What's Your Preferred Milk Variety?

GadgetGuy said:
I can make bedhamel with 1% milk. The trick is after it's heated enough to the point where the sauce won't break is to pour it slowly into the roux & beat it vigorously with a wire whip as you do so, & it'll be fine! One of the "tricks of the trade" that I've learned to do, over the years.
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I´ve no doubt you can, GG, and if you´re happy with that, then that´s fine by me!
I´m a bit of a purist, though: a béchamel has to be made with whole milk, an omelette must be cooked in real butter, I refuse to use oven-ready chips and my garlic is always, but always fresh.:D:D
 
I drink organic 2% milk, both white and chocolate. I find that organic 2% is very close in taste to non-organic whole milk. Milk is one of the foods where organic does make a pronounced difference in taste, IMO. Also, as I have mentioned before, the shelf life of organic milk is WAY longer than non-organic milk.

I don't really NEED to cut back on fat, but I figure if I am happy with 2%, why not cut the fat? Poured over cereal, I couldn't tell any difference between low-fat and whole milk. The milk tastes like the cereal.

I can make a béchamel or a gravy with 2% with no issues.

If I need it for a particular recipe, I buy half-n-half or heavy cream in small containers, but only as I need it. I don't keep it on hand.

CD
 
Had to cut back my milk intake due to lactose intolerance. Before, I enjoyed it mostly in oat meals. When I started to work out, I switched to low fat milk, as scientists found out the fat in milk isn't the best fat to consume. I understand why some people hate the low fat milk as it tastes way more watery, but I never had a problem with that.
 
caseydog said:
I drink organic 2% milk, both white and chocolate. I find that organic 2% is very close in taste to non-organic whole milk. Milk is one of the foods where organic does make a pronounced difference in taste, IMO. Also, as I have mentioned before, the shelf life of organic milk is WAY longer than non-organic milk.

I don't really NEED to cut back on fat, but I figure if I am happy with 2%, why not cut the fat? Poured over cereal, I couldn't tell any difference between low-fat and whole milk. The milk tastes like the cereal.

I can make a béchamel or a gravy with 2% with no issues.

If I need it for a particular recipe, I buy half-n-half or heavy cream in small containers, but only as I need it. I don't keep it on hand.

CD
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I forgot to mention that all my diary is always organic. I agree with you on the taste.
 
karadekoolaid said:
The real thing; whole milk. Skimmed, half skimmed, light, semi-light, yuk. Taste of nothing. can´t make a proper bechamel or quiche filling with anything that´s not the real thing!
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I'd be surprised if you could actually taste the difference between a béchamel made with skimmed or whole milk in a blind taste test. Based on a typical recipe the difference in fat in the finished sauce would be about 2%, and with the other flavourings and the thickening from the roux the difference would be infinitesimal.
 
caseydog said:
I drink organic 2% milk, both white and chocolate. I find that organic 2% is very close in taste to non-organic whole milk. Milk is one of the foods where organic does make a pronounced difference in taste, IMO. Also, as I have mentioned before, the shelf life of organic milk is WAY longer than non-organic milk.
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The milk we used to buy from the farm wasn't organic, but was far superior to any milk we've ever tasted from a supermarket and lasted days longer. Probably because it incredibly fresh (just a few hours from cow to our fridge), and also because it was raw.

I don't know how many people drink raw milk.....its not the easiest thing to come by because it requires very good animal husbandry and regular testing to ensure the cows are TB-free. Also its not suitable for everyone (the very young or elderly for example) so I guess the market is limited. I really miss it...sadly we can't find any other suppliers nearby so we've had to go back to supermarket milk :cry: When buying from the supermarket I do buy good quality organic, and whilst its better than standard milk, its still not as good.
 
MrsDangermouse said:
I'd be surprised if you could actually taste the difference between a béchamel made with skimmed or whole milk in a blind taste test
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Well you´re probably right, but I´m not about to do a blind tasting:D
I´m just going on experience. My wife likes "fat free" milk and occasionally, I´ve had to use it to make a bechamel. It just doesn´t have the richness of whole milk. If the "fat-free" version is all I´ve got, then I add half a cup of cream to it.
 
I also use plant 'milks' (which aren't allowed to be called milks in the UK). I particularly like unsweetened almond 'milk'. It has a long culinary history and was extensively used in British cookery from the middle ages onwards. Its also extremely low calorie compared to dairy milk and tastes really creamy. I've made vegan béchamel sauce many times with almond milk.

Its good on breakfast cereals if you want to save a few cals.
 
I use half n half most often, liking a heavier milk that tends more toward cream. My uses for milk often include smoothies and desserts and gravies. Thin milk such as regular pasteurized milk just doesn't fit into my usage scenario. I don't use milk in coffee, but instead choose to use the Starbuck's flavored creamers.
 
Whole fat dairy - milk, cream, butter, cheese. I drink at least one glass of milk per day, sometimes two. Heavy cream in my coffee and for sauces. I also use heavy cream and lemon juice as a buttermilk substitute. I rarely need more than a couple of tablespoons, a cup at most. I can only find buttermilk in quarts. It goes to waste.
As a child I loved spending a week or two with my Grandparents. They had cows, chickens, ducks, geese and a goat. I loved the fresh milk, cream and butter. The best oatmeal I have ever eaten was my grandmother's. She made it with fresh cream and butter. Her yard birds also made the best fried chicken.
 
ElizabethB said:
Whole fat dairy - milk, cream, butter, cheese. I drink at least one glass of milk per day, sometimes two. Heavy cream in my coffee and for sauces. I also use heavy cream and lemon juice as a buttermilk substitute. I rarely need more than a couple of tablespoons, a cup at most. I can only find buttermilk in quarts. It goes to waste.
As a child I loved spending a week or two with my Grandparents. They had cows, chickens, ducks, geese and a goat. I loved the fresh milk, cream and butter. The best oatmeal I have ever eaten was my grandmother's. She made it with fresh cream and butter. Her yard birds also made the best fried chicken.
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My maternal great grandfather was a dairy farmer in New Jersey. He had a big farm outside of town, and a dairy in town. My grandfather worked for him. Alas, the farm is now a sprawling housing subdivision. I believe the building that housed the dairy is still around, but it is not a dairy anymore.

I was fortunate enough to know my great grandfather. He died when I was about ten years old. He wore a suit and tie every day, even out at the farm.

CD
 
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