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Posted

Now, I get asked all the time if I milk my cows or do anything with their milk at all. I do not. However, I was asked recently if I would be willing to milk one of my cows so they could see the milk. I was baffled at why they would want to do that because my breed is not popular for milk - though, it doesn't taste that different in my experience. Apparently this customer knew that grass fed cattle have higher beta carotenes, among other vitamins which causes the beef fat to be yellow. They had thought my cattle would have yellow milk. So, this got me on an educational moment for the customer and after talking with a few folks at work I began to realize it is not that commonly known.

 

Did you know that grass fed butter is yellow and grain fed butter is white? If you go to the store and buy heavy creme and whip it to butter it will undoubtedly turn white because the animals being milked were fed grain silage and other by-products. Their fat content is white because it includes less beta carotenes then a grass fed animal. A grass fed cow will still produce white milk but when you whip it the by product will shift in its tone and become a yellowish color due to the fat separating from the butter milk. Whipping / heavy cream produces buttermilk and butter. The buttermilk made in a blender or processor is very low in fat, 2g of fat per cup without a particulate strainer. If you whip it with a butter churn the fat content will be 0%. The buttermilk made in this process with either type of cream is much better then what is commercially available. (If you want a buttermilk banana bread recipe that is delicious, let me know). Anyway, the yellow butter is considered healthier for you and tastes much richer. The boldness of it is unexplainable.

 

In the older days when you'd get it from the Gov on food rations they would give you the grain fed butter with yellow dye packets to make it look authentic. Back then it was not normal to have white butter, just like it is not today. Of course, with all the by-product style margarine and butters it doesn't much matter anyway...but if you're looking for something fun to do this weekend try to make your own buttermilk/butter. You can also infuse your own flavors in to your buttermilk or butter. Pumpkin buttermilk, anyone?

 

Also, fun fact: Cultered buttermlk - which is what you buy at the store - is cultured from streptococcus. Don't believe me? http://biology.clc.uc.edu/fankhauser/cheese/buttermilk.htm

 

It is kind of neat being able to write little articles like this and being knowledgeable enough that I do not have to site references or provide links to back my stuff up. I know my ****. :nana:

 

And, Gugny - my bull produces no milk, but you're welcome to try...

Posted

Little extra time on our hands today?

its cloudy and windy out. Can't expect anyone to be out there in this mess.

 

Friday AM I usually take time off. Farm work is hard work if you don't work smart. Smart work of it makes it a lot easier.

Posted

its cloudy and windy out. Can't expect anyone to be out there in this mess.

 

Friday AM I usually take time off. Farm work is hard work if you don't work smart. Smart work of it makes it a lot easier.

Are the cows OK with this?

Posted

Are the cows OK with this?

My mom checks them in the morning and evening. It is her exercise. They're fine. Won't be a calf until next week.
Posted (edited)

I thought that was when the first margarine came out as oleo, those companies would give people the yellow dye packets because they couldn't make oleo look like regular butter. The dairy industry fought hard for margarine to not look too much like "real butter". At first the dairy industry won and made the margarine companies have to include the yellow dye pack... The rest is history, glad they couldn't corner the market on a color. Sheesh!

 

Good forbid that people eat oleo (margarine) and have it look like regular butter! How crooked is that?

 

I buy Country Crock.

 

Good thing the butter industry isn't making you add the color separately anymore! Ba*tards!

 

;-P

 

Little extra time on our hands today?

 

LoL... My thought exactly. Dairy industry is using him as their PR guy. LoL...

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
Posted

library? I've read about those in the internet!

 

LoL... I still remember when I started working for the Corps... We were on the Presque Isle (Erie, PA) beach erosion/nourishment project... In the project office trailer another guy and me got into an argument about how many Super Bowls that rascist team from Washington was in... ;-) Had to literally call the Erie library for the answer! The reference librarian called back in a 1/2 hour. LoL All I can remember is that I won... ;-P Nowadays, the Google enabled smartphone would have been whipped out in 2 seconds and deal/bet be laid waste upon!

Posted

LoL... I still remember when I started working for the Corps... We were on the Presque Isle (Erie, PA) beach erosion/nourishment project... In the project office trailer another guy and me got into an argument about how many Super Bowls that rascist team from Washington was in... ;-) Had to literally call the Erie library for the answer! The reference librarian called back in a 1/2 hour. LoL All I can remember is that I won... ;-P Nowadays, the Google enabled smartphone would have been whipped out in 2 seconds and deal/bet be laid waste upon!

Not to turn this thread another direction, but was that common? You'd call and a librarian would actually look this stuff up for free?

Posted

What did you old people do before the internet? http://tinyurl.com/k77la9q

 

We had these.....

 

encyclopedia-britannica-2.jpg

 

and we got them from....... THE GROCERY STORE!!!!!! Yes, that's right. Each week they offered a new volume for a low price if you bought a certain amount of groceries! And each year you would also purchase an update volume.

 

Not to turn this thread another direction, but was that common? You'd call and a librarian would actually look this stuff up for free?

 

You still can, or email them. A few years ago I wanted some info on an old wooden bed spring that was left in the attic of the house I owned. It had a company name and city marked on the side. Couldn't find anything online, so I emailed the library in the city it was manufactured. About a week later I get a reply from the librarian with information about the company, when it was around, ownership changes, etc.

Posted

 

Not to turn this thread another direction, but was that common? You'd call and a librarian would actually look this stuff up for free?

 

Yep. It still is. My wife is the director of a medium size (about 60 employees) suburban library? They staff a reference librarian @ the desk all the time. I am not sure now, but @ one time I think they would lose their accreditation (ILA/ALA??) if they didn't keep it staffed AND with a acredited MLS/MLIS reference librarian. I haven't asked her about all the changes in years... Shop is shop.

Posted

We had these.....

 

encyclopedia-britannica-2.jpg

 

and we got them from....... THE GROCERY STORE!!!!!! Yes, that's right. Each week they offered a new volume for a low price if you bought a certain amount of groceries! And each year you would also purchase an update volume.

 

 

 

 

Or from the door to door salesman.
Posted

Yep. It still is. My wife is the director of a medium size (about 60 employees) suburban library? They staff a reference librarian @ the desk all the time. I am not sure now, but @ one time I think they would lose their accreditation (ILA/ALA??) if they didn't keep it staffed AND with a acredited MLS/MLIS reference librarian. I haven't asked her about all the changes in years... Shop is shop.

 

You sound surprised that your wife has that job.

Posted (edited)

You sound surprised that your wife has that job.

 

Oops. Not @ all, she has been there over 10 years now. I meant to put the question mark next to the number of employees... I know it is medium size, smaller budget, maybe under 5 million? Not sure. I probably should ask more questions... LoL...

Edited by Just Jack
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