The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-04-15
ONIONS IN MILK
Flavor and Odor Not Unhwole.
some But Very Objec-
tionable.
Remedies Suggested


lures a great many farmers, milk
producers, and consumers are con-
fronted with the usual, and to a GER
tain extent inevitable, flavor and
odor of onions in milk products. The
presence of onion flavor in milk does
not indicate that the milk containing
this flavor has been produced or
handled under unsanitary conditions,
nor does the presence Of the flavor
and odor render the milk unwhole-
some for human consumption. But
the onion flavor in milk, even to q
slight degree, IL such pronounced
and unpleasant one to the great ma
jority Of consumers that from a COM
mercial standpoint all milk 50 affect
ed is unfit. Cream from this milk
may be used for butter making,
though the resulting butter will still
retain the Objectionable favor to .
marked degree. AS result OF this
trouble In milk, many producers and
dealers suffer every spring consider
able financial loss, q part Of which,
at least could be avoided II proper
precautions were taken and prepare
ton made for the short time during
which the trouble arises.
AZ to remedies and treatment OF
"oniony" milk, the only sure and sf.
fective means lies in prevention. II
onions are present in the pasture
they must come out. or the milk COW
must be kept out for several hours
prior 20 milking time, else the milk
vill surely have The characteristic
Objectionable odor and favor. Should
tho onions be few, or should they Be
confined to q limited area, 1t might
Be possible and advisable to pull up
tAs plants BY hand before seed are
produced and thus eventually rid the
pasture Of them. On the other hand,
IL the pasture is badly infested the
only course to follow is to take the
milk COWS OF the pasture early in
the afternoon, at least four or i've
hours before milking time.
The onion plant is one OF the hrst
10 begin growing in the spring, and
the cow. with her natural craving Tor
green succulent feed at this season
Of the year, is not at all particular
about what she eats while the graz
ing Is so scant. In this connection
a grazing lot Of rye or rye and barley,
or clover and barley serves double
purpose. If the COW Is allowed ac-
cess to such grazing lots for an hour
O, 20 each day not only will her milk
flow be very much increased but her
hunger for green feed will be satls-
fed to such an extent that she Will
he more careful about grazing on
wild onions while in the pasture.
The onion flavor In milk IS only
one, though perhaps the most pro-
nounced and Objectionable. OF many
food fiayors which often get into
milk from the cow Such feeds as
rape, rutabages, cabbage and wet
brewers grains, when fed either just
pior or during milking, often impar
auite pronounced and Objectionable
Aayors to milk. Any Of the above
feeds, however, may safely be FED
lust after milking or several hours
before milking without affecting tne
| flavor Of the milk in any way. 80
K "a where conditions make It nsoes'
ssry to graEs milk COWS On onion In
fested pastures. II the COWS are
turned on theie pastures immediately
after milking IN the morning and
then driven up about noon, there
should be little X any trace OF onion
flavor in the milk. Especially Is this
true where the cows are allowed to
craze on green grazing lots which are
free from the wild onions or where
rood grade of corn silage IL fed Al q
succulent feed.
Various methods Of removing the
onion flavor and odor from milk SO
contaminated have been tried out
with little success. Perhaps the most
common as we'll IS the most ef1ec'
tive treatment Is that OF aerat1on
But even with this method. the
amount of the Objectionable flavor
and odor removed IS so small that II
Is impossible to render contaminated
| ., III frae from faint
Summary.
| / Allow milk cows to run on On
Ion infested pastures only in the fore
noon. Drive them up four or nTe
hours before milking time.
!. Provide green grazing lots. OF
have an abundance or corn silase, to
increase the dow Of milk and to ap
nsa.e the COWS craving for green
feed
3 Take extra precautions with the
handling and cooling OF the milk IN
order that no bad odors and havors
might develop to augment the o5jec
a.>-. AnfOnR