A cold glass of fresh milk is a delicious, wholesome treat. If it’s non-homogenized, the higher-fat cream will naturally separate from the milk to be skimmed for butter, whipped cream, or to splash into a hot cup of coffee. The traditional skimming process, however, is a tedious repetition of scooping out the cream ladle after ladle (and sometimes spoonful after spoonful). If this setback has kept you from enjoying the bliss of fresh cream, here is an incredibly easy method to try using a siphon.
Supplies:
- A clothespin (the kind with the metal spring)
- 1 Vinyl Tube, ¼” or more wide and at least 3 feet long (use afflink for this product)
- A jar large enough to hold the skimmed milk
Directions:
- Put a jar of milk where the cream has risen to the top on a high surface, like a counter or table.
- Use a chair or stepstool to hold the empty jar well below the level of the milk jar.
- Insert one end of the tube down into the milk until it hits the bottom.
- Create suction to start the milk flowing through the tube.
- Place the dry end of the tube into the empty jar and allow the skimmed milk to flow.
- Clip the tube to the rim of the milk jar so you don’t have to hold it. Now you can walk away and make lunch!
For half a gallon of milk, the skimming process with this method should take about ten minutes. When the milk is almost done draining, come back and keep an eye on it. You can see a thin line of cream start to get pulled down into the suction if you leave it in place. Just move the milk end of the tube around the bottom of the jar like a vacuum until all the skim milk is gone.
To clean the tube, simply run hot water and antibacterial dish soap through it until it is clear of milk, and give it a good rinse.
Now, with virtually no effort, you’ve skimmed yourself some delicious, healthy cream to use however you wish. Wasn’t that easy?
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