The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-06-03
ONIONS IN MILK
Flavor and Odor Not UnhWols-
some But Very Objeo-
tionable.
Remedies Suggested

lures great many farmers, milk
producers, and consumers are con.
fronted with the usual, and to a cer-
tain extent inevitable, havor and
odor Of onions in milk products. The
presence of onion favor in milk does
not indicate that the milk containing
this favor has been produced or
handled under unsanitary conditions,
nor does the presence OF the favor
and odor render the milk unwhole-
some for human consumption. But
the onion flavor in milk, even to
slight degree, is such a pronounced
and unpleasant one to the great ma
1ority of consumers that from a COM
mercial standpoint all milk SO 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 a 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 if proper
precautions were taken and prepare
ton made for the short time during
which the trouble arises.
AS to remedies and treatment OF
soniony" nilk, the only sure and ez.
fective means lies in prevention. II
onions are present in the pasture
they must come out, or the ailk cow
must be kept out for several hours
prior to milking time, else the milk
will surely have the characteristic
Objectionable odor and flavor. Should
the onions be few, or should they De
confined to a limited area, 1t unighe
be possible and advisable to pull up
the. plants by hand be ore 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 off the pasture early IN
the afternoon, at least four or hvs
hours before milking time.
The onion plant is one Of che Arst
to begin growing in the spring, ana
the COW, with her natural craving 10Y
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 ae-
cess to such grazing lots for IA hour
or so each day net only will her milk
row be very much increased but her
hunger for green feed will be salts
fed to such an extent that she Will
be more careful about grazing ON
wild onions while in the pasture.
The onion flavor in milk is only
one, though perhaps the most pre-
neunced and Objectionable, OF many
food favors which often get into
milk from the cow. Such feeds as
rape, rutabagss, cabbage and wet
brewers grains, when fed either just
prior or during milking, often impart
quite pronounced and Objectionable
favors to milk. Any Of the above
feeds, however, may safely be fed
Just after milking or several hours
before milking without affecting the
favor of the milk in any way. 80
It is where conditions make 1t neees-
sary to Craze milk COWS on onion tn
tested pastures II the cows are
turned on these pastures Immediately
after milking in the morning and
then driven up about Roon, there
should be little if any trace OF onion
flavor in the milk Especially is this
true where the cows are allowed TO
Craze on green grazing lots which arc
free from the wild onions or where
good grade OF CORR silago Ia fed a. q
succulent feed.
Various methods Of removing the
onion favor and odor from nilk 80
contaminated have been tried cut
with little SUCCESS. Perhaps the most
common 40 we'll as the most exec |
tive treatment Is that Of aerak&'n.
But even with this method, the
amount Of the objectionable favor
and edor removed 10 80 small that II
Is impossible to render contaminated
miK free from taint.
Summary.
|. Allow milk cows to run On On
ion infested pastures only in the fore
noon. Drive them UP four or Ave
hours before milking time.
2. Provide green grazing lots, or
have an abundance or corn silage, to
increase the flow Of milk and to ap-
pease the cows craving for green
feed.
3. Take extra precautions with tho
handling and cooling Of the milk IN
order that no bad edors and flavors
might develop to augment the o5Jec'
tionable ones from the enions.
~@IIhrPv NAMAGE TO |