If you’ve ever wondered how to make whey, this recipe will show you how. I’m not talking about powdered whey or whey protein. I’m talking about the liquid whey as in “curds and whey” — how to make whey from yogurt or milk.
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, natural 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:
Yogurt or kefir (2 cups) — where to buy yogurt
Equipment:
Strainer
Clean cheesecloth (or thin dishtowel)
Directions:
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.
How to Make Whey With Raw Milk
Ingredients:
Raw milk (2 quarts) — where to buy 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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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?
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…
I am so thrilled that I found this site, and all by accident_lol and I
can hardly wait to make my whey milk, oh goshhhhhhh I’ve been
looking on internet trying desperately to find a website that would
give me the directions to make it…… I had almost given up on
finding the ‘how-to’, to say I’m estatic is putting it mild…..So many
other sites just offer Whey-whatevers, not what I wanted at all..
You’ve made my day!!!!!!!! thank you so very much….and
God bless you and those you love…….
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)
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
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?
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.
Hi Julie!
I make my own Greek Yogurt once a week. I use 1 cup of whipping cream and two quarts of whole milk ( 9 cups or 72 ounces) because the end result is excellent for fruit parfaits. However, one can use non-fat milk instead. Simply heat the milk in a 2 quart measuring cup, covered for 15 minutes — or it reaches a stirred temp of 170 degrees. Cool to 110 degrees in a water bath. Add 6 oz ( one little plain yogurt cup) stir and keep between 105 and 110. (After your first batch you can use your own yogurt as starter — it freezes!).When you have a thin line of whey on the surface (six to 10 hours first batch with commercial yogurt starter) or 4 hours with your own starter, carefully spoon the very thick whey/yogurt mixture into a very clean (not bleached, but boiled) old tee shirt lined strainer over a bowl. My yield is about 36 ounces of very thick Greek yogurt, six ounces starter for the next batch, and, 36 ounces of whey minus about one ounce loss to the draining cloth after 12 hours covered straining in the fridge.So my whey yield is 35 ounces whey — or about 4 cups. The cost of the first batch for a 32 ounce container of plain yogurt is $3.87 (whey is free!), 2nd batch $2.62. Cost of 32 oz Greek yogurt in the store is $4.99. And you have all that “free” whey! The cost of the yogurt would be $0.95 less if you used non-fat milk and did not use cream. This is a better way to get whey — and delicious Greek yogurt.
Local Nourishment -
Yes the whey can be frozen and will retain the good bacteria.
Allison –
You have chickens? Lucky you!
What BEAUTIFUL whey!!
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
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
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
Jendeis – it is SO easy. Try it!
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.
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.
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
Jenny or others,
if you leave the yoghurt out overnight and it turns into cream cheese, is it still safe to put back in the fridge the next morning once it sat out all night? I have a 5 year old with a sensitive tummy so I’m just wondering if that is safe. I don’t see any comments about it. Thanks!
Nancy
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.
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
Hi, Risa! Good to see you back! xoxo AM
Lo -
Yes, I think cream cheese is a wonderful “side effect”.
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
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.
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?
Do not soak in metal? Even stainless steel?
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.
Will greek yoghurt work to make whey?
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
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
I am new to making whey, and was wondering about it being left out on the counter for so long, will it ruin?
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.
Tina – that is a great idea!
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!
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.
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?
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
Brad – I’m not sure if it matters. But yes, I would cover it with something to keep bugs and dust out.
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.
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!!!!!!!!!
Typically you would only use 2-4 Tbsp of whey in the soaking water
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/
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
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.
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
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!
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.
Hey, I just made the whey for the salsa recipe and let it sit overnight and got the cream cheese! So cool! Thank you for posting that. Never would’ve thought about how to do that. I had the cream cheese for breakfast w/ dill, salt and pepper, and broiled on french bread toast.
The only thing I knew from elementary was how to make butter out of whipping cream…which they taught us more. Next time I need to get cheesecloth instead. Even though I used the thinnest kitchen towel I had, it still absorbed the whey. Only got 1 Cup of whey from the 2 cups yogurt. Which is alright since the salsa recipe calls for just 4 tbs. Thank you again! You’re awesome!
