Whiteley Creek Homestead

The raw (unpasteurized and non-homogenized) milk that I purchase comes in plastic gallon jugs. As soon as I get home, I transfer it to glass jars. You can imagine my excitement when I came across two half gallon glass milk bottles in a cheery red carrier during Dick's and my farm show outing last weekend. Functional and cute… crucial attributes in my book.

Did you know that the best spot to store milk is on the bottom shelf to the back of the fridge? Strangely enough, many models are designed with a wide shelf in the door to accommodate gallon milk jugs. Everytime it's opened, a refrigerator's temperature increases. Food stored in the door and to the front of the shelves are most affected by temperature fluctuations (at least 5° warmer than the remainder of the fridge). To prevent bacteria from forming, milk must be kept as cold as possible. A refrigerator's overall temperature should be 41° or below. Milk is best stored at 34°-39°. Hmmm… milk stored in the refrigerator's door is convenient for pouring a quick glass of milk, but think about it.