Make home milk safe
Raw milk can carry Salmonella, Listeria, E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter. Pasteurising at home makes goat, sheep or cow milk much safer.
How
- Use a double boiler, a metal-stem thermometer and a clean spoon (Ohio State).
- Heat the milk to 72 C (161 F) and hold it there for 15 seconds, stirring all the time.
- Or heat milk in jars, four-fifths full, in a water bath to 63 C (145 F) and hold for 30 minutes (Ohio State).
- Cool fast: stand the pan in cold water and stir. Below 54 C (130 F), switch to ice water until the milk is 4 C (40 F) or lower.
- Store covered at 4 C (40 F) or colder, on a low shelf at the back of the fridge, not in the door.
- Do not pasteurise in a microwave (Ohio State).
- Check the law before selling or giving away milk. Many countries restrict raw milk sales.
Safety: Pregnant women, young children, older adults and people with weak immune systems face the highest risk from raw milk (Ohio State). Give them only pasteurised milk.
Do these first
Sources
- Food preservation: pasteurization of raw milk for home consumption. Ohio State University Extension (CFAES), accessed 2026-11