Organic Milk, Schmorganic Milk: How Does It Taste?
Many dairy farmers are switching to organic methods to beat new federal regulations, according to the New York Times. That's all well and good, but when Jeffrey Steingarten and I did a blind milk taste test on our tv show a few years ago, the organic milks we sampled did not fare well at all.
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7 Comments:
Ed, I loved watching you and Jeffrey on that show. Really miss it! :-(
Can't comment on organic milk because I've never tried it. I'm quite happy with Skim Plus though I have to be honest and say that I never drink milk plain, only in coffee, cocoa and mixed with chocolate syrup (Fox's U-bet).
RGR at 12:12PM on 04/20/07
I'd love to see that old video. When will you post it on Serious Eats?
Marco at 2:39PM on 04/20/07
I love organic milk. I used to be a whole milk kinda gal but have slowly allowed myself to try cutbacks on my fat intake. I'm now down to 1% and am not missing the fat at all. Organic 1% seems more full-bodied and milk-like than the non-organic stuff. Plus I've found that it lasts longer--like at least a couple of weeks longer--than the non-organic stuff.
JoAnn at 7:10PM on 04/20/07
A couple times that I've bought organic milk, it had a strong...smokey flavor. Something very off. I thought it was just in one batch, but I repeated the experience and haven't touched the stuff since.
LizWorking at 7:15PM on 04/20/07
I think you need to redo that taste test with a variety of organic milks. They are not all created equal. The decision to buy organic milk hinges more on the fact that it is a healthier option. Taste is a secondary factor but I am happy to report that the organic milk we drink is tastier.
izzy's mama at 10:04PM on 04/20/07
At most supermarkets around here (the Boston area), the only organic milk available is ultra-pasteurized. Ultra-pasteurized milk has a gross, sweetish, spoiled flavor that is unavoidable. If you can get your hands on some mass-market, regular-pasteurized organic milk (e.g. the house brand at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods), I think it's always better than the mass-market regular stuff.
Luther at 10:40PM on 04/20/07
Luther- thank you for the heads up on finding regularly-pasteurized organic milk. My eleven-year-old noticed the cooked taste of the brand I was buying. I figured that since all the labels in my market read "ultra-pasteurized" that was the culprit. I'll check out Trader Joe's. thx thx thx
KakiSue at 11:32AM on 04/24/07