First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to Bush for allowing gasoline prices to skyrocket - which has caused the price of ethanol (the fuel used in most American farm industry) to rise - which in turn has allowed the price of milk here in NY to reach $4.00
Secondly, sour milk isn't all bad. Teach your wives and girlfriends to make corn bread out of it and you'll have the best addition to a beef/ turkey/ chili or meatloaf dinner you've ever had.
As for the milk sour warning - I'm suprised they haven't developed a small chemical strip that indicates the quality of the milk by changing color. They could put the strip in the jug and you could visually check it before buying or while its in the fridge.
I supposse the strip would detect ammonia or trace chemicals released by breeding bacteria. In fact, The CAP on top of the jug might be converted into something like this.
I would think it would be fairly easy to test the sourness based on pH. Fresh milk has a pH of around 6 and sour milk has a pH of around 4. (the lower pH causes the proteins to precipitate, which is why it gets chunky) Some variation on pH paper would probably do the trick.
You must be from New York; you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
1.) "ethanol (the fuel used in most American farm industry)"
Ethanol (pure ethyl alcohol) is not the fuel most used in the American farm industry; that would be diesel. In rare circumstances bio-diesel is used as a substitute, but ethanol is not used in big machinery.
2.) "which in turn has allowed the price of milk here in NY to reach $4.00"
The increase in cost of ethanol has not caused the price of milk to rise, but the two events are related. Ethanol in the U.S. is made (very inefficiently) from corn. Because making ethanol from corn is so inefficient, the process is subsidized out the ass by the government. Corn prices are now at an all time high (because of the increase in demand), and it just happens to be a primary livestock feed. Now with more and more farmers growing corn to reach the demand, there are shortages of everything else => All of the commodity prices are going through the roof, and farmers are making record profits. The increased cost of milk is due to the higher cost of livestock feed and diesel.
If you want to blame the government for something, blame them for subsidizing ethanol. Ethanol doesn't reduce our demand for oil (at best it takes just as much energy in oil to produce it out of corn as it can provide); it's just an excuse to not do anything productive about the energy crisis. Also, ethanol is made productively from sugar cane in South America, but our government prevents any imports.
If you think Bush controls the price of gas than you're insane or are giving god-like powers to him. Speculators are the biggest driver of the price of oil now just like real estate earlier. Obama won't be able to lower the price of either gas or food either. Only thing that will move the speculators out will be a downwards correction when too many get in on the action.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Flashpoint @ Mar 15th 2008 10:20AM
First of all, I'd like to give a shout out to Bush for allowing gasoline prices to skyrocket - which has caused the price of ethanol (the fuel used in most American farm industry) to rise - which in turn has allowed the price of milk here in NY to reach $4.00
Secondly, sour milk isn't all bad. Teach your wives and girlfriends to make corn bread out of it and you'll have the best addition to a beef/ turkey/ chili or meatloaf dinner you've ever had.
As for the milk sour warning - I'm suprised they haven't developed a small chemical strip that indicates the quality of the milk by changing color. They could put the strip in the jug and you could visually check it before buying or while its in the fridge.
I supposse the strip would detect ammonia or trace chemicals released by breeding bacteria. In fact, The CAP on top of the jug might be converted into something like this.
Maybe I should apply for a patent.
wunch @ Mar 15th 2008 10:35AM
I would think it would be fairly easy to test the sourness based on pH. Fresh milk has a pH of around 6 and sour milk has a pH of around 4. (the lower pH causes the proteins to precipitate, which is why it gets chunky) Some variation on pH paper would probably do the trick.
Jacob @ Mar 15th 2008 1:13PM
or take that sour milk and make some awesome rice pudding...
oh yeah, 2% milk sucks, whole milk FTW!!! (and bonus points if it comes in a glass jug with the cream on top! (ie Straus Family Creamery))
Andrew Wieland @ Mar 15th 2008 1:16PM
You must be from New York; you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.
1.) "ethanol (the fuel used in most American farm industry)"
Ethanol (pure ethyl alcohol) is not the fuel most used in the American farm industry; that would be diesel. In rare circumstances bio-diesel is used as a substitute, but ethanol is not used in big machinery.
2.) "which in turn has allowed the price of milk here in NY to reach $4.00"
The increase in cost of ethanol has not caused the price of milk to rise, but the two events are related. Ethanol in the U.S. is made (very inefficiently) from corn. Because making ethanol from corn is so inefficient, the process is subsidized out the ass by the government. Corn prices are now at an all time high (because of the increase in demand), and it just happens to be a primary livestock feed. Now with more and more farmers growing corn to reach the demand, there are shortages of everything else => All of the commodity prices are going through the roof, and farmers are making record profits. The increased cost of milk is due to the higher cost of livestock feed and diesel.
If you want to blame the government for something, blame them for subsidizing ethanol. Ethanol doesn't reduce our demand for oil (at best it takes just as much energy in oil to produce it out of corn as it can provide); it's just an excuse to not do anything productive about the energy crisis. Also, ethanol is made productively from sugar cane in South America, but our government prevents any imports.
dvdivx @ Mar 15th 2008 1:20PM
If you think Bush controls the price of gas than you're insane or are giving god-like powers to him. Speculators are the biggest driver of the price of oil now just like real estate earlier. Obama won't be able to lower the price of either gas or food either. Only thing that will move the speculators out will be a downwards correction when too many get in on the action.
mymaclife @ Mar 15th 2008 2:03PM
@ Flashpoint 'teach your wives and girlfriends to make...' what century were you born in?
I suppose when you only let them out the kitchen when you need them in the bedroom?
happy_penguin @ Mar 16th 2008 8:25PM
Good god this guy is unbelievable.