Reinbeau
Deeply Rooted
I went into the old thread and completely deleted the old posts (only those you all marked as deleted) so things are back to normal there. :rainbow-sun
Eating Healthy
- Thread starter Backyard Buddies
- Start date
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
Thank you, Reinbeau! :happy_flower
- Thread starter
- #13
Backyard Buddies
Garden Ornament
Reinbeau - Thanks for straightening that out for us. We'll try to keep ourselves in line from here on out. 
Tutter - That was very interesting about the dachas. I recall reading about them, before the fall of the USSR, and found them fascinating. As I recall, second homes are common in Russia and these dachas were used not only for that purpose, but the people also grew a lot of produce there, attempting to grow enough to store away for the winter months. Since the people couldn't count on the government to provide them food on a regular basis, they became a necessity.
We can certainly live off of the system here in place in the US, and for many, that's their only option. But, we have to be willing to accept the chemicals, lax rules, injected hormones, stored foods (the more time off the vine, the fewer nutrients are retained) or buy organic (which isn't always a perfect solution either). I enjoy growing my own food for many of those reasons, for how it benefits the environment, but mostly because what I grow is more nutritious and more tasty than what I can get at the store. And, I like being a little bit independent and self-sufficient! So, I guess everyone has their reasons, and some of us even have all of the reasons!
No, I hadn't heard of the Straus dairy, but I went and found their website and browsed around for a bit. It sounds like a wonderful product! Do you buy the milk in the glass or the plastic? I found out that I can purchase their plastic here in town or I can buy glass a bit closer to our church. I'd love to give it a try. I'd like to compare them with another dairy that's a bit closer to me that also sells in glass. We drink quite a bit of milk here, between all four of us and the yogurt making - probably close to 3 gallons a week. I'd have to remember to return those glass bottles to the store!
I hadn't heard of the starter yogurts you've been using, so I checked them out as well. If you're strictly using organic, then the Trader Joe's French Market Creamline wouldn't be your cup of tea (or should I say, cup of yogurt!). Like most of the TJ's products, it's not organic, but it also doesn't contain the hormones. It's probably be comparable to the Straus Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, based on my reading of the description. What I like about the TJ's creamline is that it is pretty thick and very smooth tasting. It isn't sour at all and makes a very creamy, rich yogurt that tastes nothing like a 1%!
Tutter - That was very interesting about the dachas. I recall reading about them, before the fall of the USSR, and found them fascinating. As I recall, second homes are common in Russia and these dachas were used not only for that purpose, but the people also grew a lot of produce there, attempting to grow enough to store away for the winter months. Since the people couldn't count on the government to provide them food on a regular basis, they became a necessity.
We can certainly live off of the system here in place in the US, and for many, that's their only option. But, we have to be willing to accept the chemicals, lax rules, injected hormones, stored foods (the more time off the vine, the fewer nutrients are retained) or buy organic (which isn't always a perfect solution either). I enjoy growing my own food for many of those reasons, for how it benefits the environment, but mostly because what I grow is more nutritious and more tasty than what I can get at the store. And, I like being a little bit independent and self-sufficient! So, I guess everyone has their reasons, and some of us even have all of the reasons!
No, I hadn't heard of the Straus dairy, but I went and found their website and browsed around for a bit. It sounds like a wonderful product! Do you buy the milk in the glass or the plastic? I found out that I can purchase their plastic here in town or I can buy glass a bit closer to our church. I'd love to give it a try. I'd like to compare them with another dairy that's a bit closer to me that also sells in glass. We drink quite a bit of milk here, between all four of us and the yogurt making - probably close to 3 gallons a week. I'd have to remember to return those glass bottles to the store!
I hadn't heard of the starter yogurts you've been using, so I checked them out as well. If you're strictly using organic, then the Trader Joe's French Market Creamline wouldn't be your cup of tea (or should I say, cup of yogurt!). Like most of the TJ's products, it's not organic, but it also doesn't contain the hormones. It's probably be comparable to the Straus Plain Whole Milk Yogurt, based on my reading of the description. What I like about the TJ's creamline is that it is pretty thick and very smooth tasting. It isn't sour at all and makes a very creamy, rich yogurt that tastes nothing like a 1%!
