How To Make Whey
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Since I publish so many recipes that call for whey, I want to post this recipe for whey so you can refer back to it as necessary. I use whey to soak beans and grains (including oatmeal), and I use it in many lacto-fermented recipes including lacto-fermented salsa.
We’re talking about real whey here — not that whey protein powder you see everywhere. This is the whey that Miss Muffett was eating with her curds. Whey is the liquid that’s leftover from milk or yogurt when it is strained to make cheese. Whey is also highly nutritious.
How To Make Whey
Makes about 2 pints
Making Whey With Yogurt or Kefir
Ingredients:
2 cups of yogurt or kefir
Equipment:
Strainer
Clean cheesecloth (or thin dishtowel)
1. Set a large steel mesh strainer in a large glass bowl or pitcher (do not use metal) and line it with some cheesecloth or a very thin dishtowel (if you use a thick one, it will soak up too much of the liquid)
2. Transfer the yogurt or kefir into the strainer.
3. Let it drip for a few hours. When the dripping slows, tie the cheesecloth or towel to a wooden spoon (or any big spoon) and place the spoon on top of the pitcher to where the towel of yogurt is hanging suspended in the pitcher from the spoon. You can also tie the cheesecloth to a cupboard handle and let it drip into the bowl below.
4. Let it drip overnight.
5. When it is has completely stopped dripping, pour the the liquid whey that dripped into the bowl or pitcher into a clean glass mason jar and store in the fridge. It will keep for about 6 months.
6. The white creamy stuff in the towel is cream cheese, and can be used in recipes or spread on toast. It will last a few weeks to a month in the fridge.
Making Whey With Raw Milk
Ingredients:
2 quarts raw milk
You can also use raw milk to make whey (don’t try this with pasteurized!).
1. Place 2 quarts of the milk in a glass jar, bowl or pitcher and leave at room temperature for 2-4 days until the milk separates into curds and whey.
2. Pour into the strainer lined with cheesecloth. Follow instructions above.
This post is a part of Fight Back Fridays at Food Renegade. Visit Fight Back Fridays for more stories about and recipes for real food.
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01/05/2009 at 7:48 am Permalink
And if you have any whey left over, there is a really cool Vermont company that could use your excess. Not really, but check them out…
Vermont Natural Coatings: http://www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com/
Products are the result of recent scientific innovations using whey proteins, a natural by-product of the dairy industry.
Rob Smart’s last blog post..Can Farmers Markets & CSA Farms Really “Grow” Sustainable Food?
01/05/2009 at 8:14 am Permalink
Hi there AnnMarie! Thanks for the whey post. I feed it to the chickens with their oats – they love yogurt as well…I’m making it with Goat Milk this weekend…
01/05/2009 at 8:28 am Permalink
Great post! Making whey is so incredibly easy and since it lasts in the fridge for a long time, it doesn’t have to be done very often. You often only need a small amount to soak grains, etc. so the pint you make using this recipe will likely last for awhile.
Also when making whey, you can vary the amount of time you let it drip until you get the cream-type cheese consistency you desire (varying from something more on the moist side to more on the dry side). Adding herbs to the finished soft cheese makes a fantastic spread for a nice piece of sourdough bread!
Julie’s last blog post..How to Make Sour Cream (aka Creme Fraiche)
01/05/2009 at 8:35 am Permalink
Can whey be frozen and maintain its healthy flora? I made cream cheese for a cheesecake, which needed a whole gallon’s worth of curds. Even though I use the whey frequently, I’m concerned it will go bad before I can use it up!
Local Nourishment’s last blog post..Simple Cucumber Salad
01/05/2009 at 10:08 am Permalink
Are you sure this recipe makes 2 pints? 1 pint is about 2 cups, so how do you get that much from only 2 cups of yogurt?
01/05/2009 at 10:27 am Permalink
Gina –
No I’m not sure. The recipes I have seen said you get 5 cups. I decreased it to 4 cups. I haven’t made whey in a while — I’ll have to check and see how much I get.
01/05/2009 at 10:27 am Permalink
Local Nourishment -
Yes the whey can be frozen and will retain the good bacteria.
01/05/2009 at 10:28 am Permalink
Allison –
You have chickens? Lucky you!
01/05/2009 at 10:32 am Permalink
What BEAUTIFUL whey!!
01/05/2009 at 11:06 am Permalink
This sounds so easy. I’m really motivated to try it, but I’m worried about what I’ll do to screw it up.
