You haven’t had real milk til you’ve had raw milk! Learn why you should drink it and get 115 recipes to try in this Essential Guide to Raw Milk!
Maybe it’s just me, but even though it excites me afresh each and every time a fruit or vegetable comes into season, by the time the season is over, I can’t help but be secretly glad. Yes, even fresh tomatoes. By the time they’re done, I’m ready to move on. It’s horrible, isn’t it?
But it’s true.
I easily get bored and I love trying new recipes, flavor combinations, and I’m always eager for the next thing to come into season.
But there’s one exception. My glass of raw milk.
Don’t you dare try to get between it and me. I take it straight, 3 times a day (at least), and I never, and I mean never, EVER tire of it.
As much as I love water, you try drinking it with your oatmeal in the morning. Nee-asty!
Give me my fresh, full-fat, Jersey milk. No post-pasteurization dead bacteria floaties, please. I’ll take mine raw and alive & healthy and teeming full of beneficial bacteria! After all, I KNOW our milk was handled, start to finish, especially for raw consumption and so it’s safe and clean.
If you’ve no clue as to why you should be drinking your milk raw (besides the fact that it tastes amazing), let me direct you to some articles and resources that will have you ready to see what the big deal is all about. Check out the Real Milk website as your first step in the search.
Of course, once you’ve found a local source for clean, raw milk, you’re going to want to play around with it a bit. And I highly recommend that you do, even if your raw milk source offers other dairy products such as yogurt & cheese, I promise you, they will taste better if you make them yourself. That’s why I choose to DIY. So, if I may, I’d like to suggest trying one of the recipes here?
Essential Guide To Raw Milk
Be sure to head over and check out our Homesteader’s Shopping Guide to find the best tools and resources for managing all that milky goodness in your home dairy!
{Why Raw Milk is the Best Milk}
What’s the Big Deal with Raw Milk? The Truth Behind the Phenomenon
Raw Milk from Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Got Raw Milk? Questions to Ask Your Farmer from Nourishing Joy
5 Reasons Why We Drink Raw Milk from Nourishing Joy
Raw Milk & The Raw Truth from Cultured Palate
3 Facts You Should Know About Raw Milk from Real Food Kosher
The Risk of Raw Milk by Pantry Paratus
The Top 10 Benefits of Organic Grass Fed Dairy Cheese
from Mamavation
Why Grass Fed Matters from Nourished Kitchen
Why YOU should be drinking Raw Milk… from Weed Em & Reap
Raw Milk: The Benefits, The Drawbacks, And Making It Work For You from Don’t Waste The Crumbs
Raw Milk & Dairy: The Health Benefits
from Au Naturale Nutrition
Why I Drink Raw Milk from Eat Naked Now
From Barn to Fridge: 6 Tips for Safely Handling Raw Milk from The Prairie Homestead
Got (Raw) Milk? Why We Went Raw from The Prairie Homestead
Can Farm Life Boost Your Natural Immunity?
