Culturing my Raw Milk - For the First Time

I went yesterday and bought raw cream and raw milk - $15.00 and some creme fraiche ($5.79 - a one time purchase, I hope).  This afternoon I got some Kefir beads from Arleen.  I now have my very expensive, nutrient dense, healthy, full of good fats milk SITTING ON THE COUNTER!

For some reason, this is making me a little nervous.  I don't know why.  I know the science behind culturing - I have a counter full of food being happily preserved this way..... I know the reasoning - I am trying to preserve food without killing off the enzymes and nutrients AND I am adding another cultured food for gut health...... I want to make cultured butter tomorrow and I want to use the cultured milk all week.

I am still a little nervous.  I am envious of all of you younger Moms trying these old/new ways to feed your family.  When you find out some new information you can change without changing 50 years of habits.  I have never in my life left milk on the counter overnight deliberately.

I am putting the steel cut oats out to soak as soon as I finish my late night musing.  Every bit of milk we have in the house is sitting on the counter.  Hopefully by tomorrow, I will have a new reality... like I learned with the sauerkraut, the ginger ale, the beet kvass, the sourdough bread, the pickles, the peppers, the really good tortilla recipe I accidentally stumbled upon (recipe to follow... hopefully tomorrow) .... all preserved with culturing - allowing the good bacteria to overwhelm the bad bacteria.  I know it in my mind, but tonight, it is a challenge.

Lets hope for the best.

Note:  I am having some of the cream cultured with creme fraiche this morning in my coffee.   It is a little different taste and texture, but good.  I think I will like this one.  The raw cream goes sour too quickly otherwise.  I will save some of this cream for a "starter culture" for next week's cream.  Later today I will make cultured raw butter out of most of this, and save some for my coffee.

If you try this, be sure you save a "starter" for the next time.  That way you don't have to buy another container of creme fraiche and can save some money.