Problem with Mt. Apple brand milk from KTA

[Rumi in Hawaii]

Has anyone else noticed that the Mountain Apple brand milk from KTA seems to go sour pretty quickly? I wanted to purchase locally produced milk rather than buying the stuff that sails over here from the mainland, but after 3 half-gallons in a row of milk turning sour pretty darn quickly, I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed a problem? I also love that Mt. Apple milk is cheaper than the long-distance white stuff...but mainly, I just wanted milk that I thought was going to be "fresh" and locally produced.... ????

Katie



Wherever you go, there you are.

[csgray]

I buy a gallon of Mt. Apple 2% every Sunday and it lasts me a week to 9 days. I never had one go bad, but I had terrible luck with the 1/2 gallons packed in cardboard. I'm the only milk drinker in the house so I thought 2 half gallons would last longer, but they didn't. You might want to try getting a full gallon, I think the plastic jugs keep milk longer. The smaller size of the half gallons means they have more surface area and so they are more subject to changes in temperature. I know there are concerns about plastic food containers but bleached paper has pcbs which can leach past the wax coating so I figure it is an even trade off.

carol

[Francesca]

I buy the half gallon size of Mountain Apple brand skim milk and it lasts over a week with no problem. We live in Hilo, so get it into the refrigerator very quickly after it's purchased. Maybe a longer drive from KTA to your home could make a differnce. Dunno.

I had trouble with mainland brands, so started buying Mountain Apple and it's been great.

[loffelkopffl]

we've been drinking it for years no problems, i always do check the dates before buying

[lquade]

i have found if i dont use the insulated bags to put milk in on my way back to mountain view, regardless of how "cold" it seems outside, my milk sours faster... if i use the bags it works, even when i just go into puna foods...

[Guest]

Milk has been a touchy issue here in the islands for quite some time.

I'm simply amazed at the Costs of milk around the islands.

And just last week the USA Today ran This Article regarding Milk in Hawaii.

Side note... I always grab the milk from the back of the shelf as they tend to stay colder longer and the way stores rotate the dates often times you can find a fresher product in the back.

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Coming home soon!

[Rumi in Hawaii]

Damon, thanks for the links to those articles - I learned a lot. And I think I'll still be buying Mountain Apple milk (because I want to support a local dairy), but I'll try the plastic jug gallon size and/or using those insulated bags to carry the milk in, and yes, I'm up in Mountain View so it does take some time to get the milk home. I had read somewhere that if milk is out of the refrig for more than 1/2 hour, it starts to go bad quickly...and the drive from KTA to home fits that 1/2 hour range. I use the empty paper 1/2 gallon cartons to plant seedlings, but could use the plastic gallon jugs, instead. I guess one thing that was making me curious about this whole issue is that it seems Half-n-Half never goes sour (or extremely rarely) and it's in paper cartons and we sure don't go thru that as quickly as the milk. Triple-pasturizing, maybe?? Anyway, thanks all for your input.... I wanted an excuse to not change brands, and you've given me the information I needed.

Katie

Wherever you go, there you are.

[Lucy]

Currently in San Antonio we pay:
$4.39 for 1% and skim
$4.49 for 2%
$4.59 for whole

Even here I have noticed that if I don't bring my insulated motorized plug-in cooler, milk will not stay fresh long. I am really picky that it be kept nice and cool. I am the only milk drinker and mine here always lasts a week or longer while using the refrigerated container for the way home.
On another note--The other thing is with anything frozen, I've read that you are not supposed to refreeze it, sometimes can be dangerous and lessens the food value. So it is good to have that cooler along, just for those items too. I always try to take a couple coolers just in case I need the space and leave one in my car when my husband and I just got to the book store, because sometimes we stop off on the way home at a specialty shop and just pick up something.

Damon--I looked at those mainland prices and went where! You might not have noticed, that first article you cited was very dated )--Friday, April 2, 1999. Almost an April fools day too :') getting close to 10 years ago though--

It is troubling that there are no more dairies on the other island when the last one on Oahu closes shop on the 15th. Time to keep a cow when the dairy closes up, LOL Who learns to milk it and keep it healthy and happy? Ah, I grew up on a dairy farm, I guess I could handle it.


Lucy

Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!

[Rumi in Hawaii]

Hey Lucy, good points.....

I raised Nubian dairy goats for 6+ years in Colorado, and drank their very rich very sweet milk (home pasteurized, but that was mainly because my kids had the "ick" factor about raw milk).... in light of possibly needing to be more self-sufficient out here on this lovely island, raising an animal that puts out about a half-gallon of milk a day (and making cheese, etc., out of that milk) is not a bad idea.... Now raising (and paying the high cost of feed for) a cow is a horse of a different color!

For now, it's Mountain Apple brand milk at KTA for me.... transported in an insulated bag or the cooler!!!!

Katie

Wherever you go, there you are.

[Lucy]

Hey Katie!!
Ha HA Nubian goats, we raised that type also. I loved the kids.
My brother used to run low on food for them, I would bring them into the back yard, tie them to the apple tree and they would munch my Mom's rosebushes, azelias, rhododendrons or whatever they could reach! LOL They were supposed to be grazing on the grass. Nothing better than good goat sausage too. Yes a goat would be all one person needs--I love the cheese, the goats are much easier to steer around and care for too, HA! Also chickens are alright, had them too, besides many horses.....At times I would bring up the cow hoping that I would not have as much lawn to mow come saturday too or a horse thinking they may do the trick---.
Maybe you can talk to Pam about where to acquire a goat once she gets back, by then you can have fencing set in. [:0]
Our neighbors had a commercial apple orchard, so he would let me pick up the windfalls and feed some to the cows and horses. Cows needed them to have a good flight in the air and good hard drop to split in half tobe able to eat, horses, liked them as they were, whole. Funny how easy it is to train those animals when they knew a fovorite treat like that was coming. Now my dogs have us trained very well.[] They just look at the treat jar and point it out, looking very cute and innocent all at one time [] Of course they are, last week there bill at the pet store was over $400 for a good supply of all sorts of yummo's. My husband loves to tell them stories and give them their bedtime goodies. He is so cute to see while he is loving on them all together. And he didn't want a big dog, now he says the house is so much better with them.

Lucy

Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!