Hildebrand Dairy details & recipe

The summer 2019 issue of KANSAS! magazine arrived in the mail and includes the story I wrote about Hildebrand Daily, “Milking innovation and Tradition,” (pp. 30-33) It’s a story about a Kansas family dairy faming tradition that dates back to 1930. 

Typically, I submit more than can be included, allowing the editor a chance to pick and choose what best fits in the space. I did submit a couple of side bar ideas that didn’t make it into the Taste of Kansas section so I’m including them below.

Photo of Hildebrand Dairy products in their icon bottles.
Photo from Hildebrand Dairy,

HILDEBRAND DAIRY TIDBITS & TRIVIA 

·     According to the Kansas Livestock Association, Hildebrand Farms Dairy (HFD) is one of more than 290 dairy farms in Kansas. 

·     One hundred and fifty cows are milked twice a day in the Hildebrand’s milking parlor; milk out time takes just seven to eight minutes with eight cows milked at a time.

·     The dairy processes about 800-1000 gallons of milk daily.

·     It takes nine gallons of milk to produce one gallon of cream.  

·     Heifers are 2 years old when they are artificially inseminated and begin the dairy cow cycle; cows join the milk herd for one year after giving birth and continue this cycle up to eight times.

·     Peak calf season is April through June and October through November;up to 75 calves can be housed in the well-ventilated barn where they start off being bottle-fed.

·     Customers pay a deposit for a glass bottle and then return it when they make their next purchase; 75 to 80% of bottles are returned and recycled.

·     The bottles that set Hildebrand milk apart have evolved over time. The 10^th anniversary bottle was issued in October 2018.

·     Root beer milk, one of Hildebrand’s most unusual flavors, was the suggestion of an employee, and now has a “cult” following. Think root beer float in a bottle!

·     Several Kansas coffee shops use Hildebrand dairy products to create their milk-based drinks including mochas and lattes.

·     Lawrence is the top-selling market for Hildebrand milk in Kansas.

DETAILS ABOUT HILDEBRAND’S BOTTLING PLANT 

A four-person team works in the bottling plant beginning at 6:00 a.m. and ending about 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Hildebrand-Reed describesit as an “old-school” operation that uses smaller scale, creamery-sized equipment. The pasteurizer is new but she refers to other pieces of essential equipment as “antiques.”
Milk movement follows this typical sequence:

·     SEPARATOR—Milk moves from the barn holding tank to a 1970s era separator that is worth $55,000 in today’s market; equipment for small dairies is hard to come by and expensive.
·     PASTEURIZER—Raw milk goes to the pasteurizer where it reaches a temperature of 161 degrees Fahrenheit and is then cooled to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, all within a 15 second time span. 
·     HOMOGENIZER— The majority of the milk passes through a homogenizer where the fat molecules are broken down and integrated into the milk. Cream and cream-topped milk bypass this step.
·     HOLDING TANKS—Milk goes to one of four holding tanks. 
·     BOTTLE FILLER —Milk is piped into the filler and added to the dairy’s signature glass bottles. 
·     DATER—Bottles are then fed into an automated dater where the shelf life is listed as indicated by federal and state regulations.
·     COOLER—Bottles are moved into a cooler located near the loading dock. Refrigerated HFD trucks back up to the dock to load the milk that is then delivered to 125 commercial outlets in Kansas.

To check out additional details about Hildebrand Dairy, go to their website 
@  https://www.hildebrandfarmsdairy.com

And, of course, I always include a recipe. This is the one that was part of the article: 

Hildebrand Mac & Cheese    Yield: one 9 x 13-inch casserole

Melissa Hildebrand-Reed describes this as her go-to mac and cheese recipe, one her family eats year round. She always makes it with whole milk and often uses a variety of cheeses in order to vary the flavor. However she clarifies, “I always use block cheese, never bagged as it just doesn't melt as well.” Sometimes she even uses a half block (4 ounces) of cream cheese to make this comfort food even creamier.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. elbow macaroni pasta

½ cup Hildebrand sweet cream butter

2 teaspoons minced garlic

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 ½ teaspoons black pepper

4 cups Hildebrand milk 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 cups freshly shredded sharp or white cheddar 

2 tablespoons Hildebrand sweet cream butter

½ cup panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter or spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

2.    Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions; drain.

3.    Melt ½ cup butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and heat just until it becomes aromatic; watch carefully to avoid burning. 

4.    Sprinkle in flour and whisk; cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

5.    Slowly pour in milk and mustard whisking until smooth. Continue to cook on medium heat, whisking until sauce is thick and bubbly. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. 

6.    Lower heat and stir in cheese until well combined.

7.    Add hot pasta to prepared baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over the top and stir to combine.

8.    In a small skillet set on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add in panko bread crumbs, stirring constantly 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

9.    Sprinkle breadcrumbs over mac and cheese.

10.  Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until bread crumbs crisp.

Summer 2019 KANSAS! magazine cover page