Raw cheese question

[kalliope999]

I'm just starting to add some animal products back into my diet after being a vegan for over 9 years. I've always been dairy sensitive, so although I'm intrigued by raw milk (and there is a buying club in my area), I'd really love to test it out first before I sign up for something like that.

I know that many people who are intolerant of conventional milk can use raw milk products without problems, but I wondered if that always is the case with raw cheese as well. If I purchased a (usually European) "fresh milk" cheese from a fancy cheese shop, would that be a reliable tester for my tolerance for raw milk (from what I understand, the milk is not pasteurized first for these cheeses, correct?)? Is raw cheese truly raw to the point that the added benefits are still there?

I know that there is a chance that I might be able to tolerate the cheese, and yet not the straight milk for some reason, but I'm more concerned about being intolerant to the cheese and incorrectly assuming that it's not worth trying the raw milk.

This is a long post just to ask this basically simple question -- is there an easy way for me to test out raw milk products before I sign up for a buying club??

Thanks!
Nicole

[Magelet]

Can you contact the buying club or farmer, and see if you can purchase a pint of milk to test out?

As for if you will react similarly to raw milk cheese and raw milk, I haven't a clue. gl (btw, I don't know if "fresh milk" cheese is the same as raw milk, here usually the cheesemonger will have a sign saying if it is raw,)

[Elizabeth2008]

actually even a lot of the european gourmet cheeses are now using pasturized milk I've noticed . I wouldn't assume it's raw unless it says so or the ingredients lists "unpasturized milk"

[FernG]

Ask more questions at the cheese shop. Raw cheese is getting more rare. At my cheese shop, many labels say "pasteurized milk" and many say "cows milk" or "sheep milk", etc. Unless the label specifies "raw" or "unpasteurized" the cheese is pasteurized. It is tricky.

Also, even the raw cheeses at the shop sometimes cause a slight reaction for me and my DD. I never have a reaction to my local farmer's raw cheese. I have read that it is legal to outsource raw milk for cheese making. (It's a class 4 product, or something like that, and isn't regulated like raw milk). I'm wondering if some of the cheese makers are getting lower-quality milk (maybe more grain fed?) than my local dairy uses. My local dairy doesn't make "good" cheese, but it is cheese that my DD and I can eat without rashes.

Can you see if someone from the buying club will let you try just a little of their milk or cheese?

[*J*]

Are you still in Mass? I'm pretty sure that's one of the legal states, so I'd think it would be relatively easy to find raw milk in a store! Have you looked for any or asked around? I'd think trying a small amount of raw milk would really be the best test. Raw cheese is great, and it'll be much easier to get in Mass, but I'd think the cultures in the cheese would make it a rather inaccurate test for your tolerance to the milk. When I lived in New England I used to buy this wonderful, truly-raw-milk cheese from Massachusetts... I'll try to remember the name of the dairy. Good luck!

[mbravebird]

An aged raw-milk cheese should be even easier to tolerate than straight raw milk, because it's been cultured.

I also agree with the others -- "fresh" milk does not mean it hasn't been pasteurized.

AND it is very true that raw milk from non-grassfed cows is a whole different critter from grassfed milk. Part of the reason is that grass-fed farms use different breeds of cow from commercial operations. The older breeds used for pastured milk make much higher quality milk, with actual differences in the protein structure of the milk.

Hope that helps.

[laohaire]

Originally Posted by *J*

Are you still in Mass? I'm pretty sure that's one of the legal states, so I'd think it would be relatively easy to find raw milk in a store!

No, raw milk can not be sold in a store in MA, only on the farm premises. OP says she has a source but doesn't want to sign up for the buying club until she's sure it will work for her.

I would be SHOCKED if the buying club wouldn't sell you a single unit (maybe half gallon) of milk to try out before joining the club. It wouldn't make any business sense to deny that. I can't offer any personal experiences on that because I just buy the milk as I like from the farm, I'm not part of a club and am not obligated to purchase at any frequency.

[rainbowmoon]

what part of Massachusetts are you in? There are folks selling raw milk/cheese all over Western Mass anyway. (You don't have to join a buying club to get raw milk/cheese is my point, you just need to find a farm! )