FAQ Page

There are so many things that make Moreda Milk special, from it being healthier milk, to our family tradition of caring for animals, to our single-farm sourcing so that our customers know exactly where their food comes from, to being the 100% pure milk that milk was intended to be. Moreda Milk goes through only a single step of processing, at the lowest temperature allowed by law, with nothing ever added, so that the glass in your kitchen has all the wholesome nutrients and building blocks that milk is supposed to. By drinking this milk, you’re feeding your body the highest quality and most nutritious milk there is. Our single step process is less than any milk in this area, less than “gentle pasteurization” and less than “minimally processed”. Our process kills any bad bacteria, adds shelf life, yet keeps the milk as close to raw milk as possible (this is the way my 93 year old great grandparents drank milk).

• Nothing taken out, nothing added, it’s just 100% pure milk
• Naturally a complete protein, with all 9 essential amino acids
• Single Farm food
• Single Step processing
• Cream rises to the top like real milk is supposed to (does not go through the homogenization process)
• Local, family farm
• Our cows are pasture based, happy cows
• Humane Certified
• Organic Certified Dairy and Registered Organic Creamery
• Regenerative farming practices
• Vat Pasteurized = Low Temperature
• What low-temp pasteurization does: • Easier for our bodies to digest • Better, fresher tasting milk • Retains needed enzymes and good bacteria that are symbiotic with our digestive system • Close to Raw milk – without raw milk’s risks • Gives a much longer shelf life than raw milk • Like raw honey, some people say that local Low-Temp Pasteurized milk has helped reduce allergies • Farmer approved… tastes so good, we drink this milk too!

Low-Temperature Pasteurization, also known as Vat Pasteurization, is done at a lower temperature than any processed milk you will find in stores today. This is the way our grandparents did it. Why did we get away from this healthier way to process milk? Because faster/cheaper methods were found (though not “better” health wise).

Here at Moreda Family Farms, we value our health and believe in creating the highest quality product possible. A product that retains its health benefits and works WITH our bodies, rather than making things harder on our bodies. Our “low-temp”, minimal process, has been known to allow many people who have been sensitive to dairy, to be able to drink milk again… because Moreda Milk is pure, the way milk was intended, including the natural enzyme needed to process lactose, so it’s better for our bodies.

• What low-temp pasteurization does:
  • Easier for our bodies to digest
  • Better, fresher tasting milk
  • Retains needed enzymes and good bacteria that are symbiotic with our digestive system
  • Close to Raw milk – without raw milk’s risks
  • Gives a much longer shelf life than raw milk
  • Like raw honey, some people say that local Low-Temp Pasteurized milk has helped reduce allergies
  • Farmer approved… tastes so good, we drink this milk too!

The thing about Vat (aka Low-Temperature) Pasteurization is that it’s not like the ultra pasteurized, excessively processed milk that you can buy in the store. We use a low temperature pasteurization that retains much of the good enzymes which help us to digest this milk and retain the milk’s health benefits. This single-step process retains the fresh flavor.

We think this is the best way to drink milk. The trade-off is that it won’t last months like the higher temperature pasteurized (called HTST or Ultra pasteurization) milk which are the kinds generally found in stores.

Our milk should last for anywhere between 18-21 days from the date it was bottled.

The temperature it is stored at is a major contributing factor to how long it will last.

Some tips to keep it the most fresh:

• Keep it in the back of a cold fridge (not the door which has more fluctuating temperature)
• 35 degrees is a good goal for the temperature to keep milk, colder is even better, (see the next FAQ answer).
• Put it back in the fridge immediately after use. Temperature fluctuations effect milk’s shelf life.
• Keep the top on to prevent contamination from other foods (and don’t drink out of the jug or bottle)
• Our milk freezes well, so if leaving for vacation, pop it in the freezer until you return, then thaw slowly.
• “Sell by date” or “best by date” we try to put a week before we estimate the milk will last until. We also value your feedback on this.

If you’re looking for real milk taste and rare, craftsman quality, made from local pasture raised cows where you know what you can say “I know where my food comes from”, then this is the milk for you.

Temperature matters, big time. And a cool tip… don’t store it in the door of your fridge to help it keep longer. Do you know why? (Pop quiz answer at the bottom of this question)

The temperature milk is stored at is a major contributing factor to how long it will last. Milk stored at 33 degrees will last significantly longer than milk stored at 40 degrees and the flavor will also be better when stored cooler.

