There is a lot of buzz about organic, non-processed foods. Running a hobby farm gives you easy access to fresh, organic foods, but if milk is one of them, you may wish to handle with care.
Raw milk, milk that has not been pasteurized, may carry disease-causing bacteria that can cause mild to severe illnesses. Pasteurizing your own raw milk is fairly easy. All you need is a double boiler and a cooking thermometer. Bring the water in the bottom pot of the double boiler to a boil, put your raw milk into the top pot, and heat to more than 165ยบ F for more than 15 seconds. Set the pot of milk into a bowl of ice water and stir until cool. Then place into a sterile container for refrigeration until you are ready to drink it.
Commercial milk is also homogenized, which breaks down the fat globules in the milk. This is different than pasteurizing. Homogenized milk will not have cream that rises to the top, and some claim that this process aids in digestion. This process is unrelated to pasteurization, and is not essential for removing harmful bacteria from raw milk.
