Show Me the Whey pt. 1
(Please also see Show Me the Whey part 2)
I use whey for all sort of things here and am often asked both how to make it and what to do with the leftover solids. Here’s a really easy demo..
You’ll need a strainer, clean cloth, bowl or jar and a tub of plain yoghurt. Be sure to use plain, cultured whole milk yoghurt without gelatin.
Line the strainer with the cloth, pour in the yoghurt and fold the towel over to keep it clean. Let it sit on the counter overnight. That’s it!
In the morning, you will have collected approximately 12 ounces of clear, greenish looking whey. Pour the whey into a jar, cover tightly and refrigerate. It will keep up to 6 months.
The leftover solids (roughly 18 ounces) are variously referred to as strained yoghurt, yoghurt cheese, labneh or dahi. By any name, it is similar in taste and texture to cream cheese, which is how I typically use it.
It’s great plain, with fruit, or with herbs and spices. I’ve added Lebanese Za’atar (sumac berries, toasted sesame and sea salt) to half, and fresh oregano, basil and garlic to the other half. The cheese will keep up to 1 month in the fridge.
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen said,
April 3, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Fantastic tutorial! I really like strained yogurt – it’s so creamy, plus the whey is fantastic to use elsewhere. We use it to soak flour or grains for porridge.
Chana Masala with Raisin Chutney « Edible Aria said,
April 25, 2009 at 1:30 pm
[...] Rinse, pick over and soak chana dal overnight in filtered water with a tablespoon of whey. [...]
Dairyman said,
May 3, 2009 at 12:20 am
Whey is the left over portion after clotting and removing the solid portion. Though whey is allowed to be wasted in the drainage in majority of the dairy industries, it is rich in nutrients like lactose, whey proteins and certain vitamins. It is high time that you found out ingenious way of using it. Congrats :)
Updated: Compound Tomato Sauce (lacto-fermented ketchup) « Edible Aria said,
May 29, 2009 at 5:17 pm
[...] 1/2 cups tomato paste 1/2 cup (more or less) filtered water 1/4 cup whey 2 teaspoons walnut oil 1 tablespoon molasses 1/8 cup fermented fish sauce OR 1-2 anchovies, mashed [...]
Pickled Watermelon Radishes « Edible Aria said,
June 18, 2009 at 4:22 pm
[...] at room temperature for about 1 week (or 3 days if you add whey) before transferring to the [...]
Sarah said,
June 28, 2009 at 8:15 pm
I just thought I’d let you know that za’tar means “thyme” in Arabic, and I assure you, thyme is a delicious addition to labneh! :)
Ren said,
June 28, 2009 at 10:32 pm
Good info, Sarah, thanks very much!
Show Me The Whey pt. 2 « Edible Aria said,
July 2, 2009 at 6:59 pm
[...] Thursday, strained yoghurt, traditional foods, whey, yoghurt, yoghurt cheese, Za'atar) In an earlier post, I took at look a using yoghurt as a source of liquid whey, which in turn can be used to make all [...]
Jen said,
July 21, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Oh my goodness, you are a dangerous man. :D I’ve NEVER been a yogurt fan, but I love cream cheese, so I decided to give this a shot. I dutifully stood in the refrigerated aisle studying all the yogurt containers (Dannon organic was supposed to be on sale, but alas, was out of stock). I got some Stoneyfield Farms (with cream on top, as the label exuberantly proclaimed) for $4.00. Got my cheesecloth and figured I could wing the rest. So…I’m using a colander rather than a regular strainer. Should still work. Anyway, as I was opening the yogurt, I got some of the yogurt/cream on my finger, so I liked it off. Oh my word. I almost gave up on the cheese and devoured the yogurt right there. Clearly, I’ve been offered the wrong kind of yogurt time and again. I thought it would be a lot more sour than it was, but it was rich, creamy goodness, right there in front of me. Can’t wait to see how great the cheese is! And whether using the whey to soak my oatmeal is any better than lemon juice… All that, plus, it’s a bargain! I can now have gobs of organic cream cheese, plus whey, for about the same amount as I pay for 8-12 ounces of Philly.
Ren said,
July 21, 2009 at 6:13 pm
AWESOME!
You made my day, Jen, thank you!
Sour Cherry Drop Scones with Vanilla Cream « Edible Aria said,
July 21, 2009 at 11:17 pm
[...] 1 /12 cups of organic whole wheat flour in filtered water and homemade whey [...]
Roasted, Raw and Fermented: Heirloom Salsa « Edible Aria said,
August 7, 2009 at 6:31 pm
[...] within a day or two, or add 2 tablespoons of whey and allow to stand on the counter for 24 hours before transferring to the refrigerator for up to a [...]
Pickled Red Onions (probiotic) « Edible Aria said,
August 25, 2009 at 12:50 pm
[...] in 2 tablespoons whey, then transfer all to a glass jar, allowing at least 1 inch [...]
Season’s Eatings | hemmingshalfdozen.com said,
September 15, 2009 at 11:59 am
[...] the remaining yogurt cheese into an herb spread similar to one featured on that site (click here for the link), and using the whey to create lacto-fermented salsa (click here to go there). The [...]
Nourishing Traditions – Experiments with Condiments | DaiaSolGaia said,
January 25, 2011 at 6:55 pm
[...] whole milk, all the fat included, the fat is good for you! Once you have that yogurt you can make cream cheese and whey over night. This whey stays good in the fridge for many weeks, so you can make several projects [...]
Lacto-Fermented Organic Whole Grain Mustard « Edible Aria said,
April 12, 2011 at 9:25 pm
[...] 2 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon wildflower honey (optional) 2 tablespoons liquid whey 1 teaspoon sea salt juice of 1 small lemon, more or less to taste 2 cloves [...]