yogurt
Instructions
- Put a couple of cups of raw milk in the Instant pot.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the milk.
- Whisk the milk and gelatin together.
- Press the “Yogurt” button.
- Next, press “Adjust” once so the display reads “Boil”.
- Stir the milk constantly, let the milk heat just until the gelatin has melted. You will know its ready when there are no more flakes of gelatin visible in the milk (I check around the sides of the pot, if the gelatin isn’t visible on the sides it is done).
- Press the “Cancel” button.
- Add the remainder of the milk to the pot.
- Then add your pasteurized yogurt to the pot.
- Stir well.
- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the venting knob to the sealing position.
- Press the “Yogurt” button. Use “Adjust” if necessary, to put it on the “Normal” setting.
- Next, using the -/+ buttons, adjust time. Set it to 24 hours.
- Put the Instant Pot in a corner of the kitchen (where a toddler can’t reach) to culture undisturbed for the duration of the time; the display will count up to show you how long it’s been.
- When done, put a glass or silicone lid on the insert pot and transfer to the refrigerator for 24 hours to set up fully. (This is an important step so don’t skip it!)
- Enjoy!