RECIPE: Whey

Whey is often called for in recipes for lacto-fermented fruit and vegetables, for soaking grains and as a starter for many beverages. It has a lot of minerals. One tablespoon of whey in a little water will help digestion. It's beneficial for muscles, joints, ligaments. Cream cheese is a by-product. I never buy cream cheese; it's so easy to make as you will see below. Plus commercial cream cheese is produced by putting milk under high pressure and not by the beneficial action of lactic-acid-producing bacteria.

How to Make Whey

1. Line a large strainer set over a bowl with a clean dish towel or flour sack towel.
2. Pour in a good commercial organic yogurt, and wait a few minutes until some of the liquid (whey) drips out. If you want to use home-made yogurt, even better!
3. Tie up the towel with the yogurt inside. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that the whey can continue to drip out. See photo on the right.
4. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese and whey are ready to be stored.
5. Store the whey in a glass jar and the cream cheese in a covered glass container in the fridge. (I usually add a little salt to the cream cheese before putting in the fridge.)

Refrigerated, the whey lasts for about 6 months. The cream cheese lasts for about a month.

Top Photo by MomtheBarbarian

Comments

[talia_tx]

Do you think that this technique would work well using homemade Coconut yogurt?

Talia, that's a good question. The whey will certainly separate. And the coconut flavor would be interesting in the cranberry relish if that's how you are using the whey. If you try it, let us know!