by Bob Boyce » Thu Aug 23, 2007 4:24 am
Every time I take a gallon out of the milk cooler, I take the cream off of the top and store it in a jar in the fridge to warm up, as the milk cooler stores at 33.3 F. The next day I make butter by hand from it by shaking the jar until the cream turns to butter. I pour the buttermilk off into a jar and chill it for drinking later. I rinse and wash the butter with distilled water and store it in the fridge unsalted. Nothing goes to waste, as even souring milk can be churned for butter or made into cheese.
My dedicated milk cooler is made from a 25 year old Sears Kenmore freezer, fitted with a digital thermostat that the cord plugs into. It draws 1.4 KWhrs per day and is run from alternative energy, so I do not have to worry about a power failure ruining $200 worth of milk. We make a dairy run once a month and it's an all day drive to go there and back, as around here it is illegal for dairies to sell unpasteurized milk.
Bob