Farmer Erik Stegink from Bathmen in Overijssel has been experimenting with a new type of ice cream since Ascension Day. The ice cream, which is made from pig’s milk, “takes some getting used to” but received a positive reception, according to those who have tasted it.
According to NOS, the farmer’s pig's milk ice cream is the first food of its kind in the Netherlands. "We previously sold cheese from our pig's milk. That was because someone was visiting here and wondered why we didn't make cheese from the milk," Stegink told RTVOost . "We have developed that idea, but because it takes so much time and so many litres for one kilo of cheese, it is very expensive. This ice cream also takes time, but we need less milk for it."
Milking pigs is also more laborious than milking cows since there is no automated way to milk them. "A mother pig gives milk about twelve to fourteen times a day. Then you have a full udder in one go. The piglets are right there, but recently the farmer is also 'in-between'," Stegink explained. "We 'strip' the teat by hand. We collect the milk in a small container. Ultimately, the milk is processed into the ice cream."
The ice cream is described as “greasy” by those who have tried it. "A bit greasy, nice and creamy. It's delicious ice cream," a visitor to his farm told RTVOost. "People really like it, we have almost run out of our first stock," Stegink said.
The farmer also explained the logistics of sharing the milk of a sow with her piglets. "The piglets are not bothered by it, in a stable of 25 sows we use about one or two litres of milk per pig. One pig produces a little more milk than the other. Piglets also drink from the various other sows here, so they lack nothing”, the farmer said.