This actually happens more frequently than people realize. Many of my customers will contact me and say “we just aren’t drinking the milk so I need to reduce.” I totally get that. One of the things that can be difficult for someone starting out with a raw milk herd share is how to effectively use most/all of their milk each week. Personally, our family drinks probably 5+ gallons per week. There are currently 4 of us in the house. My 15 month old goes through 2.5 gallons a week alone right now. My 4 year old would probably drink about the same if I would let her but she uses milk as an excuse to not eat the food I prepare for her. So her milk is now a reward for at least trying everything on her plate. (gotta mom smart, y’all) Depending on what I make for dinners and if we have chocolate syrup in the house, Ben and I can easily go through 2+ gallons between the two of us. (Dang! It’s a good thing we’re dairy farmers!)

Okay. So all that being said, if you have left over milk each week and just really don’t know what to do with it, here are some ideas:

Yogurt!
lots of my customers make yogurt in their Instant Pots. I have not tried this yet, but I hear it’s real easy. You can also make it in the crock pot! <——this recipe I have tried with good results. Yogurt is a great option for adding a little extra probiotics to your diet. Sooo good for your tummy/gut health! Put it in smoothies, eat it with a little homemade jelly mixed in (or honey!), or use plain yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes and on tacos. (*Yogurt can be made using slightly sour milk. It will simply make the yogurt more tart)
Alfredo/white sauce
This is a great option for using up milk. Simply make a white sauce! I make these for A LOT of different recipes. You could easily make a big batch and freeze it for later. They work well in potato soup, homemade mac and cheese, broccoli/cheese soup, pasta alfredo, etc. just to name a few.
“Sour milk” pancakes
This one sounds weird. But we all know raw milk goes sour at some point. If you have milk that is too sour to drink left over, it actually makes delicious pancakes! (Think buttermilk pancakes.) Again, you can make a big batch and freeze.
Pudding
You may think you’ve eaten pudding before. “It’s that stuff in the box, right?” No. That’s NOT pudding. Real pudding made from real milk is literally one of the most delicious concoctions that has ever been invented. Don’t worry, I’ve got a great pudding recipe. It’s easy, it uses 2.5-5 cups of milk and if you freeze it, it’s basically ice cream. (think frozen custard) I can’t wait that long. I eat it hot right off the stove. Super awesome when it’s cold outside and you want something warm to stick to your bones.
Farmer’s cheese
This one is pretty simple as well. Farmer’s cheese can be so tasty on a variety of different things. Depending on if you add things into your farmer’s cheese, it could go on sweet or savory foods. Try this simple recipe. (recipe can easily be reduced)

So there you go! 5 awesome ideas to help you use up some of that leftover milk. (And stock your freezer for easy meals later!) You may find that you actually need to INCREASE your share if you use any of these!