How to Get Great Tasting Goat Milk!

When people hear that I raise dairy goats and actually drink their milk (gasp),  raw (double gasp), they squish up their nose and ask, "How does it taste?".  And I say "Like milk!"


Here's how I ensure that I get great tasting, heathy milk from my goats:

1.  Clean the udder before milking.

Even though there are a lot of udder cleaners on the market, I just use antibacterial wipes. I thoroughly clean her udder, teats and of course, my hands.  The teats should be dry before you start to milk. 

2.  Milk 8-10 squirts into a strip cup. 

If there is any bacteria in the teat, this will flush it out.  Inspect the milk you just extracted -- it shouldn't have any lumps, flakes or anything else in it.  This is also a great way to be sure your goat, and her udder are nice and healthy.  Healthy goats = healthy milk!

3.  Milk into squeaky clean equipment.

I LOOOOOVE my Henry Milker!  And I think the goats love it too! It's a manual pump and keeps the milk completely sealed.  No more hair or hay in the milk.  No more hooves in the bucket. No more tired hands!  It's a fraction of the price of a fancy electric milking machine and its easy to keep clean. No matter what equipment you use to milk, make sure it's very, very clean.


4.  Use a teat dip.


I use Fight Bac udder spray after milking. Just spray the teats after milking and it helps protect it from bacteria and reduces the chances of your doe developing mastitis.  Again, healthy goat = delicious milk.


5.  Strain the milk.

I use the filters that are specifically used for straining milk.  I tried just using paper coffee filters, but found that our goat's milk was higher in butterfat, so it took forever to strain.  Sometimes I wonder if this is really necessary  with the Henry Milker, as nothing can really fall into the milk, but I like to be doubly sure that my milk is squeaky clean. 

6.  Chill the milk Immediately.

This is a very important step.  The faster you get that milk chilled, the better it will taste. Many people like to set it in the sink with ice and water, but, I don't have an automatic ice maker so I never have enough ice.  So, I put it in the freezer and try not to forget it before it freezes.

7.  Do not house bucks with does.

Well, let's face it... bucks stink.  I think Nigerians may be the worst offenders because the girls cycle year round, they stink year round.  Whereas the large dairy breeds only go into rut in the fall, they only stink for a few months out of the year.

8.  Watch their diet.

Some foods/forage will change the flavor of the milk.  I definitely do not give them kitchen scraps of onions, broccoli, garlic, etc. 

9.  Store your milk in glass containers.