Glass Milk Bottles for Raw Milk

Raw milk is having something of a popularity surge right now, with people clamouring to go back to simpler times, with fresh, wholesome milk delivered in glass bottles just like the good old days. With allergies on the rise, concern over the overuse of antibiotics in the farming industry and a desire to lead a more eco-conscious lifestyle, it’s no surprise that raw milk is suddenly making the news, for all the right reasons.

What is raw milk?

It might be tempting to wonder just what raw milk is, exactly? After all, surely all milk is raw to a degree? Well, whilst it might be easy to think this is the case, in fact, regular milk has undergone a series of processes before it reaches the supermarket shelves. We’re all familiar with the term pasteurisation, but not many of us stop to think what that really means. When it comes to milk, it means that the milk has been heated up and then cooled rapidly.

The temperature to which the milk is heated and held can vary, but for most milk producers, it is heated to 72°C for 15 seconds, before being very rapidly cooled. This process kills a wide range of bacteria, making it much safer to drink than if it had not been pasteurised. In many countries, it is a legal requirement that milk must be pasteurised before it is sold for human consumption. Only in recent times has raw milk been permitted to be sold again, and only under very strict guidelines.

Whilst government agencies insist that pasteurised milk is the safest option and that pasteurisation does not affect the nutritional value of milk, there is a growing army of raw milk fans who feel very differently. Raw milk has not been pasteurised or heat-treated in any way, so proponents feel that it is a more natural product and that it may have its own positive health benefits.

Despite not being heat treated, there are still very strict guidelines laid down by the government as to how raw milk is produced and sold, to ensure that hygiene standards are at their highest and that raw milk sold to consumers has been stored correctly at all times.

If you fancy grabbing a few glass milk bottles from your local raw milk supplier, you might want to consider the advice on the government’s website first. It advises that raw milk should be avoided by pregnant women, the elderly, very young children and anyone whose immune system could be compromised in any way.

Raw milk and the current lockdown

Whilst you might be tempted to give raw milk a try, in order to move to a less ‘processed’ lifestyle, the current government guidance is to avoid all non-essential travel, and driving around looking for your nearest supplier of raw milk is unlikely to be classed as essential. It may, therefore, be wise to hold off on this until after the current restrictions are lifted unless you are fortunate enough to live very close to a supplier.

Whilst raw milk may be off the radar for a few weeks, you may still find that you can take a small step towards a more environmentally-friendly life by sourcing milk in glass milk bottles, that can be recycled. Many smaller grocery stores are now offering glass milk bottles, and glass bottles are even starting to appear in some of the main supermarkets, too.

Milk bottles as storage options

In addition to switching to glass milk bottles in the longer term as a more eco-friendly option, glass bottles may have a useful role to play during the time that we are being asked to stay at home. Since we are now expected to go out only for essential shopping and to do that shopping as infrequently as possible, it could be a good idea to buy milk and freeze it.

Simply decant what you need immediately into a glass bottle and then freeze the rest of it in its plastic container in the freezer. By taking some milk out of the plastic bottle, you’ll ensure that as the milk freezes, it doesn’t expand too much and damage the plastic bottle. Meanwhile, your glass bottles will sit neatly in the door shelf of your fridge. You can use glass milk bottles for fruit juices too, saving space in the fridge and keeping everything neat and tidy.

Have you switched to glass milk bottles yet? Are you considering trying raw milk - either cow’s milk or goat’s milk? If you plan to do either of these things, or you’ve switched already, send us your thoughts and questions and we’ll share them with our friends and followers on social media. We’re active on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and we’d love to do our bit to help people stay connected and positive during these uncertain times. Send us your photos and comments, and we’ll share them online to keep the conversations going!