What Is Vat Pasteurization?
Before we package our milk, we want to ensure that it is as safe as possible for you and your family. Pasteurization is a critical step to kill any pathogens that may be present in the raw milk. The method we use is to slowly heat up the milk in a large vat, which is an old fashioned way, sort of like simmering in a pot on the stove. The lowest legal temperature for pasteurization is 145 deg., which we monitor, and needs to be held at that temperature for at least 30 minutes. We feel that this leaves the milk enzymes and proteinsas close to straight-from-the-cow as possible, especially compared to ultra-pasteurizing, which flows through pipes and only needs to cook for 1 or 2 seconds, but at a temperature of at least 280 deg.