The milk on the market, which can be cow , goat or buffalo milk, can be used for food and to make recipes ; commonly used are pasteurized milks, high quality and microfiltered. Pasteurized milk undergoes a heat treatment lasting 15 seconds at a temperature between 72 ° and 85 ° C. This allows to destroy the pathogenic germs, while maintaining the nutritional properties unaltered. It can be stored for 3-4 days.

The High Quality milk , indicated on the labeling of the package, indicates a pasteurized milk with higher nutritional content and subjected to strict legal controls: health and nutrition of the cows, hygiene of the stables, milking conditions, distribution and packaging.

Microfiltered milk is obtained by separating the fat part from raw milk.

The skim milk is filtered to eliminate bacteria. At this point the two parts are recomposed and the milk obtained is pasteurized to eliminate residual bacteria. It can be kept for 9-10 days.

It should be borne in mind that raw milk and English milk are wasted in cooking, where they lose some of their calcium and vitamin assets. The cream, which is created when the milk is cooked, emerges in the form of a skin and is generally eliminated. Raw and English milk are therefore to be used cold in smoothies, milkshakes and jellies.

Types of milk :

Raw : does not undergo any treatment. it is the most complete on a nutritional level.

English processing : it is pasteurized fresh milk, but not homogenized.

[rebelmouse-image 24993497 alt = "Whole milk" original_size = "222x300" expand = 1]Long-lasting : Methods such as microfiltration or high-temperature pasteurization Increase shelf life compared to fresh type.

Anti-cholesterol milk : it can be added with Omega 3, which lower the level of cholesterol, or with plant sterols, which reduce its absorption. By law it is defined as a milk-based drink.

Enriched : it is added with specific nutrients: vitamins, probiotic fibers, minerals or antioxidants. It too is a milk-based drink.

How it is worked:

Fresh milk on the market undergoes 3 main treatments:

Cooling : at 4 ° immediately after milking;

Pasteurization , ie heating at 72-75 ° for 15 seconds (germs die but not all "good" ferments);

Homogenization , that is, breaking down of fat globules. For long-life milk, the UHT method is added, i.e. heating at 135-140 ° for 2 seconds: the milk has less bacterial flora and for this reason it is kept out of the refrigerator for 3 months.

Things to know about milk:

1) Store the milk in the coldest part of the refrigerator and always check, before using it, the expiry date shown on the package. If the latter is already open, you must consume it within 2-3 days at the latest.

2) A few tablespoons of milk are essential for softening salty compounds such as meatballs, meatballs, fillings and farce. Your pizza dough, prepared with milk instead of water, will be much softer.

3) If you want to obtain creamy meat sauce with a more delicate taste, sprinkle them during slow cooking with ladles of warm milk. You can also add the leftover milk to the water for cooking the polenta.

4) If you don't like the intense flavor of garlic, peel the cloves and boil them in a little milk for 2-3 minutes.

The juicing derivatives of some fruits such as coconut , almonds and hazelnuts are commonly called milk also due to their white color.