Milk

We're vegetarian, not vegan, so we still consume eggs and dairy products.  

Something very interesting that I want to share with you...this week, for the first time, I bought a carton of organic whole milk. I bought it because I purchased a box of organic granola for myself, and figured I would use that so that I didn't use up all of the Hartzler's, which I have to travel at least 40+ miles away to buy. I buy a half gallon of Hartzler's every Wednesday and Saturday. I pay around $6 per 1/2 gallon w/ the bottle deposit of $1.50. I have it worked out so that I'm bringing an empty bottle back every time, getting the deposit for that bottle back & applying it to the bottle deposit on the next one. 

Why am I willing to do this? Why Hartzler's? First, I believe in what they are doing, their farming practices, their philosophy, and that they really do care about my family. They are a small family run farm. Their cows are grass fed, hormone/antibiotic free, pastured, and ethically raised. Their milk is amazing...freshly bottled, the WHOLE milk is one ingredient...milk (the others are enriched, and the chocolate contains carrageenan, which is a standard practice, so I don't buy the others) . There are no additives & it hasn't been enriched with any vitamins...it doesn't need to be. It is pure milk. It is not homogenized, nor ultra pasteurized (killing all the good stuff!). It is pasteurized at a low temperature for a long period of time, killing any bacteria, but leaving all the good stuff intact. Lactose intolerant? Try Hartzler's. Their process leaves behind the good things that help your body digest lactose! Taste it...the cream rises to the top. It tastes completely different than the standard milk you are used to. I can't stand the taste of milk, never could, but I can drink this. 

That being said, here is the surprising thing that I discovered this week...that organic whole milk that I bought (ultra pasteurized) didn't taste anything likeconventional milk, either. It doesn't have that "milk smell" that I hate. My conclusion is this...what the cows are fed makes a huge difference in the taste of the milk. Try it, see for yourself. Organic milk is between $3.50-$4.50 per 1/2 gallon. Try it, and see if you notice the difference in taste and smell. I'd like to know what you think. I will still purchase Hartzler's twice a week, but the organic, though I'm not a fan of ultra-pasteurization, is not the worst option if I need to buy milk close to home.

Find out more about Hartzler's Dairy here.