from Learning & Yearning
Can Good Bacteria Destroy Bad Bacteria? from Learning and Yearning
Salmonella Hoopla: Why I feed my children RAW egg yolks, RAW cheese, & RAW milk from Weed Em & Reap
I Drink Raw Milk from O Lardy
Why My Paleo Family Drinks Raw Milk from The Paleo Mama
The Cost of Producing Raw Milk from The Well-Fed Homestead
{Raw Milk Recipes From Reformation Acres}
Traditional Raw Milk Mozzarella
How to Skim Cream from Whole Milk
Maple Sweetened Condensed Milk
{Butter}
Making Cultured Butter from The Promised Land Farm
Homemade Grass-Fed Raw Butter from Livin’ Lovin’ Farmin’
Pesto Compound Butter from Feed Your Soul
Homemade Clarified Butter (Ghee) from The Elliott Homestead
How To Make Cultured Butter from The Elliott Homestead
5 Homemade Flavored Butter Recipes from Happy Money Saver
Best Flavored Butter Recipes from The Elliott Homestead
Roasted Garlic Butter from The Elliott Homestead
Cinnamon Butter Candy from The Elliott Homestead
Making Butter in a Jar from The Homestead Honey
{Cheese}
Raw Cheese Benefits from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Making Raw Milk Camembert & Brie Cheese from The Promised Land Farm
Cottage Cheese from Homemade Mommy
Homemade Mozzarella & Ricotta from Livin’ Lovin’ Farmin’
Homemade Quark from Cakes & More
Large Curd Cottage Cheese from Common Sense Homesteading
Blossom Cheese from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Farmhouse Cheese from Sunnyside Farm
Cheddar Cheese from Amazing Graze Farm
Quick & Easy Cheese Spread from Amazing Graze Farm
How To Make Ricotta Cheese (video) from The Elliott Homestead
Homemade Halloumi from Cooking with Gifs
Romano Cheese from New England Cheesemaking
Havarti Cheese from New England Cheesemaking
Gruyere Cheese from New England Cheesemaking
Gouda Cheese from New England Cheesemaking
A Complete List of Cheese Recipes from New England Cheesemaking
Colby Cheese from New England Cheesemaking
Homemade Cultured & Flavored Cream Cheese (video) from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
4 Easy Raw Cheese Recipes from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Labneh With Lemon and Thyme and Ciabatta Toasts from Simply Delicious
Mascarpone Cheese from Food Fanatic
Homemade Fresh Farmer’s Cheese from The Healthy Foodie
Paneer from Health Starts in the Kitchen
The Easiest Homemade Cheese Ever: Soft Fromage Blanc from Common Sense Homesteading
Homemade Raw Cheddar Cheese from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Waxing Cheese from The Survival Mom
Beeswax Cheesewax from Curd Nerd
How To Smoke Cheese at Home from Melissa K. Norris
How To Make Fromage Blanc from The Prairie Homestead
Mizithra Cheese from Joybilee Farms
How To Make Cream Cheese from The Prairie Homestead
Cottage Cheese from Urban Overalls
How To Make Feta Cheese from The Promised Land Farm
{Cream, Soured & Otherwise}
How To Make Sour Cream from The Prairie Homestead
20 Ways to Use Sour Raw Milk from The Prairie Homestead
How To Clabber Milk from The Nourishing Cook
Cultured Sour Cream from O Lardy
Cultured Dairy: How to Make 1 Stick of Butter, 1 Pint of Sour Cream, and 1 Pint of Buttermilk with JUST ONE Quart of Cream! from The Paleo Mama
Transforming Homemade Creme Fraiche Into Cultured Butter
Homemade Sour Cream from Whisk Affair
Homemade Creme Fraiche from The Hungry Hounds
Clotted Cream from Craft Marmalade
Click for credit
{Ice Cream, Drinks, & Desserts}
Raw Milk Popsicles from Nourishing Joy
Bourbon Honey Ice Cream with Brown Butter Crumble & Fresh Peaches from Climbing Grier Mountain
Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream from With Love & Cupcakes
Rice Pudding from Granny Miller
Vanilla Milkshake from Paula Deen
Cultured Vanilla Ice Cream from The Coconut Mama
Perfect No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream from Venison For Dinner
Salted Caramel Pudding from Baking a Moment
Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake from Recipe
Chocolate Probiotic Ice Cream from Homemade Mommy
Raw Milk Orange Julius with Ginger & Chia Seeds from My Life in a Pyramid
Homemade Custard from My Recipe Book
Raw Chocolate Milk from Nourishing Days
Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake from The Hungry Mouse
Old Fashioned Chocolate Pudding Recipe from Common Sense Homesteading
Basic Eggnog from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream from Home Joys
Golden Milk from The Faulk Farmstead