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
You're right, the food was scarce in the Soviet Union. The notes you made about the dachas is probably why they were chosen as a place to teach people to grow their own food again. They were probably already set up with garden areas. I'll have to enquire as to whether that was the reason, or not. It would be interesting to know.
I can't believe that I forgot to list better taste! I always say: It doesn't have to be pretty, it doesn't have to be able to withstand mechanical picking, and it doesn't have to travel far after harvest. It just has to taste great!
I say that because so many hybrids were developed to be able to be mechanically picked, or to withstand long truck hauls to market, to the detriment of their flavor. Of course then comes the biodiversity issue, which is a whole 'nother issue.
To be honest, I wasn't aware that they sold products in plastic. Some of the appeal to me, aside from being good milk, cream, etc. is that it's sold in great heavy glass bottles. They have an indentation on them, making them a bit easier to pick up, so I keep some for the ice box to put water in, and lemonade, when I make it.
Also, I've given quite a few away to people who love them as useful novelties. But it's definitely more economical to trade them in! I keep 3 sizes as "piggy banks." They make a great place for kids to save change.
The Trader Joe's yogurt sounds a lot like the Oiko, which, I discovered, is made by Stoneyfield. I hope it makes as good of a yogurt.
I can't believe that I forgot to list better taste! I always say: It doesn't have to be pretty, it doesn't have to be able to withstand mechanical picking, and it doesn't have to travel far after harvest. It just has to taste great!
I say that because so many hybrids were developed to be able to be mechanically picked, or to withstand long truck hauls to market, to the detriment of their flavor. Of course then comes the biodiversity issue, which is a whole 'nother issue.To be honest, I wasn't aware that they sold products in plastic. Some of the appeal to me, aside from being good milk, cream, etc. is that it's sold in great heavy glass bottles. They have an indentation on them, making them a bit easier to pick up, so I keep some for the ice box to put water in, and lemonade, when I make it.
Also, I've given quite a few away to people who love them as useful novelties. But it's definitely more economical to trade them in! I keep 3 sizes as "piggy banks." They make a great place for kids to save change.
The Trader Joe's yogurt sounds a lot like the Oiko, which, I discovered, is made by Stoneyfield. I hope it makes as good of a yogurt.
- Thread starter
- #15
Backyard Buddies
Garden Ornament
You bring up excellent points about food development for mass marketing purposes. The cost in taste and biodiversity is huge. I wonder if, to get back to our original discussion, some folks don't grow their own food for the reason that they have no idea just how good home grown food can taste!
Let me know what your research finds on the dachas.
Did you know that the Straus Dairy deposit on the glass bottles is $1.50?!!
Their website says that the plastic bottles is because some folks just couldn't deal with the high bottle deposit charge. My local health food store doesn't carry that brand, but they do carry one that is produced closer to here. I may just pick up a bottle today when I head over there (I was there yesterday but forgot to pick up the Dr. Bronner's Castile soap I need for Oakland's toxic brew to kill bugs. :/ ) Then, I can try that brand and compare it against the Straus milk the next time I'm up at the church and can pick it up in the glass bottle.
I'll have to look for the Oiko yogurt and compare. Making yogurt is so much fun! I got to talking about it at church with a 20-something year old guy who begged me to email him the recipe. The last time I saw him, he mentioned how sold he is on the idea. Plus, he one-upped me! He's now making frozen yogurt with his!
Let me know what your research finds on the dachas.
Did you know that the Straus Dairy deposit on the glass bottles is $1.50?!!
Their website says that the plastic bottles is because some folks just couldn't deal with the high bottle deposit charge. My local health food store doesn't carry that brand, but they do carry one that is produced closer to here. I may just pick up a bottle today when I head over there (I was there yesterday but forgot to pick up the Dr. Bronner's Castile soap I need for Oakland's toxic brew to kill bugs. :/ ) Then, I can try that brand and compare it against the Straus milk the next time I'm up at the church and can pick it up in the glass bottle.I'll have to look for the Oiko yogurt and compare. Making yogurt is so much fun! I got to talking about it at church with a 20-something year old guy who begged me to email him the recipe. The last time I saw him, he mentioned how sold he is on the idea. Plus, he one-upped me! He's now making frozen yogurt with his!