@ Jennifer
YAY! Isn’t it fun?
Hi there,
I’m a rookie here. I already made some whey out of store bought organic yogourt from my local health food store and have been lacto-fermenting some salsa (your recipe!) and cucumbers. I just recently read that if the whey has been previously heated, it can not be used for lacto-fermenting. I have never made my own yogourt before, but doesn’t that require heating? Can you clear up this confusion for me? Thanks! I am enjoying reading through all the old posts!
@ Sue
If the whey has been heated, yes it cannot be used because the beneficial bacteria would be killed.
Yogurt is made from milk that is heated. However, the beneficial bacteria is added AFTER it’s heated.
So, it’s fine to use whey from yogurt.
I hope that helps!
Ann Marie
I would love to direct folks to your website with this recipe. I have a few recipes that call for whey, but when not available I suggest buttermilk as a substitute. For the over ambitious folks they can always make their own whey with your recipe.
Thank you, Yvette!
Okay well my question was never answered so i just went ahead and covered the mason jar with its lid, left it out for 4 days and was able to get whey out of it, i also tried the cheese cloth to cover it, it also worked, thanks
I’ve just gone through the process of making whey using raw milk.. but I am concerned about the smell. Sincerely, it reminds me of a bottle of cow milk that I pulled out from under a couch when I was ten. And that wasn’t raw.
Any information on how this should smell?
Hello
I am wanting to make whey from raw milk. Should the glass jar cotainung the milk be sealed or exposed with cheesecloth?
Thanks for your information!
Hi Anne-Marie,
I just made this whey for the first time to use for soaking grains etc. but I have a question- my husband has using a whey protein powder in his smoothies when he works out but I don’t want to use it. Can I add this liquid whey to my smoothies as a protein-type supplement?
I was also wondering about this ~ would love to find a better replacement for the whey protien powder. I really don’t know all the benefits of Whey. I also don’t know what I would do with it. Someone here was making bread, so that’s an idea. The bit below about using Whey as a starter culture for cheese making is very appealing.
I have a gallon of raw milk that’s been in the fridge for about a month. Is it still ok to use? It’s already separated, and you can see the whey at the bottom. Can I still make cheese? or maybe cream cheese with it?
Hey thanks so much for this. I am new to making cheese and was wondering what all I could do with the whey. Will be reading more later. I am making bread right now with some whey. This is the first place that I could find that told me that the whey would keep in the fridge for up to a month! Very helpful information. I have read that you can use the whey as a starter culture for cheese but I haven’t tried it yet. I can’t wait to read some of your other recipes. Keep up the good work!
I’m glad you mentioned about using Kefir. We make our own so I have plenty. I was following the recipe from my Nourishing Traditions cookbook and it said I could use yogurt. But, I have more Kefir on hand.
And yes, we soak our grains w/kefir. It gives a much better consistency in my opinion.
i use the yogurt method to make whey for my baby formula and lacto fermentations all the time. so easy!
I remember the days when I didn’t know what whey was! Now it’s taking up a ton of space in my freezer!! lol
I am so excited about this way of preparing foods. I wish I’d known this 35 years ago, when I had small children.
Great blog Ann-Marie! Thank you!
A question… Does anyone know what happens to whey after 6 months or more in the fridge? What does it turn into? Can it still be used for lacto fermenting? If not, why not?
I fermented cucumbers using the NT recipe and some 9 month old whey, so 1 T sea salt, 4 T whey for each one quart mason jar. The whey had a very alcohol-like smell when I first opened the jar which subsided a bit after being opened for a minute or so, then smelled like strong whey, so I figured it was okay to use.
I left the cucumbers fermenting in their closed mason jars for 3 days at about 76 degrees F (temp of our A/C home). When I opened them to check them, they were fizzing/bubbly, but had a flowery, funeral home smell.
(I’m sorry, this is the only way I know how to describe the smell.) And, they have a very bland taste, not salty, still cucumbery, not pickle-y at all.