Jendeis’s last blog post..Early OMG You Rock Present
01/05/2009 at 11:34 am Permalink
So you can do this with any plain yogurt and it turns into cream cheese? Really? I have another question – do you prefer soaking oats, etc. with whey instead of vinegar or lemon juice and why? Thanks for all the great info!
Michelle @ Find Your Balance’s last blog post..CoQ10 you won’t want to smear on your face
01/05/2009 at 2:31 pm Permalink
This is really handy information.
Michelle — I, for one, prefer soaking oats in whey rather than vinegar or lemon, mostly b/c of the flavor. It’s far less sour and really seems to compliment the oats, grains, etc. well.
Thanks, Ann Marie, for sharing this in today’s carnival.
Cheers,
KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)
FoodRenegade’s last blog post..Fight Back Fridays May 1st
01/05/2009 at 2:58 pm Permalink
Jendeis – it is SO easy. Try it!
01/05/2009 at 3:08 pm Permalink
Michelle -
Yes yogurt works! Kefir works, too. If you have it sitting in the fridge you can use it for whey.
And yes I prefer whey like Kristen said. Once I was on vacation and I didn’t have any whey handy so I used fresh lemon juice to soak my oatmeal. It came out good.
I think the vinegar is too strong and I also don’t like using kefir — too sour.
01/05/2009 at 4:25 pm Permalink
I love making whey too. I use it for our Sauerkraut, Mayo & Kimchi. I use the left over cream cheese to fill Piroshki’s. My family love them.
01/05/2009 at 7:37 pm Permalink
We don’t use a lot of whey – we just don’t eat enough foods that require soaking. But, then again, it stays good in the fridge for a long time. I have made ricotta a few times using whey. Strained yogurt is, by far, my favorite.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen’s last blog post..Against the Grain: 10 Reasons to Give Up Grains
02/05/2009 at 4:23 pm Permalink
Gorgeous! I’ve got to get on the whey bandwagon… what a nice “side effect” that you also get a bit of cream cheese in the process.
02/05/2009 at 10:46 pm Permalink
Ann Marie! I hadn’t visited your blog in MONTHS, and just re-discovered it – it’s beautiful! You’ve got SUCH a wealth of information here, and I was just reading about how you started the Real Food Media Blog Network. Yay for you! Now I get to go through your archives and catch up on everything I’ve missed.
xoxo
Risa
03/05/2009 at 5:16 am Permalink
Hi, Risa! Good to see you back! xoxo AM
03/05/2009 at 5:18 am Permalink
Lo -
Yes, I think cream cheese is a wonderful “side effect”.
03/05/2009 at 5:46 am Permalink
I’m curious, do you know if you can make whey from 24 fermented SCD/GAPS yogurt? Do you end up with the same product?
Also, along the lines of sourdough from one of your recent posts, I found this article on WAPF: http://www.westonaprice.org/foodfeatures/ourdailybread.html
It seems to talk of a similar process to the one your local bread guy uses, and I’m excited to find some more insights regarding a process.
I also ran across a wonderful book that I thought you might be interested in: http://www.lisarayner.com/wild_bread/wild_bread_hm.htm
I’m thinking of trying this long fermentation sourdough process on my family (who have serious issues with all grains, and also oxalate issues, which most grains contain tons of). We have been doing SCD/GAPS for 3 years now. I’m interested to see if the long fermentation makes a difference for us, and I also have some feeling of intuition that the fermentation may also change the oxalate content.
But geez, all this breadmaking stuff is sort of expensive, getting a starter, the tools, cookware, etc etc. I don’t want to get started into all of this only to find out that we still can’t tolerate it. I was curious if you might be interested in mailing me a few slices or 1/2 loaf of your local guy’s bread. (You could maybe freeze it first to keep it fresh on its journey?) That way I could test this long fermentation theory out before investing in all this bread making stuff. I would be willing to pay you, of course, and/or I also have a brand new jar, recently purchased, of Dandy Blend (only used 1 tsp) that I could barter with.
(The chicory root in it was just too much for my gut.)
Let me know, please email me directly at windravyn AT yahoo DOT com.
Also, I don’t comment much, but I ALWAYS read your blog. I plan very soon to join you in your efforts by blogging more on my site. (but for the time being I’m a full time college student and full time mom and haven’t had the time to update the blog and redo it like is sorely needed, LOL).
Keep it up! I love your blog!
Chris K
Chris K’s last blog post..10/2/06 food log notes
03/05/2009 at 6:12 am Permalink
Hi, Chris!
