Page 27 - Special Issue: Healthy Baby

FORMULA CURDLING to pick up their raw milk, and the solution to this is to obtain it in large
Q: When I make the formula, it curdles. Am I quantities and freeze it. When the raw milk thaws, there will be small
doing something wrong? clumps of cream that can be smoothed out with a whisk or by putting the
A: The formula will curdle if you use whey from milk in a blender.
making cheese. You need to make your own whey
from yogurt, kefir or sour raw milk. MODIFYING THE FORMULA
Q: My daughter has 5-month-old twins and we’re in the process of wean-
FREEZING THE FORMULA ing them off of infant formula. I have ordered milk from one of the dairy
Q: Can I freeze the formula? What is the best farmers mentioned on the Weston A. Price Foundation’s website. This
method to thaw? I am guessing warm water. I particular farmer does pasteurize his milk but only to a degree that does
would freeze the formula in mason freezer jars not destroy the enzymes in the milk. My question is what variations can
that are 8-ounce capacity. be made in the formula that would make this affordable as well as a good
A: We recommend making the formula fresh formula for the twins. My daughter and her husband are on a budget that
daily—this is part of your new baby routine. The won’t allow a large monthly expense for the ingredients. Is there some
exception might be when you are traveling and way that the formula can be varied so that it won’t cost that much for
yes, you can set the jars in warm water to thaw. them? Also, I know my daughter won’t have the time to make the easy
However, raw milk may be frozen with no ill whey recipe. Please give suggestions as to how to make this work af-
effects. Many parents must drive long distances fordably for them. My daughter is on the WIC program and the only

MAKING HOMEMADE BABY FORMULA

My adopted son Tate started on the homemade raw milk formula when he was three days old—and has thrived
on it. Since I knew I would be making formula for my baby, I was able to prepare ahead of time. I love to cook, but like
most people, I took one look at the raw milk formula in Nourishing Traditions and was a little apprehensive with the
long list of ingredients. Actually, I added one other ingredient—1-2 tablespoons cow colostrum to each batch.
I knew that sleep deprivation was in my future! Nevertheless, I forged ahead with optimism, and to my great de-
light, after the first few times of making the formula, it became easy as baby-pie! It only takes 20 minutes to make from
start to finish, including cleanup!
Here are some of my tricks. First, before Tate arrived, I made ice-cube portions of the whey, cream and colostrum.
My raw milk dairy farm has the most wonderful milk, but cream is hard to come by. I also opted not to make my own
whey since my husband and I enjoy drinking the milk. So I ordered several gallons of whey, one gallon colostrum and
one gallon of cream from Organic Pastures in California (organicpastures.com). It comes frozen and they assured me it
was perfectly fine to thaw and freeze again in the ice cube trays. A typical cube section in a tray equals two tablespoons.
This is the perfect amount for the formula; four tablespoons or two cubes for the whey and two tablespoons or one cube
for the cream and colostrum.
Here’s my early morning routine. First I rinse off everything with hot water to make sure there is nothing foreign on
my utensils. I fill an 8-cup glass measuring bowl with a pour spout with 2 cups of filtered water, then scoop out 2 table-
spoons to make 1 7/8 cups. I pour this into a stainless steel pot and add the gelatin. I turn the stove on between low and
medium to warm the ingredients, not boil. Then I add 2 frozen cubes of whey, and 1 each of cream and colostrum. I
also add the coconut oil to the pot so that it melts sufficiently. In the same measuring bowl I used for the water, I add the
milk and the rest of the oils and dry ingredients (which are available at most health food stores and radiantlifecatalog.
com, (888) 593-8333). By the time I am done with that, the frozen ingredients are melted and I add them together in
the big glass measuring bowl. At this point I blend the formula in the blender. I found when left unblended the oils in
the formula do not combine well enough. Be sure not to blend for too long, as the cream may curdle.
Then I pour the formula back into the measuring bowl, divide it into glass baby bottles, add the nipples and tops,
and that’s it! Even with sleep deprivation, I find this process to be easy and doable. For the actual feedings, I use a bottle
warmer that heats with steam instead of going to the stove to boil water each time. When you have a hungry baby, as
many of you know, warming a bottle is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.
Once you do it a few times, it’s easy. . . and our baby has thrived on the formula!
If you need assistance, contact the WAPF office at info@westonaprice.org.
Jen Allbritton, CN, Evergreen, Colorado

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