Unfortunately, I fermented 2 gallons of cucumbers using this same whey/method. They’ve now all been refrigerated for about two weeks. Can I fix them by adding some fresh whey, salt and leave them out for a few more days? Guess it’s worth a try with one jar and see how it goes.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions!
Hmm… Sandor Katz, who wrote the book Wild Fermentation, doesn’t say anything about whey (which I know is optional in lacto fermenting), but his recipe does indicate a lot more salt than what I used and a longer fermentation time…
http://www.wildfermentation.com/resources.php?page=pickles&PHPSESSID=94f45ae6ff4fda297e05c6949aebfdfd
So, I’ll take one jar out of refrigeration, add salt and grape leaves and see what happens.
Fixed the pickles!!!
More salt (4 T more), a few grape leaves (fresh from the vine) and two more days of fermenting. Voila! Sour pickles! So for anyone wondering… Happy fermenting!!!
Adding just 1 more level Tablespoon of sea salt (so 2 level Tablespoons total), plus grape leaves seems to be just about perfect for our salt tastes. So add more salt if the whey is “old” (older than 6 months, I guess) or better yet, don’t use the whey. I’ll have to try some next year with fresh whey.
I’ll try that too. I even have some grape leaves for the first time in my life.
We’ve been getting raw milk every week for awhile, and I’m excited to keep trying new things with it. This is a great site! 
Hi and thanks very much for this! I made whey about 2 months ago, but now when I use it to make sauerkraut, the sauerkraut tastes funny–or ‘off.’ I had also read that the whey is supposed to last for 6 months. Could it be that it’s gone bad for some reason?
I didn’t think whey (from raw milk anyway) ever went bad… just kept turning into good things. I’m still waiting for someone to tell me what happens to whey after 6 months. I think it becomes some sort of alcohol, but I don’t know. By the way, I have read that vegetables fermented with whey do have a different flavor than those just fermented with salt, but I don’t think they would be bad.
Thank you, Kristin. The first batch of sauerkraut was amazing, but the next couple of tries just tasted really ‘off.’ I will keep trying though.
When making curds and whey from raw milk should the lid be shut tight or loose?
Or can I use a coffee filter for a cover?
Alena,
The one time I made whey directly from raw milk (I usually use my homemade yogurt to get whey), I had the lid shut tight. With as long as it needs to stay out (2-4 days) I would be concerned that it would pick up bacteria (yeast, other???) from the air if it wasn’t shut tight. I don’t know. Just my thoughts.
Kristin
Hi,
I just came across your post and was wondering if I can use raw milk that was kept in the refrigerator a little long. It has soured and separated. Can I still use that or does it have to be fresh raw milk?
Thanks.
hmm- she better answer this one. i love sour milk for sourdough recipes! It makes it even better-my little secret!
If it tastes OK, yes use it. Raw milk doesn’t really go bad – it just sours.
If it doesn’t taste OK, you can turn it into kefir.
Ann Marie, Or anyone who can help me with these questions please feel free- Im new at this, and 24 years old, so i really can use your ladies wisdom
From the pic you have alot of jars of whey, but once you make all that whey and put in the jars how do you store it? in the fridge? canning jars- but you don’t can/seal them right, do you freeze it, I make whey but then it just sits in the fridge and i’m always so busy it goes bad.. i think, and i just toss it out cause i;m scared to use it.. Can you please help? how long does it stay good for, and how do i store it best? 
Thanks. Also I am going to be making the sally fallons lacto-ferment sauerkraut and it calls for whey and salt to start the lactic acid process i guess, but whey is full of lactose, and im lactos intolerant, (funny cause im making this to eat tons of it to help replenish my digestive enzymes but im worried about having lactose attacks from the whey? does the lactose get eaten up in the fermenting process? Sorry for all the questions. Thanks a ton!!! 
Also, can you have page on making homemade Ghee! i cant find it here in town, and food stamps cant buy food online. I can buy butter though 
That would be awesome! 