I’m pretty sure it would work fine with SCD yogurt.
That book looks really good! I think I need to order it. She even has a recipe for fermented Ethiopian bread.
03/05/2009 at 10:41 am Permalink
cheeseslave
I’m a newbie to your blog and the wonders of whey. Is there a website or link on this blog that would help me understand it’s powers?
04/05/2009 at 7:26 am Permalink
Do not soak in metal? Even stainless steel?
04/05/2009 at 8:03 am Permalink
Erin -
I never soak in anything other than glass or enamelware. There was an article in a recent Wise Traditions (WAPF) journal that explained that stainless steel can leech heavy metals with acidic foods. Soaking always involves acid (lemon, whey, etc.) so I avoid stainless steel.
25/05/2009 at 7:52 am Permalink
Will greek yoghurt work to make whey?
06/06/2009 at 3:07 am Permalink
Making whey. Ann Marie, we got some cow dairy this week so Jon could make cream. We usually tolerate raw goats milk better and drink it all.
Now we have over a gallon of very lowfat raw milk. Will it still make good whey? I like to keep some on hand and usually freeze it and thaw as needed.
Thanks! Great article!
Cathy Payne’s last blog post..Fight Back Friday with Food Renegade: Chris Masterjohn on the Science of Cod Liver Oil
12/06/2009 at 11:41 pm Permalink
Hi–I appreciate your info on whey–particularly since I am trying to make it for the first time with raw milk. After leaving it out per your instructions for 4 days, I scooped the cream off the top and it looked just like yogurt! But then, I tried a small taste and it tasted bad–like yogurt gone bad. I am assuming I left it out too long? But, I’m going to forge ahead and try to make whey with it until I hear back from you. Thanks for the hands-on info! Logan
01/07/2009 at 7:55 am Permalink
I am new to making whey, and was wondering about it being left out on the counter for so long, will it ruin?
06/07/2009 at 6:03 pm Permalink
Logan,
I’m sure your question has already been answered but I thought I’d let you know my method of making whey. I use an unbleached coffee filter put it over a container and use a rubberband to keep it in place. I then put the yogurt in the filter and put a little saran wrap over the yogurt and then put it in the fridge. I leave it there overnight or a day or two. I never worry about it going bad that way.
07/07/2009 at 2:15 am Permalink
Tina – that is a great idea!
07/07/2009 at 9:50 am Permalink
Okay. I’m getting quite overwhelmed with this milk thing. I just ordered my first meat from U.S. Wellness Meats, and of course, it was a little more expensive than “regular” meat. Now, I’m about to case out some raw milk. I’m going to try Amos Miller’s farm, who a friend here in Mississippi orders from. And obviously, it’s more expensive than yucky regular milk. Which is great with me…it’s worth it. But on my income of nothing as a SAHM, and my hubby’s income supporting everything else, I’m so afraid I won’t be able to get everything I need!! So I’m going to need to make whey, yogurt, sour cream, cream, kefir, and buttermilk from the milk that I order. How much milk will I need for all that every month, plus whatever we might put in our oatmeal or drink occasionally? I’m not sure how to calculate how much I’ll need to buy to have enough to make the soaked grains, mayonnaise, etc. HELP MEEEEEE!!!
Jennifer’s last blog post..Goooood advice!
07/07/2009 at 11:46 am Permalink
Jennifer,
If you are on a tight budget and you don’t have a good source for inexpensive raw milk (like, for example, having your own milking cow in the backyard), you don’t have to buy raw milk to make everything for your family.
Here are some ways to save:
1. Buy raw milk for drinking.
2. Make whey from pasteurized organic whole milk yogurt you get at the store.
3. Make yogurt from pasteurized organic milk you get at the store — or use the yogurt from the store.
4. Buy cream and sour cream from the store. Sally Fallon says it’s fine to buy regular old Daisy cream and sour cream. She does NOT recommend buying pasteurized milk, but it’s fine to buy cream at the grocery store — as long as it is NOT ultra-pasteurized.
5. Buy grass-fed pasteurized butter at the store. I often buy Kerrygold which is a lot cheaper than raw butter. I do buy raw butter here and there and I keep that in a butter bell and use it for toast and bread. But for baking and anything cooked, I use the cheaper grass-fed pasteurized butter to save money. If you can’t find grass-fed pasteurized butter, buy regular pasteurized butter. It’s still really good for you — just not the best. Which is totally fine!
