Great Ways to Use Whey from Yogurt

Don’t throw away the whey!

People don’t set out to make whey. They just end up with it as a bonus by-product of making yogurt. It’s the naturally occurring liquid that separates from the milk solids (curds). Many people regard whey as something to throw out, when it is a superb ingredient (or food) in its own right. It’s packed full of protein, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and active bacteria that shouldn’t be wasted. There are also many great ways to use whey.

When you strain homemade yogurt, you are deliberately removing this liquid to alter the texture and consistency of yogurt. The amount of whey in yogurt will depend on the type of milk you used. Goats milk and raw milk are well known for creating thin yogurt and are improved considerably by dripping out some of the whey, but, any dairy milk yogurt can be dripped. You can drip yogurt for a short time to achieve a Greek style yogurt. The longer yogurt is left to drip, the more whey that gets extracted and the thicker the yogurt will become. Dripping yogurt overnight will result in a thick spreadable cream cheese texture and also a large jar of whey!

STORING WHEY

Whey should be yellow and transparent. If the whey is dripping out cloudy or white, it has some milk solids still in it.  When it comes to storage, milky whey can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks but should be discarded after that. Clear yellow whey can be stored for many months, up to six months if there is no contamination. Always store whey in a well-sealed glass jar.

WAYS TO PUT WHEY TO GOOD USE

YOGURT STARTER CULTURE

The bacteria in fresh whey can be used in place of a starter culture to inoculate another batch of homemade yogurt. Add approx. 1/4 cup of whey to heated and cooled milk and then proceed with fermentation.

STARTER CULTURE FOR FERMENTED FOODS

Whey is a natural food preservative. You can use a small amount of whey as a culture starter to lacto-ferment vegetables, sauces, chutneys and jams. Add a tablespoon or two to a new ferment to get it bubbling with good bacteria.

SOAK GRAINS, NUT & SEEDS

If you are soaking whole grains, legumes or nuts & seeds the beneficial bacteria and acidity of whey helps to break them down the anti-nutrients so they are easier to digest.

BREAKFAST

Give your breakfast a protein and enzyme boost by substituting milk or water for whey when soaking oats or chia. These recipes would be perfect for soaking up a little left-over whey.
Paleo orange and anti-oxidant berry bircher muesli.
Fig and strawberry yogurt overnight oats
Gut loving apple and cinnamon overnight oats
Peanut butter and yogurt overnight oats
Cultured blueberry buckwheat and cashew breakfast jars

BAKING

Substitute the water or milk content in your baking with whey. It’s perfect in gluten free and grain free baking as well as traditional wheat flour baking. Note, the probiotic, live bacteria will not survive during cooking, but the vitamins, minerals and proteins will. Whey will also help improve the texture and alter the taste. Try replacing whey in:
Black bean tacos
Gluten-free red lentil wraps
Quinoa pizza bases

SMOOTHIES & SMOOTHIE BOWLS

Because whey is packed with nutrients and naturally high in protein it’s an ideal liquid replacement in smoothies and shakes. Add a little whey to our high fibre, gut loving green smoothie, pitaya (dragon fruit) smoothie bowl or tropical anti-inflammatory smoothie bowl.

FERMENTED DIPS, DRESSINGS, SAUCES & MAYONAISE

Make fresh, lively food. Whey can be an unnoticeable ingredient added to salad dressings and sauces. Try homemade: 
Lacto-fermented mayonnaise
Mediterranean herb salad dressing
Creamy probiotic ranch dressing

MEAT TENDERISOR

Soaking meat in whey will help tenderise protein. Aim for 30 minutes to two hours, and then check periodically to make sure the meat isn’t starting to look cooked around the edges. 

SKIN CARE

The acidity of whey can help clear away dead skin and nourish healthy skin cells. Plus, the vitamins and minerals have excellent toning qualities. Dab some on a cotton ball and apply to your face as a toning agent or add a cup full to a bath.

CONDITION YOUR HAIR 

Because why is acidic, it helps nourish your hair by keeping your pH in balance. Rinsing your hair with whey can make it stronger, smoother and shinier. 

PET FOOD

Whey can be added to pet food. Dogs, cats, and even chickens may enjoy the extra flavour of whey added to their regular feed!

MAKE RICOTTA CHEESE

Ricotta cheese is traditionally made by reheating the sweet whey left over from cheesemaking, but it is also possible to make homemade ricotta from the whey from homemade yogurt.

COMPOST IT

If you are overflowing in whey add it to your compost pile. It adds nutrients and makes thick, black compost.

What do you do with whey? Have you tried something we haven’t listed here? We'd luv to hear from you.

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