Cream Top Milk?

[kib]

I'm trying to reduce plastic, so buying milk from a local (ish) dairy that comes in returnable glass bottles. It's delicious! My question: this comes natural, it's not homogenized, so there is a thick layer of cream, almost as thick as cream cheese, on the top. That is delicious too, but kind of a nuisance, it tends to clog up the opening of the bottle - the bottles aren't a traditional shape, they're rectangular 1 gallon but with a small neck. Is there something I'm supposed to do here ... I don't know, let it sit out until the cream is liquid again? Or just do my best to get it out with a spoon? We never had a milkman, this is my first experience with cream top milk.

[Float On]

I saw one tip where she said she poured her milk into a spigot jar. She could then use the spigot for the milk and she could easily spoon out a little cream for her coffee or when she'd saved enough cream from a couple bottles of milk she made butter.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Pour it out and strain it? I think I know what you mean, I've bought *cream* in glass bottles, it tends to clump, but I haven't done anything about it, the bottles were more traditional shape so I'd mostly push the clumps aside enough to pour, poke holes in the clump blocking the spout if need be. I suppose you could wait till it's liquid at room temperature, pour it into a dish/pan and put it in the fridge and then scrape the cream part out like with making broth, but I would definitely be much too lazy. A jar with mesh or something?

You've seen that "Plastic Free" book (beth terry) that's been recommended here before right? Not that I'm much improved . Well I guess I buy tomato products in glass and tuna in glass sometimes (but it's more expensive), the glass cream didn't seem to last as long as that in a typical cream container (both were organic, supposedly happy pastured cows etc.) and it cost more, I've gotten yogurt in glass jars sometimes, gotten the tp wrapped in paper but it does cost more and is more inconvenient since your buying one roll at a time, than just the recycled tp at TJs. This isn't all from the book really as much as my stream of consciousness, but I did read that book. It took it a lot further - have them personally wrap your cheese so it doesn't come in plastic wrap and stuff like that.

[lessisbest]

We always just spooned it out and kept it in a pint/quart jar. We used it for cooking, baking, ice cream, and making butter with the electric blender or electric mixer. I also have a fat separator cup for separating broth from fat that would probably work.

[Miss Cellane]

My dad's family always just shook the bottle and mixed the cream and the milk together, so they were drinking whole milk. Mom's family spooned the cream out and used it for coffee, creating, in effect, skim milk for what was left in the bottle. So there's really no right or wrong way here, just what you prefer.

If it's the narrow neck of the bottle the milk comes in that is causing the problem, consider getting a different container with a wider neck and pouring the milk and cream into that and letting it settle. Then you should be able to remove the cream fairly easily.

[kib]

I guess it just surprised me, there's about half a cup of cream at the top of the bottle so it's almost impossible to pour, it splatters and glops even when shaken - it's initially getting it out of the bottle that's so hard. But I'll make do, it's incredibly tasty!

ANM, I haven't read beth terry's book, will take a look for it. I always find it fun to read about people's challenges, but frankly sometimes the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Driving an extra 10 miles to avoid a plastic lid or buy all-natural dental floss isn't "saving" anything. The last blog I read, the woman started out by throwing out all the existing plastic in her house and replacing it with trendy expensive stuff like $100 hemp shower curtains and bone toothbrushes - shipped in the mail, of course. I kept wondering if the plastic had maybe invaded her brain.

This started with someone challenging me to go without buying or 'consuming' (say, a straw at a restaurant) any plastic for a week. I agreed to try. My very first purchase was dishwasher pellets (DH is a dishwasher addict, I usually hand wash). The ones I ordinarily buy come in a big plastic bucket. I was so excited to find some that came in a cardboard box! Until I opened the box and found out that each pellet is wrapped in a separate plastic pouch, like a candy bar. Since my sterling week of no plastic was already tainted, I decided I would *reduce* the plastic as much as I could, without driving myself insane. The mindfulness of it is actually kinda fun, but it certainly takes a lot of time - and more money.

Oh, just a little fyi, if your store accepts back plastic grocery bags, you can put any stretchy plastic film like kind that wraps toilet paper in with it, as long as it's clean and dry. Also bubble wrap, if you pop the bubbles first. The stiff crinkly cellophane type and the silvery plastic is no good, though.

[JaneV2.0]

I bought some lovely raw milk at my neighborhood butcher shop, and had the exact same problem. I had planned to separate the cream, but gave up after a couple of ineffective, mess-producing attempts, So I ended up with whole milk with varying amounts of cream. I wonder how they solved this problem back in the day; probably bought cream top milk and then cream separately.

[ApatheticNoMore]

ANM, I haven't read beth terry's book, will take a look for it. I always find it fun to read about people's challenges, but frankly sometimes the perfect becomes the enemy of the good.

Yes, it's quite comprehensive in thinking about plastic so there is that. But worrying about plastic produce stickers or something just makes me tired before I even start. So tired .... maybe if I don't get out of bed today I won't use any plastic ....

Driving an extra 10 miles to avoid a plastic lid or buy all-natural dental floss isn't "saving" anything.

I think driving out of the way for something once to save money and getting into a minor accident taught me my lesson about driving out of the way. It doesn't really save money or anything else probably

The last blog I read, the woman started out by throwing out all the existing plastic in her house and replacing it with trendy expensive stuff like $100 hemp shower curtains and bone toothbrushes - shipped in the mail, of course. I kept wondering if the plastic had maybe invaded her brain.

Maybe got paranoid about BPA or something. I could see getting sucked into looking at hemp products and buying them (oooh cool, unusual) but I'm not sure I'd brag about it (says the person who owns like 5 hemp towels - because ... yes, yes, I looked at websites and got sucked into hemp towels - they do smell fantastic when washed, vegetal, uh hempy ...).

This started with someone challenging me to go without buying or 'consuming' (say, a straw at a restaurant) any plastic for a week.

did you know there are glass and stainless steel straws for that? Ack cleaning reusable straws, so tired, so tired ... staying in bed all day is green living right? (actually I don't need straws at all, but reading about reusable straws does make me tired)

Oh, just a little fyi, if your store accepts back plastic grocery bags, you can put any stretchy plastic film like kind that wraps toilet paper in with it, as long as it's clean and dry. Also bubble wrap

well I do take it to the recycle place, the plastic TP comes in when I don't get the wrapped in paper kind. Bubble wrap has been building up in my house unable to decide what to do with it ....

[JaneV2.0]

"Bubble wrap has been building up in my house unable to decide what to do with it ...."

I bet Freecycling it would work. Check your city's recycling resources; they may have a solution. I have a big stockpile of it also.

[lessisbest]

"Bubble wrap has been building up in my house unable to decide what to do with it ...."

I bet Freecycling it would work. Check your city's recycling resources; they may have a solution. I have a big stockpile of it also.

If you live where it gets cold in the winter, use bubble wrap as window insulation. http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects...bubblewrap.htm