How to Handle Raw Goat Milk

Anytime I bring up goat milk with people I tend to hear "I don't like it because it taste like a goat smells or it tastes goaty". Well if you have goat milk that tastes like this it isn't being handled correctly. Goat milk should taste fresh, sweat, creamy, and oh so delicious. Everyone who has tasted my goat milk has commented it taste just like regular milk and they can't tell the difference at all. Great that is what it should taste like.

There are a few factors that can alter the taste of goat milk. One is diet. If goats eat nothing but weeds and "junk" well their milk isn't going to taste the best. Also, if there is a buck near them. Anytime a buck is around a doe in milk it will alter the taste of her milk. A big reason I have chosen NOT to keep a buck. It is just much to hard to keep them far enough away from my ladies. Lastly the most important reason the milk can taste off is how it is handled. Here are my tips for how to handle raw milk after milking for the best tasting milk around. 1) Make sure all your milking supplies are clean. This include the bucket, your hands, the goats teats and udder, and the environment you are milking in. If you are outside and it is super windy and dust is flying everywhere that is going to end up in your milk (YUCK!). 2) Keep your milk out of the sunlight and filter it immediately after milking. Do not wait to finish taking care of the goat or finish chores. Milk comes first. I use 2 filters for my milk a larger reusable filter you might use in a coffee maker and a 1 time use guaze disk filter that catches very very fine things. 3) Chill your milk as soon as possible and then keep it between 35-38 degrees. I usually put mine in the freezer for 1 hour then move it to the refrigerator. The quicker you get it cool the better thus the reason I choose the freezer first.

4) Store your milk in glass jars. Plastic can take on smells and can therefore alter the taste of your milk. I buy old fashioned milk jars from Red Hill General Store, but canning jars work great as well. Just make sure the glass jars you use are clean and if using canning jars spring for the plastic lids. The metal lids will rust over time and can cause problems. This is all it takes to keep your raw goat milk tasting amazing for up to 2 weeks.

Happy Milking!

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