I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the top of
the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and the cream is
still visible.

The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I try to
spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of these
gadgets

"Dee Randall" > wrote in message
...
>I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the top of
>the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and the cream is
>still visible.
>
> The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I try to
> spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of these
> gadgets
>

Cream is easiest to skim from a wide vessel like a large mixing bowl. I
suggest that you skim with a shallow ladle and put the cream into one of
those gravy-separater cups (get the largest one you can find). Then
refrigerate that for a few hours, and the thickest cream will be at the top.
When I lived in a commune, back in the '70's, we had stainless steel milk
cans that fit into a lift-handle milk dispenser. We just used the milk until
suddenly the stream changed to cream, then drained off the cream into jars,
and changed to a new can. The system worked great.

--Rich

: "Dee Randall" > wrote in message
: ...
: >I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the top of
: >the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and the cream is
: >still visible.
: >
: > The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I try to
: > spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of these
: > gadgets
: >

: Cream is easiest to skim from a wide vessel like a large mixing bowl. I
: suggest that you skim with a shallow ladle and put the cream into one of
: those gravy-separater cups (get the largest one you can find). Then
: refrigerate that for a few hours, and the thickest cream will be at the top.
: When I lived in a commune, back in the '70's, we had stainless steel milk
: cans that fit into a lift-handle milk dispenser. We just used the milk until
: suddenly the stream changed to cream, then drained off the cream into jars,
: and changed to a new can. The system worked great.


Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a wide-mouth
mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker. Of course, your
skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth of the vessel. Trying
to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next to impossible.

> wrote in message
...
>
> : "Dee Randall" > wrote in message
> : ...
> : >I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the
> top of
> : >the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and the
> cream is
> : >still visible.
> : >
> : > The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I
> try to
> : > spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of these
> : > gadgets
> : >
>
> : Cream is easiest to skim from a wide vessel like a large mixing bowl. I
> : suggest that you skim with a shallow ladle and put the cream into one of
> : those gravy-separater cups (get the largest one you can find). Then
> : refrigerate that for a few hours, and the thickest cream will be at the
> top.
> : When I lived in a commune, back in the '70's, we had stainless steel
> milk
> : cans that fit into a lift-handle milk dispenser. We just used the milk
> until
> : suddenly the stream changed to cream, then drained off the cream into
> jars,
> : and changed to a new can. The system worked great.
>
>
> Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a wide-mouth
> mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker. Of course, your
> skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth of the vessel. Trying
> to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next to impossible.

Not so. Although it's nice for the cream layer to be thick, there has to be
room not only to get the ladle into the vessel, but room to move it about to
gather the cream together. The trick is to barely allow the rim of the ladle
to submerge beneath the cream to allow only it to flow in. It's a skill, but
not a difficult one to learn. "Next to impossible" is skimming cream off the
top of a 1/2gal Mason jar. If you must use the jar, it would probably work
better to use some plastic tubing to siphon off the milk from under the
cream.


--Rich

"Rich" > wrote in message
...
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> : "Dee Randall" > wrote in message
>> : ...
>> : >I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the
>> top of
>> : >the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and the
>> cream is
>> : >still visible.
>> : >
>> : > The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I
>> try to
>> : > spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of these
>> : > gadgets
>> : >
>>
>> : Cream is easiest to skim from a wide vessel like a large mixing bowl. I
>> : suggest that you skim with a shallow ladle and put the cream into one
>> of
>> : those gravy-separater cups (get the largest one you can find). Then
>> : refrigerate that for a few hours, and the thickest cream will be at the
>> top.
>> : When I lived in a commune, back in the '70's, we had stainless steel
>> milk
>> : cans that fit into a lift-handle milk dispenser. We just used the milk
>> until
>> : suddenly the stream changed to cream, then drained off the cream into
>> jars,
>> : and changed to a new can. The system worked great.
>>
>>
>> Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a wide-mouth
>> mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker. Of course, your
>> skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth of the vessel. Trying
>> to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next to impossible.
>
> Not so. Although it's nice for the cream layer to be thick, there has to
> be room not only to get the ladle into the vessel, but room to move it
> about to gather the cream together. The trick is to barely allow the rim
> of the ladle to submerge beneath the cream to allow only it to flow in.
> It's a skill, but not a difficult one to learn. "Next to impossible" is
> skimming cream off the top of a 1/2gal Mason jar. If you must use the jar,
> it would probably work better to use some plastic tubing to siphon off the
> milk from under the cream.
>
>
> --Rich
Ticks me off -- I saw these ladles in TJMax Saturday and didn't get them,
thinking they might come in handy, but I couldn't think of a reason! But one
of these ladles at Fantes might be good. Any suggestions?
http://fantes.com/ladles.htm

Actually I went to my cupboard and found a big bail-wire mason-type jar
(made in Italy - probably a gallon) that has a slightly wider mouth than the
wide-mouth mason jars, which will be good to transfer the milk into when I
bring it home; take the cream off, then put them back in 1/2 gallon mason
jars.

I got about a cup of cream off of one 1/2 gallon wide mouth jar, and put it
into a gravy fat separator. It was all cream. I think I'll be able to get
more out -- it takes patience now that the cream is further down the jar.
Perhaps in no time, I'll have just one jar full (or I can pour most of it
into one jar.)

Thanks so much for this discussion.
Dee Dee

wrote:
> Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a wide-mouth
> mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker. Of course, your
> skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth of the vessel. Trying
> to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next to impossible.

My grandmother, who lived on a farm all her life, always used a large
mixing bowl when skimming the cream off the top of the milk. She was
born in 1900 and died in 1999 so I assume she knew what she was doing.

Rich wrote:

>
> > wrote in message
> ...

> > Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a
> > wide-mouth mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker.
> > Of course, your skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth
> > of the vessel. Trying to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next
> > to impossible.
>
> Not so. Although it's nice for the cream layer to be thick, there has
> to be room not only to get the ladle into the vessel, but room to
> move it about to gather the cream together. The trick is to barely
> allow the rim of the ladle to submerge beneath the cream to allow
> only it to flow in. It's a skill, but not a difficult one to learn.
> "Next to impossible" is skimming cream off the top of a 1/2gal Mason
> jar. If you must use the jar, it would probably work better to use
> some plastic tubing to siphon off the milk from under the cream.

What about a turkey baster? That should give you pretty good control
over how deep you go into the cream without stirring it up too much.




--
If televison's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who
won't shut up.
-- Dorothy Gambrell (http://catandgirl.com)

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> wrote:
>> Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a wide-mouth
>> mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker. Of course, your
>> skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth of the vessel. Trying
>> to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next to impossible.
>
> My grandmother, who lived on a farm all her life, always used a large
> mixing bowl when skimming the cream off the top of the milk. She was
> born in 1900 and died in 1999 so I assume she knew what she was doing.

Do you recall if her large mixing bowl was bigger at the top than at the
bottom. This in itself would make the layer of cream not as many inches in
depth. She also couldn't see when she was no longer skimming just the
cream.
Yes, she did know what she was doing, I'd say!
Thanks,
Dee Dee

"Dee Randall" > wrote in
:

> I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the
> top of the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and
> the cream is still visible.
>
> The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I
> try to spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of
> these gadgets

Get one of those sun tea jars with the spigot at the bottom.



--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein

"Default User" > wrote in message
...
> Rich wrote:
>
>>
>> > wrote in message
>> ...
>
>> > Cream is easiest to skim from a narrow-mouth vessel like a
>> > wide-mouth mason jar, as then the cream layer will be much thicker.
>> > Of course, your skimming device must be able to fit into the mouth
>> > of the vessel. Trying to skim milk in a mixing bowl will be next
>> > to impossible.
>>
>> Not so. Although it's nice for the cream layer to be thick, there has
>> to be room not only to get the ladle into the vessel, but room to
>> move it about to gather the cream together. The trick is to barely
>> allow the rim of the ladle to submerge beneath the cream to allow
>> only it to flow in. It's a skill, but not a difficult one to learn.
>> "Next to impossible" is skimming cream off the top of a 1/2gal Mason
>> jar. If you must use the jar, it would probably work better to use
>> some plastic tubing to siphon off the milk from under the cream.
>
> What about a turkey baster? That should give you pretty good control
> over how deep you go into the cream without stirring it up too much.
>
>
You know, I thought about that this afternoon. I'm not to happy with the
thought of using the rubber-type knob because I'd like to clean it
thoroughly - too many little crevices.

But I do have an injector of some sort which I'm wondering if it 'sucks up'
as well as spits out.
I'll have to dig thru the box tomorrow.
Thanks,
Dee Dee

Oh pshaw, on Tue 06 Jun 2006 07:46:45p, Dee Randall meant to say...

>
> "Charles Quinn" > wrote in message
> . 125.201...
>> "Dee Randall" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the
>>> top of the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars, and
>>> the cream is still visible.
>>>
>>> The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I
>>> try to spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one of
>>> these gadgets
>>
>> Get one of those sun tea jars with the spigot at the bottom.
>>
>>
>>Hmm. Is this the way you envision it?
> Bring home milk in a gallon jar.
> Transfer 1 gallon milk to the sun tea jar.
> Place in refrigerator so that the cream can raise to the top.
> Put sun tea jar at a high level on a table with spigot readily available
> for dispensing.
> Place gallon jar on a lower table at proper angle so the milk from the
> sun tea jar can flow into it.
> Spigot milk out until it comes to the cream. Then stop.
>
> Washing spigot each time -- worrisome?
> Thanks,
> Dee Dee

Oh, come on, Dee... Very hot soapy water in the jar, then flowing through
spigot, followed by very hot water rinse. You won't die, I promise. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬
_____________________

Then stop.
>>
>> Washing spigot each time -- worrisome?
>> Thanks,
>> Dee Dee
>
> Oh, come on, Dee... Very hot soapy water in the jar, then flowing through
> spigot, followed by very hot water rinse. You won't die, I promise. :-)
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright @¿@¬

LOL
-- no, but it might kill me --
Just kidding!
Dee Dee

"Dee Randall" > wrote in
:

>
> "Charles Quinn" > wrote in message
> . 125.201...
>> "Dee Randall" > wrote in
>> :
>>
>>> I bought my first gallon of raw milk and the cream is visible on the
>>> top of the jar. I put this milk into two 1/2 gallon mason jars,
>>> and the cream is still visible.
>>>
>>> The cream is sooo thin compared to what I'm used to buying. When I
>>> try to spoon any off, the spoon just mixes it up. I don't have one
>>> of these gadgets
>>
>> Get one of those sun tea jars with the spigot at the bottom.
>>
>>
>>Hmm. Is this the way you envision it?
> Bring home milk in a gallon jar.
> Transfer 1 gallon milk to the sun tea jar.
> Place in refrigerator so that the cream can raise to the top.
> Put sun tea jar at a high level on a table with spigot readily
> available for dispensing.
> Place gallon jar on a lower table at proper angle so the milk from the
> sun tea jar can flow into it.
> Spigot milk out until it comes to the cream. Then stop.
>
> Washing spigot each time -- worrisome?

Yep, and the original poster may already have the sun tea jar. Much
easier than ladling and all the other methods I saw. Didn't someone even
suggest a gravy separator, I don't own a one gallon gravy separator. A
quick rinse and the tea jar is clean.




--

Charles
The significant problems we face cannot be solved
at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them. Albert Einstein