Dairy Products

Dairy cows are raised to produce milk which is made into many dairy products:

Skim Milk: Milk from which the cream has been removed or skimmed.

2% Milk: Milk from which all of the cream has been removed and then 2% of the cream has been added; also called partly skimmed.

Homogenized Milk: The cream is left in the milk, which therefore remains whole. The milk is homogenized, a process in which the fat globules are broken up. Pasteurization is a heating process which kills bacteria. All milk is pasteurized to kill disease organisms, if they exist. This is a precautionary measure.

Yogurt & Sour Cream: Made by adding bacterial culture to milk or cream.

Ice Cream: A dairy product of cream and milk with sweetener and flavouring added. Before processing, the combination of ingredients is called the mix. The mix is heated during pasteurization and homogenization and then quickly cooled while flavouring and colour are added. After this, the mix goes into the ice cream maker where it is whipped until it has a smooth texture and begins to thicken. When the ice cream has reached the right density, it is boxed and put in a holding freezer from which it is distributed. At the Museum throughout the summer you can often participate in demonstrations of ice cream making with an old fashioned ice cream maker. Sampling is encouraged!!

Butter: Made by churning cream in a revolving barrel-type churn or beater-type churn. You may be able to try your hand at making butter by hand during our summer programming months.

Cheese: Through a process of heating and draining, whole milk curds are separated from the whey (the liquid). The curds are then pressed and left to age for a minimum of six months.

• The Dairy Barn
• The Canadian Dairy Industry
• Care and Feeding
• Dairy Breeds