A few of the blog posts in the past month have presented different ways of making soft cheese at home—cottage, ricotta, Neufchatel. There are more to come, but for now I thought we ought to take a look at whey—the yellowish liquid that is a byproduct of making cheese and yogurt. That liquid that is often discarded without a second thought.
If you’ve made soft cheeses at home, you’ve obviously noticed that you get a whole lot more whey than cheese. And you wonder, should it be thrown away? Is it any good? Are there any practical uses for it?
No, do not throw the whey away! It is loaded with nutrition and can be used in all kinds of recipes.
Whey is full of protein and nutrients. Per 1-cup serving, whey is a significant source of the following:
- 59 calories
- Carbohydrate, 13 g, 5% of the USRDA
- Protein, 2 g, 4%
- Calcium, 253 mg, 19%
- Potassium, 352 mg, 7%
- Vitamin B1, 9%
- Vitamin B2, 26%
- Vitamin B5, 19%
- Vitamin B6, 8%
- Vitamin B12, 18%
- Phosphorus, 27%
- Potassium, 7%
- Selenium, 8
- Sodium, 5%
- Zinc, 10%
The percentages are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
There are two types of whey. Sweet whey is the byproduct of making cheese using rennet—cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, or Neufchatel. Cultured dairy products like sour cream, yogurt, and some soft cheeses yield acid whey as a byproduct. Acid whey has more protein and nutrients than sweet whey.
Whey protein powder sold in stores and online is simply dehydrated whey. It’s expensive stuff, but it doesn’t make sense to dehydrate your own unless you have an unlimited supply of energy and the time to do it. It just makes sense time-wise to use the liquid as is. From the standpoint of having easily digestible protein on hand for helping the body heal more quickly, it may be worthwhile to have some powder.
Online sources suggest dozens of ways to use the nutritious whey. But most of them seem frivolous. The most pertinent from the perspective of preparedness and health are as follows:
- Bread. Whey can be substituted for all of the liquid when making bread. Whey will have the added benefit of helping the dough to rise better.
- Smoothies. Whey adds a little sweetness, plus all those vitamins and minerals.
- Pancakes and other quick breads.
- Dressings, marinades, soups, stews.
- It is great for soaking grains overnight before cooking them the next morning.
- Buttermilk substitute.
Fresh whey stored in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid has a shelf life of up to 6 months in the refrigerator.
This high quality protein that is easily absorbed through the gut has an amazing number of health uses as well:
- Cardiovascular
- Lowers blood pressure in overweight individuals, 54 grams whey protein per day for 12 weeks[i]
- Lowers cholesterol, 65 grams whey protein per day for 12 weeks[ii]
- Endocrine
- Type-2 diabetes, moderates blood sugars after a meal, may even be comparable in efficacy to sulfonylurea[iii] [iv]
- Gastrointestinal
- Other
- Inflammation. Studies show that whey helps reduce inflammation, 20 grams whey protein per day.
- Weight loss. Studies show that whey helps a person feel satiated more quickly than other forms of protein, including casein or soy proteins.[vii] [viii]
- Injuries. Because whey is so easily digested, because it is absorbed by the body much more readily than other forms of protein, it as a good product to use when the body is recovering from injury or surgery. It’s especially good for helping with fractures and burns. [ix]
Caution. Do not use whey if you are allergic to dairy products. [x]
Contraindications. Do not use whey if taking the following medications:
- Albendazole. Whey may hinder or delay the effect.[xi]
- Fosamax. Whey may decrease absorption. [xii]
- Antibiotics—Whey may decrease the absorption of tetracycline and quinolone antibiotics[xiii]
Links to related posts:
Ricotta
References:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-whey-591570
[i] S Pal, et al., The chronic effects of whey proteins on blood pressure, vascular function, and inflammatory markers in overweight individuals, Obesity (Silver Spring), July 2010, Vol 18 No 7, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19893505/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[ii] A Tahavorgar, et al., Beneficial effects of whey protein preloads on some cardiovascular diseases risk factors of overweight and obese men are stronger than soy protein preloads – A randomized clinical trial, Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism, Vol 2 No 3-4, 2015, 2015, (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352385915300013 (accessed 15 March 2022).
[iii] J Ma, et al., Effects of a protein preload on gastric emptying, glycemia, and gut hormones after a carbohydrate meal in diet-controlled type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Care, September 2009, Vol 32 No 9, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19542012/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[iv] AH Frid, et al., Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2005, Vol 82 No 1, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16002802/ (accessed 15 March 20220.
[v] Sprong RC, Schonewille AJ, van der Meer R. Dietary cheese whey protein protects rats against mild dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis: role of mucin and microbiota. J Dairy Sci. 2010 Apr;93(4):1364-71. doi: 10.3168/jds.2009-2397. PMID: 20338413.
[vi] J Benjamin, et al., Glutamine and whey protein improve intestinal permeability and morphology in patients with Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled trial, digestive Diseases and Sciences, April 2012, Vol 57 No 4, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22038507/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[vii] S Pal, et al., Comparative effects of whey and casein proteins on satiety in overweight and obese individuals: a randomized controlled trial, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, September 2014, Vol 68 No 9, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24801369/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[viii] DJ Baer, et al., Whey protein but not soy protein supplementation alters body weight and composition in free-living overweight and obese adults, Journal of Nutrition, August 2011, Vol 141 No 8, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21677076/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[ix] Y Boirie, et al., Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 23 December 1997, Vol 94 No 26, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9405716/ (accessed 15 March 2022).
[x] “Whey Protein,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-whey-protein/art-20363344 (accessed 14 March 2022).
[xi] “Whey Protein,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-whey-protein/art-20363344 (accessed 14 March 2022).
[xii] “Whey Protein,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-whey-protein/art-20363344 (accessed 14 March 2022).
[xiii] “Whey Protein,” Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-whey-protein/art-20363344 (accessed 14 March 2022).
Great information. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is so simple that it was difficult to get it published here as there is a requirement of a minimum of 3 ingredients.
ReplyDeleteThere is no requirement for the chives or even the salt, but I was required to have 3 ingredients. All you really need is how ever much whey you have left over from your cheesemaking session.
In a stainless steel pot, heat the whey until it reaches 200 degrees. Do not stir. You'll notice a film that will start forming on the top of the whey. This is your ricotta starting to form.
When your whey reaches 200 degrees, take it off the heat. You'll know when you have reached this temperature as bubbles will have formed around the edges. Using a slotted spoon or ladle, scoop the layer of thickened ricotta that formed on top of the whey into a cheesecloth-lined colander over a bowl. Continue scooping the ricotta until all that's left is the clear whey.
Grab all 4 corners of the cheesecloth and tie into a ball. Place a string around the top of the cheesecloth/ricotta bundle and hang to drain over a bowl.
For moist ricotta, hang for 2 hours.
For more dry ricotta, hang for 8 hours.
Remove ricotta from cheesecloth and store in a mason jar or plastic tub. It's now ready to be used in recipes or add salt & herbs and it becomes a wonderful cheese spread.
Michael, I'm beginning to suspect that when you were in elementary school, you were one of those students who was always a step ahead of the teacher. I was actually going to get to this topic in another week or two. :) I have something I want to test out first.
DeleteLOL, I used to be known as the professor and tutored other kids in school.
ReplyDeleteBut I do look forward to your expansion on whey. I was wondering when they say using it for garden soil as it's acidic is it the milk whey itself or the oft referenced use of vinegar in the coagulation phase of cheese making?
I've found chickens and pigs love whey, a nice pick me up for struggling critters. A bit like bone broth for sick humans.