The nutritional value and beneficial qualities of milk are beyond doubt. Natural products that have undergone a minimum of heat treatment are considered high-quality. One downside is the peculiar smell of fresh milk. And it can be difficult to understand why milk sometimes smells like a cow. The phenomenon appears for a number of reasons. Let's find out how to get rid of an unpleasant odor or prevent its occurrence.
Causes of the unpleasant phenomenon
Various factors can contribute to the appearance of an unpleasant odor in fresh milk. A peculiar aroma appears due to the following reasons:
- milking rules are violated. An unwashed cow's udder and violation of industrial hygiene requirements contribute to the appearance of the smell of manure;
- diseases of the cow and treatment of the animal with medications (“Creolin”, “Phenol”) can also affect the color and smell of dairy products;
- The smell and color of milk are influenced by the types of food eaten by animals. Compared to hay, silage changes the characteristics of the product more strongly. As a rule, milk on summer grazing does not have an unpleasant aroma.
Specific odors in dairy products appear when the cow eats strong-smelling plants (chamomile, wild garlic).
How to remove cow smell from milk
Fresh milk can already be considered a delicacy. Not everyone likes this product because it sometimes stinks. To make milk pleasant to drink, the specific aroma is removed in different ways:
- During the heat treatment, the bad odor is reduced. But you need to take into account that boiled milk is inferior to fresh milk in terms of usefulness;
- salt slightly neutralizes the strong aroma. A pinch can be added to the liquid during the boiling process, but you need to adhere to a sense of proportion so as not to oversalt the product;
- A less common method is to use a cloth soaked in vinegar. The cloth is simply used to cover the container in which the milk is stored.
To do less manipulation with fresh milk, it is better to take measures to prevent the appearance of a nasty aroma.
How to prevent a problem from occurring
Since most often milk acquires a bad odor due to poor milking hygiene, it is recommended to carefully prepare for milking. The udder is washed well with warm water, and the first few streams are poured into a separate container. It is recommended to fix the cow's tail during milking.Since the animal often swings its tail, particles of dirt or manure can fall from it into the liquid.
It is important to control the cow's diet. It is recommended to avoid excessive feeding of compound feed. Cows should not be fed sour or stale silage; feed containers should be washed regularly. You also need to monitor the health of the cattle and contact a veterinarian at the slightest sign of illness. However, one must accept it as a fact that there are healthy cows that are provided with proper care, but the unpleasant odor of the product is constantly present.
The characteristics of milk (fat content, color, taste, smell) may vary. Therefore, even for one cow, depending on the season and diet, the milk will smell differently. If you take these factors into account and properly care for the cattle, the milk will have a delicate aroma.
