National Survey: any particular brands of (cow) Milk that are especially tasty, rich and fresh

[MarkG]

or is supermarket milk all the same??

[Bob Brooks]

I just tried the creamy top milk from T.J.'s in Sherman Oaks. This stuff is outstanding! Thanks for the tip.

[ChowFun_derek]

I know..I haven't even finished my first half gallon, and went and bought another, just so I won't run out!!!

[Cathy]

Oh, its always there. Just remember to check the expiration date.

[Das Ubergeek]

I'm going to be very mad at you people if I get hooked on this stuff -- I'm buying some on Sunday!

[Cathy]

It started out as a New Years Resolution....to only drink organic milk...

in 2003
....

[wombat]

In my experience any organic milk is better than the regular supermarket milk. In particular, I agree that a big difference is that the 1% actually tastes like something, instead of seeming to be just a white-colored liquid. I think it's worth trying any brand of organic that you can get in your area.

[LindaWhit]

I almost always get The Organic Cow. For whatever reason, it seems to last longer than the local Garelick or Hood's milk. Usually buy 1%, as it tastes creamier and very close to "regular" 2%.

http://theorganiccow.com/

I've tried Horizon; it's OK, but I much prefer The Organic Cow brand.

[missclaudy]

Here in Philadelphia, I get delicious raw milk delivered to my door from a local farmer who drops off a big order of farm foods at my food coop down the street, so he stops here too. The milk is in heavy glass bottles, the top is beautiful rich cream and I swear, every time I drink it, I have a vision of beautiful, healthy cows, chomping away on bright green grass, in a lovely field in Lancaster County,Pa. If anyone in the Philly area wants a source for this fabulous milk, let me know, you could be having visions too. I was afraid to trade in my lifelong skim milk for this much richness . I haven't gained an ounce since I changed over, several months ago.

[paulj]

Part of the time, when I was a kid, we lived in the country, and got our milk directly from local farms, and pasturized it ourselves. I did not like to get the first glass from a bottle, because the cream floating on my milk made me gag (I also gagged on the skin that forms on hot cocoa).

[mrsry]

Is this part of Lancaster Farm Fresh? We definitely don't drink enough milk in our household to justify doing this, but it sounds wonderful.

[missclaudy]

Yup.And there a a few other farms that supply raw milk.

[fatbob]

In North Carolina, Maola brand comes to mind. FOr some reason milk seems to have a longer date-stamped shelf life and the milk just tastes better.

[Vexorg]

Up here in the Seattle area, I usually go with Darigold. Their 2% is much richer than any other 2% I've found in a store brand/generic milk. It does cost a bit more (then again, I'm usually buying it in half-gallon size since I find I don't usually use up a gallon jug before it expires) but it's a much better product overall.

[paulj]

I wonder what makes one 2% 'richer' than another? Higher butterfat content? :-) Added milk solids? Price?

Are the nutritional labels the same?

paulj

[Dommy]

I think it's the way milk is processed... I've heard some snarky slow food/raw food people call conventional grocery store milk "Milk flavored Drink", because it is so taken appart and put back together it doesn't even resemble milk as most know it. I think smaller producers don't go to such lenghts or have the advanced machinery to do this massive process and that is why they 'taste' richer.

--Dommy!

[zorra]

Promised Land is excellent, all-Jersey, no hormones, delicious. The dairy is in Floresville, TX (near San Antonio) but I see on their website (http://www.promisedlanddairy.com) that they now have distribution in several states.

[fryrose]

I second the probability of local/regionally available product. In the Chicago area the product is Oberweis. I am near the original location and I am drinking milk that was grass a few days ago. It is so good that I drink the skim milk because it is richer than any 2% I have ever had. They also pay their milk producers extra not to use BHG. I have converted my whole family-my mom finds she can drink it but gets an upset stomach from other milks.

[Robert Lauriston]

The milk I buy is only available locally. I imagine that's true for all the best milk.

[ChowFun_derek]

So... since I'm in YOUR neck of the woods...which milk do you prefer???...Strauss? Other?

[Robert Lauriston]

Straus. I mostly buy it from Trader Joe's, where it's not labeled as such. They have two organic brands; Straus is the "cream top" one. Not all stores have it.

[ChowFun_derek]

Really!...unlabelled!...does it come in the glass bottles? Do you recall how it is labeled?

[Cathy]

Its in a half gallon plastic container; red cap. (only half gallon size sold)

Trader Joes
Organic (lettering largest)
Cream top milk
(purple lettering)

Drawing of cows in field on label.

Its the only organic in the plastic bottle. All the other organics are in cartons.

I have only seen it in San Diego TJs

[Robert Lauriston]

I get it at the El Cerrito TJ's. The smaller Emeryville one doesn't stock it.

[ChowFun_derek]

Robert...thank you!!!
I just had my first glass of REAL milk, in a long LONG time!! With great taste and terrific creamy texture...I bought it as advertised at T.Joe's ..I shook it first to mix the cream into the milk and it resulted in the best milk and cookie combination...again thanks for the lead!

[Blueicus]

I like Harmony Organic Milks, expensive so I rarely get it, but also has the best chocolate milk I've ever had... basically redescribing the comment about Mosier's Dairy.

Referring specifically to the Ontario-based company and not the one in the states.

http://www.harmonyorganic.on.ca

[Das Ubergeek]

Broguiere's (Montebello, CA). Well worth having to pay the $1 deposit on the glass bottle... and their chocolate milk is ridiculously good.

Mosier's Dairy (Marshalls Creek, PA): the best chocolate milk I've ever had, hands down -- and the whole milk is just the same thing minus the chocolate. Insanely good.

[Dommy]

We're a VERY happy Broguiere's Household! :)

--Dommy!

[Pei]

Is it better than Straus? I was addicted to Straus in SF and would like to make the switch over to a more local product, but Broguiere's actually costs more!

[Dommy]

I've never tried Straus... so I can't compare.... But really, we get the lower fat version and it's like drinking WHOLE milk. And when we get the whole milk, it's an ABSOLUTE treat...

The cheapest place to get it is Whole Foods (I think they also have more of a turn around. We've gotten a couple of bottles go bad fast from Pavillions). And Bristol Farms sells it by the big size (I don't think it's a gallon, but if you are a BIG milk drinker, it's worth it... :))

--Dommy!

[OCAnn]

I too like BROGUIERE'S. I also like PAMRALAT which I drank while in Europe.

[mrsry]

Horizon Organic. I found it to be so good that I've been able to drink 1% instead of the 2% I always drank--and I NEVER drink any other brand's 1% because I consider it too watery. Come to think about it, I never bought any other brand of milk after the first time I tried this.

[melly]

I second that. And the 2% cottage cheese is the cheesiest!!