Conversations Ongoing: Breast Milk for Sale!
















This is a bit unnerving, or just really cool. I can't figure out which. In my textbook on Early Modern Europe I find on page 196, regarding the different activities that women and men would perform around the house and in the market. One sentence perplexes me:

"...women made cheese and butter from their own milk..."

I wasn't sure what this meant, but to be sure I brought it up in class. It garnered plenty of laughs but in the end we couldn't figure it out.

How much milk does it take to make butter, or cheese for that matter? What was the price for some of this substance? How did it fair on the market? Was it a luxury item? How did it compare to other cheeses or butters out there?

The questions go on and on.

I recently emailed the author to clarify this statement and give us any insight into this interesting anecdote on Early Modern Europe...

...stay tuned.

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