I bet you already make it at home huh? Your such an amazing women! ALL YOU WOMEN ARE!! I just pray to the Lord I can learn this stuff and how to juggle it with life’s hectic demands! 
I wish we all lived in the same town, so we could have cheeseslave classes-meetings! Thank you all!!
Store whey in the fridge. It will store for 6 months in the fridge or a lot longer in the freezer.
Some lactose intolerant people can digest whey. Put a little on your wrist before you go to bed. If there is no red mark when you wake up, you should be able to tolerate it. Start slow, like 1/2 tsp per day and work up to see if you have any reactions.
If you can’t use whey, you can make sauerkraut with salt only.
Here’s my video on how to make ghee:
http://youtu.be/a3IT_BX-OjU
I can no longer get Raw milk. They quit milking, but i want to make whey, so i can make my sauerkraut- i commented somewhere else recently about this, but i have one more question- I was wondering can i use that lactose free kefir available at the stores, or just the plan kefir-yogurt store bought? it will be pasteurized, but that’s all i can get my sad little hands on now.
I miss my milk… have you seen this web blog? if you don’t have time, just skim the pictures! it will just validate our raw milk diets-well yours now… not me. ;(
http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2010/06/04/the-tale-of-two-calves-one-calf-got-raw-milk-the-other-pasteurized/
I don’t recommend storebought kefir. They don’t generally let it ferment long enough. Kefir is so easy to make just get yourself a culture.
Hi Emily, It would be very frustrating not to have access to raw milk after getting used to having it. I don’t know where you live, but there is a brand of milk – Kalona – that is vat pasturized and not homogenized (sp?). I have used this milk before for making stuff. Their brand of yoghurt strains really well for cream cheese and the whey seems to last me quite a while. Their cows are grass fed (according to their website). I can purchase these milk products at WF.
I have access to Kalona products but not raw milk. Stacie, what have you been able to make using their products?
I have access to Kalona products but not raw milk. Love to Cook, what have you been able to make using their products?
Hi Dawn,
I made yogurt with the Kalona and a couple batches of cheese (nothing fancy – but white cheese and tried to make motz, prob not the milk’s fault, lol!) You know, now that I think about it, with Kalona being vat pasturized, does the whey have any beneficial bacteria left in it? hmmm, I wonder…The Kolona will separate like raw milk and you can strain out the whey and it smells, looks, seems the same as the raw milk whey.
Hi! I’m so glad I found your website – love it. I’m really hoping you can answer a question. I tried for the first time last night to make whey from regular organic yogurt that I bought at the grocery store. I placed a strainer over a glass bowl and lined it with a thin cotton towel. I left it out all night to drain but nothing happened! The cloth was damp but the bowl was completely dry. Any idea what happened? I used a 32 oz. container of yogurt and it still looks just like yogurt, not cream cheese
Please help!! 
Thank you so much for this post. I was wondering if I could use the liquid left from making yogurt or clabbered raw milk as whey. I made a batch of homemade yogurt the other day and strained it to make it Greek style. I used the liquid as whey when I made a batch of Kimchi, but wasn’t sure if I had done the right thing.
Still have more whey left, so I’ll be making more Kimchi as well as lacto-fermented ketchup. I’m really getting into lacto-fermented foods.
I think I finally figured out what was causing the yogurt not to separate. I think that particular brand that I bought had gelatin added. Went with another recommended brand and it worked perfectly. Still having fun experimenting as I’m so new to this
Thanks!
I have never sprouted my wheat before. I have been making WW bread for 10 years. It seems overwhelming to think about soaking and drying the amount of wheat I go through. (waffles,pancakes,bread etc). How do you make it time efficient?
Can i use flavored yogurt???
Hi there, thanks for posting! I have had this question for a while but didn’t have anyone to ask… I made ricotta cheese (with pasteurized milk) and there was a lot of liquid left over. I presumed it’s whey but when I soak with it nothing has the sour taste to it… is it not whey or does the sour taste only come from the whey made from yogurt?
Thank you,
Emily
In the first stage of making whey, do I need to cover the jar or bowl when making whey from raw milk?