• Keep it in the back of a cold fridge
• 35 degrees is a good goal for the temperature to keep milk, colder is even better, (see the next FAQ answer).
• Put it back in the fridge immediately after use. Temperature fluctuations effect milk’s shelf life.
• Keep the top on to prevent contamination from other foods (and don’t drink out of the jug or bottle)
• Our milk freezes well, so if leaving for vacation, pop it in the freezer until you return, then thaw slowly.
• “Sell by date” or “best by date” we try to put a week before we estimate the milk will last until. We also value your feedback on this.

 

Pop Quiz Answer: Milk stored in the door of the fridge is subjected to much more frequent temperature spikes than milk stored toward the back of the refrigerator. This is also why milk is generally found at the back wall of a grocery store! For a longer explanation and some cool pointers, Click Here to check out an article from RealSimple.com.

Since I started bottling milk, I’ve learned all kinds of things, some of them are tricks for stretching the usage of milk if it’s started to turn not-so-fresh. Like many people, I’m big on trying to not waste food, and I’m even bigger on trying cool new things. I love expanding horizons. So I’m going to share some tips and tricks with you, via some awesome articles that can explain it even better than me.

Did you know that you can use sour milk tons of things? Here are a few, with some links:

• Feeding to animals and plants (my personal favorite because it’s a treat they love!)
• Baking anything from pancakes to cake and it makes your baked goods taste Even Better?! I was surprised when I first heard that, until I thought about things like buttermilk and sour cream… then it all started to make sense.
• Making cheese
• Making easy cottage cheese
• Quick skin mask/splash for the lactic acid benefits
• Polishing silver (who knew!)
• Check out this article by LittleThings.com, “9 Reasons Why You Should Never, Ever Throw Away Spoiled Milk” and keep in mind that I do #5 (a skincare trick), but I don’t dilute the milk. On the ranch, we especially do #9 (feed to our cats, dogs, pigs, and even sometimes the wildlife, because animals love it).
• Some other cool articles with great tips for stretching the use of that milk:
• Got sour milk? Don’t throw it out! by TreeHugger.com
• 11 Incredibly Delicious Recipes Which Use Sour Milk by Tastessence.com
• Turn Your Sour Milk into an Unbelievably Tasty Jam by WonderHowTo.com wins my vote for coolest one to try next.
• Buttermilk Cake with Sour Milk Jam and Gin-Poached Cherries by bonappetit.com

If anyone tries any of these I would be so interested to hear about it! I’ve never been this excited to keep some milk until it spoils!

Our milk is not homogenized. Homogenization mixes things up so much that the milk itself is confused and doesn’t know how to separate it’s own cream, like it’s meant to do by nature, and we don’t want to do that to our naturally delicious milk.

We believe that milk should be left as close to how it’s made by a cow as possible. Whole foods are easier for our bodies to digest, so we get the most out of them and we function better that way. Plus we just like the taste better.

Instead, you get the fun task of shaking up the milk up before you use it each time, like us farmers do.

Well look at that, you probably got milk bottled on that same day!

Our cows produce high quality, high cream milk, thanks to great nutrition and a lot of attention to detail. If you don’t see that defined line of cream in your milk, be patient. The cream won’t rise to the top right away after pasteurized. It will take anywhere from 18-72 hours for the cream to show that nice separation line, but it is still the cream on top milk, not homogenized and not skim milk. You’ll taste the richness, and you’ll see it in a few hours.

What to do with the cream? Try scraping the delicious cream off the top and using it in your coffee, making some home made butter (just shake it up in a mason jar and add a pinch of salt if desired), or just drink spoonfuls of the cream straight (like my mom does).

• Nothing taken out, nothing added, it’s just 100% pure milk
• Naturally a complete protein, with all 9 essential amino acids
• Single Farm food
• Single Step processing
• Cream rises to the top like real milk is supposed to (does not go through the homogenization process)
• Local, family farm
• Our cows are pasture based, happy cows
• Humane Certified
• Organic Certified Dairy and Registered Organic Creamery
• Regenerative farming practices
• Vat Pasteurized = Low Temperature
• What low-temp pasteurization does:
  • Easier for our bodies to digest
  • Better, fresher tasting milk
  • Retains needed enzymes and good bacteria that are symbiotic with our digestive system
  • Close to Raw milk – without raw milk’s risks
  • Gives a much longer shelf life than raw milk
  • Like raw honey, some people say that local Low-Temp Pasteurized milk has helped reduce allergies
  • Farmer approved… tastes so good, we drink this milk too!