What to do with Whey

When it comes to using the whey from your cheesemaking, there are many ways to utilise the excess water. Here are some ideas:

Ricotta

First and foremost, making ricotta. You can take out those water soluble albuminous proteins by heating the whey to 95C and adding some more milk to increase the yield. After making ricotta, there is not much goodness left, very close to water. Pour the rest to your worm farm and use it immediately.

Baking

Breads, cakes, sourdough can all be made with whey instead of water.

Sourdough starter

Start your starters with whey for 3 days and go back to normal filtered water. Acidic whey will help to yeasts to come out and will protect the environment from spoilage bacteria.

Kimchi or lacto fermentation

Especially whey coming from cheeses where Leuconostoc Mesenteroids starters used. It will jump start your lacto fermentation. Just add 2 tbsp to your jars. You can use only whey as well but some veggies may taste like cheese.

Drinking

Add salt and pepper with a bit of tomato juice, chill it and drink.

Kombucha

Try a whey kombucha with half strong black tea and half whey mixture and ferment.

Fertilizer

If the whey is fresh, pour it into your garden. Make sure it is fresh though, if the acidity is increased like pH 4.5, it will dissolve lead and aluminium in soil which is not good for living things. Dilute the old whey or add some lime to reduce acidity. Chuck it direct into your compost.

Brine

Prepare your brine for feta and halloumi from fresh whey before making ricotta. Whey has Calcium Chloride and other things as same as cheese. Once you adjust the acidity equal to that of cheese, it will be a perfect brine.

Salt Bath

As same as brine, some cheeses may have a salt bath after the press to infuse them with salt and to protect the rind during the aging. Prepare your salt bath brine from whey.

Food for pets

Give it to your chooks, dogs, goats or cows.

Cooking

Boil your pasta, make a tomato soup, use in stews, boil potato, steam veggies, boil chicken or bones and make a soup/broth.

As you see there are many ways to use whey. Do not waste any drop of it! 🙂

Posted in English, Fermente, Permakültür, Peynir and tagged .

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