# Question about jars for milk :)



## guessa1 (Jun 11, 2014)

How many 1/2 gallon jars should I purchase to store my milk? I have 2 lamanchas who will have their first freshening in February (well, fingers crossed!), and these are our first goats, so I really don't know exactly what to expect. But I want to be as prepared as I can 

What do you recommend starting out with?

And where is the cheapest place you've found your 1/2 gallon jars? I looked at them today at Walmart: 6 for $11.92- is that about the best price? And then just use the plastic lids? 

Thank you! I'm so excited about goat milk and all the things that I will be able to do with it


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## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

They'll give from 1/2 to 1 gallon a day each their first freshening, but I don't know how fast you will drink the milk. Maybe start out with 8?

Walmart is good. I like the plastic lids very much(they don't rust!), but unfortunately they don't seal perfectly.

I use quart jars, and have 35 of them. But, I use 2x as many as normal. I milk into jars instead of a bucket then strain into new jars.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

I will go back to canning jars soon it's too much trouble to use them for 7 milkers (getting almost 3 gallons a day) I've used 1 gallon plastic milk jugs (washed good right after emptying) right now I am using 2 gallon liquid butter tubs I got from a restraunt the thing with plastic is that you will have trouble sanitizing it if you mess up then it's just as easy to throw them away and get more.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

I prefer quart jars as well..they cool the milk alot faster then 1/2 gallon, and with goats milk you need to get it cold fast! assume your goats will milk a gallon a milkng and prepare...you can always store extra jars for later use...I also use the plastic lids..they are awesome!!


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## ariella42 (May 22, 2014)

I milk into half gallon jars, but then strain into quart jars for cooling. If I start running out of fridge space, I'll consolidate into a few half gallon ones after themilk cools, though. How many you need really will depend on how quickly you go through it.


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## guessa1 (Jun 11, 2014)

Oh thanks so much everyone! So it sounds like quart jars are the way to go to cool faster. That makes sense! Is the wide-mouth version the way to go?


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## ksalvagno (Oct 6, 2009)

I use half gallon jars to store my milk in. Lets just say if you don't use it quickly you can have your refrigerator full of jars. I have no problems with the milk in the half gallon. If you do end up going the half gallon route, I'd get at least 12 jars if you don't use it quickly. But a minimum of 8.


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## Dayna (Aug 16, 2012)

Wow thats what I pay for 1 1/2 gallon jar here. About $12!

I like to cool in quart jars and then transfer to 1/2 gallon jars. I actually buy pickles from Walmart in those HUGE 90 ounce jars. When I'm done with the pickles I sanitize the jars and use plastic wrap and a rubber band as a lid.

Otherwise I prefer the plastic lids for the milk. I do boil them in lemon juice a couple times a year though to make sure any odors get removed.


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## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

guessa1 said:


> Oh thanks so much everyone! So it sounds like quart jars are the way to go to cool faster. That makes sense! Is the wide-mouth version the way to go?


Wide mouth is perfect.


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## happybleats (Sep 12, 2010)

we also tranfer into 1/2 gallon jars once milk is cool....I also like the wide mouth but either work just fine


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## guessa1 (Jun 11, 2014)

So after asking this question yesterday, our breeder from whom we got our goats called to say that our goats likely have CAE as there was a mix-up with their vet and they have goats that have tested positive. I am just devastated.  We are going to have them tested, but it sounds like all of the kids (when they were also kids) must have somehow gotten contaminated milk. The breeder practices CAE prevention, but I guess somehow the milk wasn't clean. *sigh* I am so heartbroken. Guess I may not be over here in the dairy diaries as soon as I thought


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## Sylvie (Feb 18, 2013)

Oh no!  Hoping they test negative.


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

You can still be in the dairy diaries with CAE. I use half gallon mason jars from Winco, got a good deal the other day 6 for 9 dollars. Buy at least 2 6 packs. I strain into the half gallons and chill with no problems.


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## kc8lsk (Jan 10, 2014)

Cae Is not transferrable to humans the milk is still good for you just don't feed it unpastuerized to their kids you will get through this it's OK.


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## kccjer (Jan 27, 2012)

Get them tested before you panic. And then go from there. You can still use the milk just like stated above. Now...again....I do things WAY different from everyone else. I don't rush to cool down my milk. It can take up to an hour from first milking to getting it into the fridge. I have a plastic gallon pitcher from Walmart (had to find the one that would fit in my fridge) and we strain directly into that. If we're not getting a gallon, we strain into the pitcher until it's full and then start a new one. That is NOT how most on here do it, but it works for us. I haven't noticed any difference in 'getting the milk cold as soon as possible' and doing it our way. It tastes the same and lasts just as long. I like the plastic pitchers because they are easy to handle and take up less room. 

If you go with the jars, definitely get wide mouth. You will save yourself a lot of frustration as it's easier to clean them than the narrower ones.


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## guessa1 (Jun 11, 2014)

Thanks for the support everyone. We will have them tested and go from there. I know that CAE doesn't transmit to humans, but I dunno....I just have that weird in the back of my mind feeling like I would be drinking tainted milk. Maybe I can convince my husband to keep them and we can just feed their milk to the dogs and chickens for this one season and keep them strictly as pets after. And get another 2 does for milking for ourselves? *sigh* Thanks for all the good advice....I hadn't even thought about the cleaning aspect of wide mouth versus regular mouth jars! I'm sure wide mouth is the way to go for that aspect!


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## lovinglife (Jun 6, 2013)

Just think about the millions of cows milk all mixed together in your store bought milk. Kind of makes one doe with CAE less of an issue. You know she is otherwise healthy, with no issues for human consumption.


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## SunnydaleBoers (Jul 28, 2012)

kccjer said:


> Ge. I have a plastic gallon pitcher from Walmart (had to find the one that would fit in my fridge) and we strain directly into that. If we're not getting a gallon, we strain into the pitcher until it's full and then start a new one. That is NOT how most on here do it, but it works for us. I haven't noticed any difference in 'getting the milk cold as soon as possible' and doing it our way. It tastes the same and lasts just as long. I like the plastic pitchers because they are easy to handle and take up less room.
> 
> If you go with the jars, definitely get wide mouth. You will save yourself a lot of frustration as it's easier to clean them than the narrower ones.


We love those plastic gallon pitchers too- the lids seem to stay on tight and they've got a pour spout too, so less spills than the mason jars. They're advertised as being BPA free and they're about 2 bucks a pop. The only downside is that the milk isn't going to get as cold as quickly as it would with a smaller container.

We strain directly into the pitchers, then skim the cream off the next morning. We do use the half gallon mason jars to store the cream till we churn. The plastic lids for the mason jars are great, and definitely pick up one of those wide mouth funnels they've got next to the canning jars. (You'll also start to use those half gallon jars for storing anything and everything in your kitchen, so you might as well pick up a few boxes of them. They make great canisters!)


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