The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Goats => Topic started by: Mays on April 01, 2012, 08:08:44 pm
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Can I ask, how do people store their spare milk, and how long does it last... my milker is now producing enough milk for a few extra mouths however lambing hasnt started yet so I'l like to store it for any sicky lambs (I always end up with 1 or 2)
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freeze it :thumbsup:
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We freeze it in 2pint bottles. I think you can freeze for about 9 months or so? ours is never solid long enough to find out.
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I would freeze it in handy bottle-sized portions, like 500ml a time. But they will need about 24 hours defrosting before using.
My first (lamb) triplets were born today too, so my spare milk will have a home too in the next few days....
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I freeze it too.
And then when I get organised, I make soft cheese :drool. And occasionally hard cheese too.
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ace :thumbsup:
now do you just use old milk cartons and empty bottles or should I be buying other sorts of containers?
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I buy fizzy water, as that's my treat to myself, fizzy elderflower to drink :) So I save those bottles and use those.
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I'm still on skimmed cows milk so I put those bottles through the dishwasher and the store them empty in the freezer until I'm ready to fill them :)
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I freeze it in freezer bags, about a litre, in an oblong ice cream tub, shake it down, when frozen, knock it out. the 'bricks' don't waste as much space in the freezer, (I stored quite a bit for when the goats were dry). the bags seem to leak so I thaw them out in a 2 litre jug. Which reminds me, must get one out ofthe freezer tonight, only a couple left now.
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I freeze mine in anything I can - two litre milk bottles, bags specially for freexing liquids, ice cream tubs, etc.
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when I freeze it, it doesn't always defrost very well ... any tips? Or is it just how milk is?!
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Do you defrost it naturally? I find mine goes funny if I microwave it but overnight seems ok.
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yes, naturally
it was full cream - might that be it?
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We tried freezing our skimmed milk and it was terrible. Whole milk seems to freeze fine, did ours in proper goat's milk bags and didn't pasteurise it.
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Re.: containers for storing milk in - we bought about 4 large juice jugs from Ikea, they take just over 2 ltrs each. Works well, and once I get to the fourth one it is time to either switch on the separator or make some cheese....
Re.: Freezing we use freezerbags inside ice-cream tubs, then take bags out once frozen. Our defrosts fine, but most of mine goes straight into pigs...
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Ours generally defrosts OK, a couple of bags have gone a bit strange, thick in the bottom, maybe I didn't cool it quick enough?
I sometimes use the microwave to defrost, low power untill it 'softens' a bit, break it up with a fork and let it finish defrosting naturally for about 30mins or in fridge.
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I've put a frozen pint into a jug of warm water before and its been OK or otherwise I leave to defrost in the fridge. Only problems I've had was when I used to freeze my exact soap making measurement of milk into a butter tub and leave it open - it used to get fur on the top so we don't do that now, too many wasted tubs of milk!
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I just freeze mine as it comes out of the goats and defrost it overnight - don't ususally have any problems, occasionally the bought in semi-skimmed stuff goes 'bitty'......
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thanks for all the tips guys :thumbsup:
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I have found that sometimes it's not the same when defrosted so I warm it to the stage that it's about to start bubbling then cool it quickly by standing the saucepan in a sink of cold water. That seems to make it better.
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ooh, might try that MGWM, though we've none in the freezer with Heidi the kid being the guts that she is! :goat:
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ooh, might try that MGWM, though we've none in the freezer with Heidi the kid being the guts that she is! :goat:
Know that feeling. All my frozen stuff has gone except for one bag and OH is reduced to drinking shop bought cows' milk.
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poor chap!
And this the man who says he's not into goats?! ;)