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The imagery of the metaphors is of interest to the ancient writers. For example, Didymus the Blind comments, “This verse upsets the heretics, who like to think that natures are good or bad in themselves and thereby cannot be changed” (Comm. on 1 Peter, PG 39: 1761–1762: my tr.). Hilary of Arles allegorizes the milk metaphor in an intriguing way (clearly, he is using one of the medieval exegetical methods. See Lubac, 2000):

Milk has three forms which can be compared to doctrine, that is, the liquid, cheese, and butter. Liquid milk is the literal sense of Scripture, cheese is the moral sense, and butter is the spiritual sense. (Intro. Comm. on 1 Peter, PLSupp 3: 88, ACC)

Oecumenius stresses still another issue:

These words say a great deal, for it is unworthy of those who have been born again to an incorruptible life to be ensnared by evil and to prefer things which have no existence to that which truly exists. (Comm. on 1 Peter, PG 119: 529: ccel.org)

Andreas follows Paul in interpreting the milk metaphor; in fact, he paraphrases 1 Corinthians 3:2 (Catena). Bede also follows Paul, but goes further to relate the metaphor to the teaching of disciples by the priests: “the priests supply elementary doctrine, which is the rational milk without guile. But they also provide the solid food of more sublime doctrine to those who are more nearly perfect” (On the Tabernacle and Its Vessels, 2.10.81: TTH 18: 90: ccel.org).

However this metaphor is understood, it had significant impact on church ritual and in fact was involved in the baptismal ceremonial ritual in the early church. Tertullian says it was a sign of new birth, and denoted the communicants’ adoption into God’s family (Tertullian, De cor. Mil. c. 3). St. Jerome connects this to the passage in 1 Peter 2:1–3 about milk (Comment. in Es. LV, 1). Clement of Alexandria also comments on this custom:

As soon as we are born, we are nourished with milk, which is the nutriment of the Lord; and when we are born again, we are honored with the hope of rest by the promise of Jerusalem which is above, where it is said to rain milk and honey: for by these material things we are assured of that sacred food. (Clem. Alex. 1:6, 103: FC)

Included in the third Council of Carthage is the explanation that milk and honey had a unique consecration distinct from that of the Eucharist:

Nothing else should be offered in the sacraments of the body and blood of the Lord but what the Lord commanded, that is, bread and wine mingled with water. But the first‐fruits, and honey and milk, which are offered on one most solemn day for the mystery of infants, though they be offered at the altar, shall have their own peculiar benediction, that they may be distinguished from the sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord. (Cod. Eccles. Afric. can. 37, ap. Justellun)

Evidently, milk and honey were only to be offered on one special day, that is, on the great Sabbath – the Saturday before Easter, the most solemn time of baptism – and it was only for the mystery of infants, that is, persons newly baptized, who were commonly called infants, in a mystical sense, from their new birth, in the African Church. (See Riddle, 2015: 520; Coleman, 1852: 402; McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia: archive.org. Bede also relates new birth to baptism, On 1 Peter.)