So, to simplify:
Milk – Should be raw, unhomogenized, unpasteurized. You really don’t want to drink pasteurized milk.
Cream – Can be pasteurized – just not ultra-pasteurized. Ideally grass-fed but if not, it’s OK.
Butter – Ideally raw and grass-fed but if you can’t afford that, buy grass-fed. Can’t find or afford that, buy non-grass-fed grocery store butter.
Also, I try to save money on other things so I can spend more on milk. Our milk here in CA is pricey. So I save buy buying whole chickens, eating more ground beef instead of steaks, using more bone broth and cooking beans and rice with it, eating more canned salmon, that kind of thing.
Hope that helps. We don’t need to get obsessive about all of this. Do the best you can — you don’t have to be perfect.
22/07/2009 at 11:37 am Permalink
I learned how to do this from Nourishing Traditions and am doing it for the first time right now! It’s very exciting as I think it is working…
The whey has an unusual odor.. is this normal?
02/08/2009 at 11:52 am Permalink
I am making whey for the first time with raw milk. After you put the raw milk in a glass container do you cover it? If so do I use an airtight cover or something that breathes like a cloth? If you have any other helpful tips please share them with me.
Thanks, Brad
02/08/2009 at 12:04 pm Permalink
Brad – I’m not sure if it matters. But yes, I would cover it with something to keep bugs and dust out.
19/08/2009 at 10:53 am Permalink
Hi~ This is the second time I made whey and last time I used glass, but the cheese was sitting so far into the glass that it touched the whey… today I put my strainer over a stainless steel pot, and then I read you post! no stainless steel… do you think 5 hours is enough time to start leeching metals into the whey? should I trash it? Thanks for your advice.
31/08/2009 at 4:12 pm Permalink
I have only made whey from yogurt, but I have some raw milk that soured before I could drink it all- is it ok to use the sour milk to make whey??
Also, sorry if this is an obvious question, but after the milk separates from sitting out, do you pour ALL of it into the strainer, or just pour the top portion that separated (is that the curds?)?
And a question about soaking- do you soak your grains in straight whey, or soak them in water with just a little whey added? I’ve just started in the wonderful world of soaking so I am still learning
Do you soak overnight? or just 3-4 hours sufficient? You rinse and drain them before you cook, do they need to dry out first?
Thanks!!!!!!!!!
20/10/2009 at 7:14 am Permalink
I tried something similar and it worked great. Nice post. The cheese turned out well too. http://ajunkyard.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/how-to-make-cheese-butter-curds-and-whey/
19/05/2010 at 3:50 am Permalink
Hi Ann-Marie,
I love your blog! I really appreciate your relaxed approach to things that could be stressful!
I had a question about my whey that I bought at Rawsome.. it seems to be bad-and I bought it about 2 months ago. Also, the whey I made from yoghurt seems bad to me as well. What I mean by bad is it seems to be fizzing when I open the bottle. It pops and makes a fizzing noise when I open it and it smells very sour now too. .. any thoughts on this..? Maybe Im storing them wrong.
Thanks so much for all you write- its really great to read!
Becky
30/05/2010 at 9:04 pm Permalink
Hello all,with all the talk about making whey anyone ever try making Gjetost?
I had some the other day and it was great.
I found a recipe on another site about using whey to make this.So thats what brought me here to find out how to make whey.
One site I went to stated to use regular milk with lemon juice,blah.I don’t think that whey would work to make gjetost.But anyway thanks for all the info,might try making some.
08/06/2010 at 12:33 am Permalink
Hi!,
Just wanted to know do i cover the milk with something, i am placing the milk to separate in a mason glass jar should i cover it or not, im making whey for baby formula dont want to screw it up, thanks a bunch!
Ivette
07/08/2010 at 9:06 am Permalink
Help! I tried making whey. I put 1/2 gallon of raw milk on the counter in a 1/2 gallon mason jar. I have seen NO separation except cream rising to the top. Is the milk now bad? Do I need to leave more air in the jar in order for the milk to separate? Also, this is the 7th day out of the fridge so if I can’t get the whey is there anything else I can do to not let the milk go to waste? Thanks!
18/08/2010 at 2:28 pm Permalink
Hi – I had the same problem as Heather (above)- my milk sat out for 4-5 days, but did not curdle – only the cream rose to the top – when I went to check it, there was mold on the top so I threw it all away. Does this ever happen when trying to make curds and whey from raw whole milk? I had the top covered with cheesecloth.