[Sca-cooks] Cream

[Holly Stockley]

>
>I'm curious how these set fat ratios are achieved these days, particularly 
>since the amount of fat differs from breed to breed, cow to cow and even 
>season to season.

The bulk tank off every farm is tested.  The new (well, relatively) pricing 
system pays the farmer on total weight, with premiums for butterfat, protein 
% and low somatic cell counts.  So EVERY tanker is a known quantity anyway.

>
>Do they have a method for removing the fat, so that they just pour all the 
>milk together making an average amount of fat, and then remove various 
>amounts to make the various milk products?
>
Pretty much, yes.  At the standard processing plant, the components are 
stripped out, stored in separate tanks then added back to the skim milk in 
standardized amounts depending on the product.   Whole milk is usually 
standardized at around 8.8 percent protein and 3.4 percent fat for a total 
of 12.2 percent solids.  Varies by manufacturer.  Excess protein and fat 
goes for cream, cheese, ice cream and other products.

Frankly, unless you're in WI, commercial dairies are almost entirely 
populated with Frisian Holstein cattle.  They give 2-3 or more times the 
milk of the "colored breeds".  If of somewhat inferior quality in terms of 
solids.  Though the old English Shorthorn, one of the last "dual purpose" 
milk and meat breeds is till around.  They give less milk than Holsteins 
with less fat and protein than Jerseys or Guernseys - so they're not very 
popular.   BUT they would probably be a fair approximation of the basic Farm 
Cow of latter days.  I've not done enough research to say they'd be a good 
period animal...  not sure anything is anymore, having been selectively bred 
on some pretty high standards.  Though surfing the American Livestock Breed 
Conservation website turns up some interesting critters that have NOT been 
"overimproved."

I don't really advocate raw milk, at least in my area.  (We have a 
tuberculosis problem that makes it a fairly chancy exercise).  However, if 
you can find one, there are a number of dairies (usually organic) that do 
not do this strip and recombine process.  They pasteurize the milk, then 
bottle it.  It's fairly expensive, but gosh it's nice stuff.  There are even 
a few that deliver say, Jersey milk, straight to your door in the cute 
little glass bottles.  Check localharvest.org and search under milk.

Then go make, say, a custard tart with standard grocery ingredients.  And 
one with unhomogenized dairy products.  *g*  I'll wait.  Whilst I eat my 
fresh raspberries with cream poured off the top of a bottle.

Femke