Read Back to Butter: A Traditional Foods Cookbook - Nourishing Recipes Inspired by Our Ancestors for Free Online Page B

reduces a child’s chances for developing asthma. Clearly, a seemingly simple question—“What kind of milk to buy?”—is no longer simple. It’s critical.
    The process of pasteurization was put in place to provide safe milk. Yet, consider this: If an animal is raised honoring its innate needs and treated with ancient wisdom and respect, the milk produced by that animal is already safe. It has been for centuries. So why mess with the milk? Shouldn’t our focus go back to safe farming instead of indiscriminately overcompensating for unhealthy farm practices?
    It seems evident to us that the benefits of raw milk outweigh the risk. The United States is among a small list of countries in the world that aggressively regulate milk. Canada joins us. Yet the majority of the countries in Europe and Asia sell raw milk without governmental regulation. New Zealand, in our humble opinion, seems to handle this issue most logically. This country highly regulates raw milk production to offset pathogen risk, permitting raw milk to be sold directly from the producer/farm only. Rather than throw the amazing health benefits out with the broad stroke of government regulation, New Zealand has found a way to allow its citizens to assume responsibility of choice while maintaining product quality and nutrition—by knowing their farmers!
    This book isn’t a poster child for raw milk. We recognize such a choice holds a risk only you can decide to embrace or decline. We sincerely respect that. All food carries risk. Wisdom should be the first tool in your consumer pocket, and we should all have the right to choose either product.
Legally
. It’s not our intent to dictate what you eat, how you source food, or even how you prepare it. We simply believe raw or pasteurized should be a choice.
    To you, safe milk with maximum nutrition might mean pasteurized. To us, it means raw. Yet, in order to reduce the risk of raw milk, we want to know our farmer and his livestock practices firsthand. Because no matter what choice we make, all milk should come from a healthy animal that’s been treated humanely.

Yogurt Cream Cheese and Whey
    This recipe begins with yogurt, which we strain and separate into a tangy, versatile cream cheese, used for delights like Cultured Cream Cheese Olive Dip ( page 73 ), and whey, a liquid by-product that holds its own uses and benefits.
    Real whey, obtained from yogurt or milk, contains an abundance of naturally occurring probiotics, which are the healthy bacteria that live in our gut and keep unhealthy bacteria in check. It’s funny that some people pay hard-earned money for vitamins filled with freeze-dried probiotics, when eating fermented foods produces the same effect (if not greater), for a fraction of the price! The “live” nature of whey also means that it can be used to activate fermentation in cultured foods, so be sure to keep a jar stored in your refrigerator for that purpose alone. It’s also great for soaking beans and grains (see next chapter).
    1 quart (1 L) whole milk yogurt
    Set a fine-mesh strainer over a large-size (2-quart [1.8 L] or larger) nonmetal bowl and line the strainer with a thin tea towel. Using a thin cloth is important to allow the liquid to seep through.
    Pour the yogurt into the lined strainer. Cover the strainer with a lid or plate and set aside at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours. If your house is exceptionally warm (above 80°F [27°C]), place this whole setup in the fridge. Check occasionally to see if the whey has stopped dripping into the bowl; once it has, or the 4 to 6 hours is up, move on to the next step. The yogurt at this point will resemble Greek yogurt (which it is!).
    When the drips subside, remove the cover, place a wooden spoon across the mesh strainer, and double-knot the diagonal corners of the tea towel over the top of the spoon handle. Set a tall container, such as a wide-mouth vase or pitcher, next to the strainer. Carefully lift the knotted tea towel and lower