Why Eat Raw Cultured Dairy Products?
80% or more of your immune system is contained in your gastrointestinal
tract. A healthy colonization of beneficial bacteria, or a
healthy bowel flora, ensures efficient disgestion and protection
from the harmful bacteria to which our bodies are constantly
exposed. Consider the safety of drinking water where you live
compared to in a different area of the world. Even our own
water, which may seem harmless, contains potentially harmful
bacteria that our bodies can easily dispose of because of
the colonization of beneficial bacteria in our system. In
another country or region, our gastrointestinal tract cannot
process native bacterias because our it is unfamiliar with
them. We rely on the health of our bowel flora each day to
protect us from harmful bacterias, and the healthier our flora,
the more protection we have.
We can have a healthy colonization of beneficial bacteria
as we constantly replenish our probiotic (or healthy) bacteria
and as we avoid antibiotic use (which harms our bowel flora).
With healthy gastrointestinal tract, our bodies are able to
defend us against invasive bacteria and viruses, as well as
properly process the foods we eat to avoid allergic responses
to improperly and impartially digested food.
There are many strains of healthy bacteria that can be beneficial
to our bodies. The best sources of beneficial bacteria are
cultured foods and drinks that contain active, healthy bacteria.
Raw milk is a source of probiotics because it contains healthy
bacteria not present in pasteurized milk. Drinking of raw
milk alone can boost your body's healthy bacteria count. Because
of refrigeration, however, the healthy bacteria count in raw
milk is less than cultured raw dairy products. All cultured
dairy products have a specific bacterial culture added to
the milk, which milk is then kept at a temperature optimal
for the growth of that culture. The flavor and consistency
of the dairy product made in this process is a result of the
added culture and temperature balance. The "growing"
of healthy bacteria in milk greatly increases the quantity
of the probiotic bacteria in the product.
Probably the most well known and well advertised source of
probiotics in dairy foods is yogurt that contains active cultures.
Cultures of lactobacillus bulgaricus and streptococcus thermophilus
are required to make yogurt, and lactobacillus acidophilus
may also be added. All yogurt in the US is made with these
required 2 cultures, which provides the flavor of yogurt we
expect, but not all yogurt contains ACTIVE cultures. If the
yogurt is heat-processed following the culturing process,
the bacteria are killed, and no longer effective.
Different kinds of cultured dairy products are made with
different cultures, and provide different probiotic strains.
The more kinds of probiotic bacteria that you consume, the
more kinds that can take up residence in your gastrointestinal
tract. All the cultured dairy products listed here that are
offered by our co-op are made with raw milk and contain live
cultures. Even our raw butter contains probiotic cultures!
Choosing these cultured dairy products is a great way to feed
your immune system as well as your appetite!
| Raw Milk Yogurt
(Thick, Greek Style)
Culture type:
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Lactobacillus delbruecki subsp. bulgaricus
- Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis
- Streptococcus thermophilus
Culturing time: 8 hours
Culturing Temperature: 105-110 degrees
Maximum Cooking Temperature: N/A
Shelf Life: 2 weeks
Fluid used: whole raw milk
Other ingredients: none
Sold in quarts/pints: $8.00/$4.50
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Ways to Enjoy:
- Mixed with fresh fruit, jams, vanilla, lemon, maple
syrup, etc. for flavoring
- Smoothies with frozen or fresh fruit
- Frozen yogurt or creamsicles
- In baked goods such as breads or muffins
|
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| Raw Milk Cottage Cheese
Culture type: Mesophillic
Culturing time: 24 - 30 hours
Culturing Temperature: room temperature
Maximum Cooking Temperature: 115 degrees
Shelf Life: 2 to 4 weeks
Fluid used: skimmed raw milk
Other ingredients: sea salt
Sold in 1 pound containers: $6.50
Recipe available on our recipe
page.
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Ways to Enjoy:
- For "creamed" cottage cheese (store-bought
style), add a few tablespoons of fresh sweet cream to
your cottage cheese
- Served with fruit such as pineapple or cocktail
- Served with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes
- Baked in pancakes
|
| Raw Milk Cream Cheese
Culture type: Mesophillic
Culturing time: 30 - 36 hours
Culturing Temperature: room temperature
Maximum Cooking Temperature: 80 degrees
Shelf Life: 2 weeks
Fluid used: raw cream
Other ingredients: sea salt
Sold in 1/2 pound containers: $4.00
|
Ways to Enjoy:
- Spread on crackers or as a sandwich/wrap spread
- On bagels or toast
- Baked in cheesecake
- Added to casseroles and other main dishes
|
| Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese Curds
Culture type: Mesophillic
Culturing time: 3 - 4 hours
Culturing Temperature: 86 degrees
Maximum Cooking Temperature: 100 degrees
Shelf Life: 3 - 4 weeks (or more)
Fluid used: whole raw milk
Other ingredients: rennet, sea salt
Sold in 1/2 pound bags: $6.00
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Ways to Enjoy:
- Great snack food
- Dipped in egg and bread crumbs seasoned with garlic,
and baked (while fresh it won't melt when heated)
- Starts out mild and "squeaky" and grows
softer and more flavorful in time
|
| Raw Milk Mozzarella
Culture type: Mesophillic
Culturing time: 3 - 4 hours
Culturing Temperature: 91 degrees
Maximum Cooking Temperature: 150 degrees
(Heated in salt brine before stretching)
Shelf Life: 3 - 4 weeks
Fluid used: skimmed raw milk
Other ingredients: citric acid, rennet, sea salt
Sold in 1/2 pound containers: $6.00
|
Ways to Enjoy:
- Sliced into cheese sticks
- Toasted on sandwiches
- Shredded on baked dishes such as lasagne or pizza
- Freezes well
|
| Raw Cultured Butter
Culture type: Mesophillic - Flora Danica
Culturing time: 2 - 4 hours
Culturing Temperature: 50-70 degrees
Maximum Cooking Temperature: N/A
Shelf Life: 4-8 weeks
Fluid used: cream
Other ingredients: sea salt
Sold in 1/2 pound containers: $5.50
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Ways to Enjoy:
- Can I number the ways?
- Mix with jams or honey and cinnamon for flavored spreads
for scones or rolls
- Use to saute on low heat
- Freezes well |
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