Thursday, July 13, 2017

Using Clabber

  I learned something new today.  I opened my refrigerator to put in the new Goat's milk from the morning milking when I was struck with 5 other containers of "off" goat's milk.

Now I call goat's milk "off" when the flavor is funny.  Last year it took me 2 whole months to figure out the right diet to feed my goats so they would produce sweet milk.  This year, the herd is eating something nasty and the milk has a strange flavor.  It is definitely "off".  To top it off, the milk has set long enough to start to sour.

So what do I do with it?  Dumping it down the drain just hurts me on so many levels.  After all, I spent time this morning milking my animals and they shared the milk with me they would love to keep for their babies.  So dumping it would just be rude. 

Sour, whole milk is actually called: Clabber.

That is what I learned new today!  The definition and uses for clabber! 

Clabber is basically what people use to call sour milk that has started to thicken.  Raw milk that is- pasteurized stuff will not clabber, it will just go stinky and bad. 

Clabber is not bad milk, it is just clabber.  It could be used as a baking agent similar to baking powder and in days gone by it was.  Today we use baking powder so we have forgotten this old tool and name.  But imagine all the uses of baking powder, plus a few more, and you will realize the endless potential for clabber.

The Prairie Homestead blog has a whole list of uses for Clabber.  My favorites:

1) Use it in place of Buttermilk!   (Think chocolate cake and pancakes!!)
2) Use it in smoothies.  (The milk is not bad because it was never pasteurized.  It is just clabberized.)
3) Use it as a marinade for meats and fish.  It will tenderize meat so smooth.
4) Use it as a substitute for yogurt or sour cream in recipes.
5) Add it to your garden- it will make things grow exceptionally!
6) Feed it to your animals- it is healthy for them too!

I used some in German Pancakes and they were very good.  Even with the "off" taste, the milk is healthy and useful, and the taste is not noticeable at all in baked foods. 

I'm so glad I didn't toss it.

Thanks girls!




I learned it all on this wonderful blog:
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/05/20-ways-to-use-sour-raw-milk.html