Hello
I bought Nourishing Traditions awhile ago and tried making my first batch of whey but I have some questions and dont know where else to ask them. My kitchen has been quite cool (winter is ending in Australia) and after 4 days I dont see any visable line of seperated curds and whey, just the cream line. (I used raw milk) I had a look at the top and I can see mold, but it smells ok. Should I toss it? I realise with cooler weather it can take longer but NT doesnt say anything about mold on top of a batch of whey. Does the jar need to be sealed or just covered with a towel? I put a tea towel over mine and an elastic band around the jar. Any advice would be welcome
Thank you
If it smells OK it’s probably fine. I have never made whey with raw milk — only yogurt — raw milk is too expensive here!
Just made my first attempt at whey & sour cream. I would love some feedback/tips from those more experienced than I. I’m just a newbie.
http://sherlockmama.com/?p=136
While the milk is on the counter to separate does it need to be left ‘open’ or lidded?
Could I dehydrate my whey in my Excalibur at 115, then use this as a protein powder? Or does even prolonged exposure at low temperatures produce oxidized cholesterol?
Could you do this with raw cream? I bought some and only need a little but I am in dire need of whey….
You say put a large “steel” strainer in a glass bowl line with cheescloth but don’t use metal. First you said “steel” strainer which is metal and why can’t you use metal? and why would you place inside bowl instead of on top of bowl? Sorry but I guess I must be the dense person here. Thanks
You refer to kefir in your recipe. I use a lot of water kefir – are you referring to milk kefir?
I’m going to make whey using some raw milk! I can’t wait!
I’m enjoying your posts and all the info you share–thank you! I did just make my first batch of curds and whey, using raw milk. My house wasn’t a consistently warm temp; we live in New England and went away for a couple for days and the heat gets turned down. So, I left it out on the counter for four days in the sealed glass container it comes in. I didn’t drain/strain it when it was at the thick stage, but waited until I saw a clear separation of the curds and whey. That went well, but it has a very strong blue cheese-like smell. I don’t visibly see any mold. I didn’t think too much of it at first, so made some beet kvass with the whey right away. Any thoughts on if this is still usable or bad for me? I know this original thread is old, but thought I’d try!
I also have a question about mold in whey, and my Google search led me here (now a follower of your blog – looks great!). I made whey from yogurt about a month ago, and it was a beautiful clear yellow. I just took it out of the fridge to make some salsa, and found some small white chunks floating in it and it smells moldy. I stained the chunks out of the whey, but it still smells moldy. I would hate to throw away a whole quart of whey, but I do want to be safe (of course). Any advice?
Thank you!
Angela
I every time used to study piece of writing in news papers but now as I am a user of web therefore from now I am using net for content, thanks to web.|
I am making whey for the first time and have a question about your instructions. After letting the yogurt drip into the glass bowl, you say to tie the cheesecloth with the yogurt on a wooden spoon and hang it into a pitcher and leave overnight. What I don’t understand is why you now have two containers with whey (the bowl that dripped several hours and the pitcher with whey that dripped overnight. Then you say to pour the whey from the bowl OR pitcher into mason jars. Do you mix them together? Why would you let one drip only several hours but the other drip overnight? Do you mix them together? Are you just supposed to use one and, if so, back to my question about why several hours as opposed to overnight? I hope you’re still around. I see this site is from 2009!
Hi there everyone, it’s my first visit at this site, and paragraph is genuinely fruitful for me, keep up posting these types of content.
HI. Thanks for all the blog info on whey and raw milk processes.
I have fresh whole unpasturized cow milk from local farm and the milk started to sour.
I heated it up hoping to make yoghurt but this only sped up the curdling process. So now i have the curds and whey strained and seperate. Can anyone tell me about the nutritional value of the whey? and now of the cheese curds with the whey seperated out? So curious about what i an consuming. YUM. i like them plain and simple, although i read i can make all kinds of things with this ricotta like cheese but mostly i am interested in the nutritional value or these fresh milk by products. Thank you
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