Pumpkin Pudding from Home Joys
Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta from Livin’ Lovin’ Farmin’
Simple Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream from The Prairie Homestead
Real Milk Vanilla Ice Cream from Homemade Mommy
Eggnog from The Nourishing Cook
Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt from Whole Lifestyle Nutrition
Raw Milk Ice Cream from Butter Nutrition
Click for credit
{Goat’s Milk}
Goat Milk Ricotta Cheese from Homespun Seasonal Living
Homemade Chèvre Goat Cheese from Weed Em & Reap
Homemade Goat’s Milk Mozzarella Cheese from Weed Em & Reap
Marinated Feta from Bite By Michelle
Soft Goat Milk Cheese from Homestead Revival
How To Make Goat Cheese from Green Eggs & Goats
Click for credit
{Milk Kefir}
How To Make Homemade Milk Kefir The Easy Way from Whistle Pig Hollow
How To Make Kefir from The Elliott Homestead
Raw Pumpkin Kefir Cheesecake from Homemade Mommy
Raw Milk Kefir Smoothie from The Browning Homestead
How To Make Kefir Cheese and Whey from Homemade Mommy
8 Yummy Ways to Eat Kefir from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Kefir Popsicles from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
Chocolate Kefir Smoothies from Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS
{Yogurt}
Kefir/Yogurt Cheese Balls from GNOWFGLINS
Super Easy Yogurt Cheese from The Elliott Homestead
Homemade Frozen Yogurt from The Prairie Homestead
Yogurt Fruit Leather from Thank Your Body
How to Make Foolproof Crockpot Yogurt from Granny Miller
Yogurt Ranch Dip from Nourishing Days
Yogurt Cream Cheese From Thank Your Body
Homemade Honey-Sweetened Yogurt Popsicles from The Elliott Homestead
Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes from Real Food Outlaws
No- Measure Homemade Yogurt from Attainable Sustainable
{Whey}
16 Uses for Whey from The Prairie Homestead
And in case I missed anything, here is another collection of recipes from Ever Growing Farm.
What’s your favorite way to take your raw milk?
While I respect anyone’s desire to drink raw milk if that’s what they want, it’s not for me. A close friend developed fatal liver cancer, as it turned out 6 other people did who participated in the same raw milk share. I’m not saying that the milk caused the cancer; it’s just too sore of an emotional subject for me.
Thanks for the inclusion Quinn! This is a GREAT list!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
You’re welcome 😀
Cheers to raw milk! We’re only owned goats for the past 8 months, but we love, love, love our raw milk and all the yummy things we make from it!!
There’s nothing like it! Can you even imagine going back to drinking regular milk again? Not me!
Great read! As I sit here reading and enjoying a bowl of homemade raw cottage cheese and a big glass of raw milk from my beautiful loving Jersey cow. 🙂
This was a beautiful tribute to raw milk amd all the glorious things it can become!! I buy raw milk from a co-op right now, but a milk cow will be one of the first thibgs we invest in once we own land! 😀 already learned how to make a lot of those things!! Nothing like eating colby cheese on potatoes or pizza that you made yourself!! Love love love!!! Im in love with my future Jersey girl and I dont even know her name yet! Ha! 😀
Oh my Emily! You will LOVE having your own cow! Best part of homesteading in my opinion! It is amazing at how much nutrition they can contribute to the your supply. And of course it tastes amazing, but forget all that, they are such a blessing to work with! I love all my girls dearly! May your Jersey girl be closer in your future than you hope! 🙂
I buy/drink raw milk, but I can’t find someone in my area who does not take the calves away from the cows. Not happy w/that one 🙁
I understand that entirely! We’ve had a lot of discussion this year about how we can try to do proceed with our herdshare without doing that and haven’t come up with a solution, but will try to find one that works for us. So I get it from both sides. I’m just glad that we don’t make our livelihood from our herdshare and have the flexibility to be able to share milk with the little one it belongs to. 🙂
Appreciating the commitment you put into your website
and detailed information you present. It’s nice to come across a blog every once
in a while that isn’t the same unwanted rehashed material.
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