5 Ways to Enjoy A2 Raw Milk

Fewer things in life are more satisfying than dipping a home-baked cookie into a tall glass of A2 raw milk. Thankfully, we have a jersey milk cow on our homestead, so we get to enjoy A2 raw milk frequently. We don’t just dip our cookies in it, either. My family finds creative ways to include A2 raw milk in just about everything we consume.

Our love of A2 raw milk extends beyond the fact that it tastes amazing. Drinking A2 raw milk has health benefits for the entire family. It’s not a stretch to say that A2 raw milk saved my life.

If you’ve never had raw milk before, it can seem intimidating to give it a try. I promise you won’t regret it. There are many ways to include A2 raw milk in your daily life. I’ll share five with you today to help convince you to sample it. Once you do, you’ll never want to go back to regular store-bought milk again.

What is A2 raw milk?

Before we dive into the reasons you should try A2 raw milk, it might help to explain how it’s different from other kinds of milk. If you put a glass of each next to one another, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference by sight alone.

While they look similar, they differ in their composition. A1 milk has what is known as a histidine amino acid. A2 milk has a proline amino acid. If you’re saying, “Who cares?” right now, the answer to that question is people who suffer from digestive issues after consuming A1 milk products.

When A1 milk breaks down during digestion, it creates a BCM-7 peptide that can cause intestinal “discomfort.” For the 6.1 percent of people in the U.S. with a diagnosed dairy allergy, A2 raw milk is a better experience. Trust me on that one. Been there, done that. It’s why my family now owns a jersey milk cow.

Health benefits of A2 raw milk

Besides tasting amazing, A2 raw milk comes with some surprising health benefits you can’t get from other kinds of milk. Raw jersey cow milk has seven vitamins and minerals the human body needs to flourish, including calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorous.

Drinking raw milk from our Jersey milk cow helps me and my family build and maintain healthy bones. That’s important when you have active children. It’s also a smart move for older people who want to keep their bones healthy and strong as they age.

Raw jersey cow milk also can reduce the rates of allergies and asthma and prevent weight gain. There’s really no downside to giving it a try.

5 sneaky ways to enjoy it

There’s no right or wrong way to enjoy milk from your jersey milk cow. No matter how you consume it, you’ll be getting some of the many health and wellness perks of choosing raw milk. Not all dairy cows are A2 producers, so make sure you choose raw milk from the right breed. Jersey milk cows, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, and Normandes are all A2-producers. Here are five ways my family likes to squeeze in raw milk from our Jersey milk cow throughout the week.

1 – Pour it into a tall glass

Some people hate to drink milk. They find it gross. I am not one of those people. One of the ways my entire family enjoys raw milk from our Jersey milk cow is by pouring it in a tall glass to drink alone or with a meal.

2 – Turn it into cheese

Raw milk from our Jersey milk cow makes the creamiest cheese. That’s because raw milk from jersey cows contains an average of 5.36 percent butterfat. For the uninitiated, butterfat creates a richer flavor and a creamier texture. Raw Jersey milk is perfect for cheese for these reasons alone. Not sure what kind to make? Raw milk squeaky cheese is easy to make and makes an excellent topper on many foods.

3 – Make raw yogurt

If you’ve never made your own yogurt before, I promise it’s not hard. I use a specific process for making raw yogurt for my family. You can do it in four easy steps. Once you have your own batch made, you can top it off with berries, fruit, or granola to add some extra flavor and texture.

4 – Churn it into ice cream

Before you panic and think you must use an actual churn, take a deep breath. My easy recipe for homemade raw milk ice cream needs nothing more than a blender to get the job done. My family loves to top ours off with some homemade chocolate syrup. Yum!

5 – Bake it into your biscuits

Or any other recipe that calls for milk as one of the ingredients. Just substitute milk with raw milk from your jersey milk cow.

Creative ways to enjoy A2 raw milk

There are many creative ways you can enjoy A2 raw milk. I’d love to hear some of your ideas for how you sneak it into your daily diet. Feel free to share your tips in the comments.