How is Milk Made on Dairy Farms in Connecticut
Dairy farms in Connecticut provide many of the fresh foods we enjoy, including milk, cheese, butter, eggs, and cream. We depend on dairy products being fresh at the store, but they are often stored from 48 hours to several days before you buy them. When milk is raw – before it undergoes pasteurization, it doesn’t last very long. Thus, it is processed on the farm or stored in huge coolers for a few hours until processing plants pick up the milk and bring it to the plant.
How is Milk Produced on Connecticut’s Dairy Farms?
Milk goes through several steps, from collecting through bottling and delivery to your table. Most farms milk their cows twice a day, and we at The Modern Milkman milk our cows at least twice a day, sometimes three times. The cows enter the milking parlor and line up in milking stalls. Then, a mechanical milking machine is attached to the cows’ cleaned udders to collect the milk. The milk flows through stainless-steel pipes to a refrigerated bulk tank and is cooled to 35 degrees Fahrenheit in three seconds to preserve the flavor. We then transfer the milk to a 6,000-gallon refrigerated tanker truck.
At the processing plant, the milk goes through a clarifier and/or separator to remove debris, sediment, and some types of bacteria. The separator then separates milk fat so it can be used for cream. Depending on the amount of fat removed, you are left with whole milk, 2 percent milk, or skim milk. The milk fat removed is used to make butter and cream.
Most dairies add vitamins A and D to the milk. If the milk hasn’t gone through a clarifier during the separation process, it will go through a clarifier at this stage. The next step is pasteurizing the milk.
It will then go through a pasteurizer to ensure that all bacteria are killed. Most dairy processing plants pasteurize milk at a high temperature for a short time. The process heats the milk to 161 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 seconds and it passes through a pipe for 15 seconds. If the temperature of the milk at the end of the pipe is not high enough, the milk goes through the process again. If the milk is not going to be homogenized, it is cooled as quickly as possible to 40 degrees Fahrenheit to preserve the flavor.
If requested, the milk is homogenized, however, this is not a required step. Homogenizing milk crushes the milk fat particles to make sure they are evenly distributed through the milk. If you buy milk in the store that says “Shake before using,” it is probably not homogenized, and the milk fat solids will rise to the top of the milk – homogenizing prevents this. To homogenize milk, the hot milk is sent to a machine that pressurizes milk to 2,500 to 3,000 psi. The milk is then cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit as quickly as possible to preserve taste.
The final step before delivery is pumping the milk into cartons or bottles and sealing it. Our farm uses bottles to keep the milk fresher once it reaches your door.
How Does the Farm to Table Process Work?
Once the milk goes through the pasteurization process and cools down, it is ready to be delivered to your doorstep. Our milk goes from the cow to your table in about three hours. So that we can get the milk to you as soon as it’s done being processed, we have set up a “subscription” service. You order the milk and other dairy products you want for each week, and we have a set delivery schedule for Connecticut.
Our milk is not homogenized, so you have to shake it to redistribute the milk fat solids before using it. Once the milk finishes cooling after pasteurization, it is pumped into milk bottles, then crated and refrigerated until it gets to your home.
The Modern Milkman Delivers Local Farm Fresh Milk and Dairy Products
Oakridge Farms wanted to bring quality dairy delivery from local dairy farms straight to your door. Our glass-bottled milk delivery service also includes fresh dairy products, including cottage cheese, cream, half & half, yogurt, butter, and eggs that we source from local farms.
We ensure that the milk quality is high, and our Connecticut farming partners also ensure that their products are high-quality. Once you put in your subscription order, we’ll start delivering high-quality dairy right to your doorstep. You can choose from three size subscriptions depending on the size of your family.
Contact The Modern Milkman
Visit The Modern Milkman today to learn more about our subscriptions and the dairy and baked goods choices you have for weekly delivery to your home.