Homogenized milk

In the olden days, when Laura Ingalls Wilder was a girl, cow's milk as we usually know it today did not exist. It was not until 1899 that Auguste Gaulin patented his homogenizer, which mechanically broke up the fat globules in milk so that the cream does not separate and rise to the top. Over the next several decades leading up to the present day, homogenized milk became the standard. These days it's quite hard to find raw milk (milk that is neither pasteurized nor homogenized) for commercial sale. In fact, the sale of raw milk is only allowed in 28 out of 50 US states. 

Old-fashioned milk bottles on a doorstep

What a far cry from Laura Ingalls Wilder's day, when the only milk available was the kind that came from your family's own cow or goat! Remember how much Laura and Almanzo appreciated it when Pa gave them a cow as a wedding present in chapter 29 "Haste to the Wedding" of These Happy Golden Years.

Do you prefer homegrown or home-raised food, or do you mostly buy your groceries? 
Elizabeth
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