Having a "half milk cow" (half Jersey, half Angus) like I do, gives me the opportunity to have endless amounts of fresh milk, and with endless amounts of fresh milk, there are an abundance of delicious things you can make. I don't want to debate the whole "hormone free" vs "hormone ridden" cow issue, nor do I want to debate the pasteurized vs raw milk issue. Suffice it to say, I like knowing what is in my milk, and if I want to pasteurize it I can, if I want to drink it raw, I can. I'm big on personal choice when it comes to food anyway. I do know that while there is a fair bit of work involved with having a family milk cow, even someone with a crazy schedule can do it, if you leave the calf with her. Initially, it does require some twice a day milking, just to get started while the calf is not drinking as much, but after about 2 weeks, the calf will "milk her out" pretty well, and you can transition to once a day milking fairly easily. After a couple of months however, the calf will take nearly all the milk and if you want some, you will have to separate mom and baby for a few hours to let her supply build up. By this time the calf is eating enough grass or hay to sustain himself and missing a few hours of nursing will not effect his growth. But you can expect a lot of complaining from both mom and baby while they are separated. It is a little easier if they can see each other, but there will still be some bawling.
I find that 6 hours is the magical number for miss Violet, and she will replenish plenty of milk in that amount of time. I also have found that if I allow the calf to nurse on one side while I milk out the other side, the cow "lets down" a lot more milk, and I can get one and a half - two gallons from just one half of her udder. That is plenty of milk for my family. Once the calf is weaned, you can milk her twice a day and
over a few days transition to once a day milking. At least 2 months
before her next calf is born, allow her to dry up to ready her udders
for producing colostrum for the new calf.
Since fall is baking season at our house, I have taken to using the fresh milk whenever possible. One common ingredient is sweetened condensed milk. Rather than using the store bought, canned variety, I decided to make my own. Here is how:
Using a heavy bottomed, stainless steel pot (a staple in any serious cook's kitchen) combine:
1 quart milk
1-1/2 cups sugar (I use granulated, but you can use brown, it will have a slightly darker color and slightly different flavor. Do not use confectioner's sugar as it often has cornstarch in it and will not turn out well.)
Pour the milk into the pot. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Place the pot of sweet milk on the stove top and heat at medium heat, stirring frequently until the steam starts to rise off the milk. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for 2 - 3 hours or until reduced to half the volume. It is not necessary to stir but once in a while IF you use a HEAVY BOTTOMED pan. Allow to cool slightly and pour into a hot, pint sized jar, cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. (Tip: You can make "evaporated" milk in the same way simply by eliminating the sugar.) This can be use in any recipe that calls for sweetened condensed milk.
One of my favorite things to do with sweetened condensed milk is to make caramel dipping sauce for apples (or whatever else you like!!). You will need:
1 pint sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1Tbsp butter
Melt the butter in a skillet or pot preferably stainless steel. Add the vanilla and the sweetened condensed milk, whisk until well combined. Bring to a boil and cook for several minutes continuing to whisk until the mixture becomes bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe container. Allow to cool completely then enjoy with apples or whatever other fruit or treat you like smothered in caramel sauce.
Enjoy!!
