Make your own Whey

How to make whey

Equipment:

• Fine strainer
• cheesecloth

 Ingredients:

 raw milk or yogurt

Preparation:If you are using yoghurt, no advance preparation is required. You may use homemade yoghurt or good quality commercial plain yoghurt. If you are using raw milk, place the milk in a clean glass container and allow it to stand at room temperature 1-4 days until it separates. For the raw milk to separate into curds and whey properly the air must be around 73 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a large strainer set over a bowl with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt or separated milk, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours (longer for yogurt). The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for up to 6 months.

more info:

When made properly in small batches from cultured dairy, whey has incredibly unique healing properties. Rich with biologically active proteins and protein fractions, it has a high concentration of essential amino acids that are readily used to support vital biological functions in the body. Among these beneficial factors is:

• Lactoferrin, a multifunctional protein with iron-binding properties that acts as a powerful antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory
• Bovine serum albumin (BSA), a substance high in amino acids that has been shown to support infection-fighting white blood cells, increase antioxidant activity and maintain healthy cholesterol levels in the body
• Immunoglobulins to support disease control by bolstering immunity 
• Probiotic organisms to promote optimal digestion and full nutrient absorption by balancing the gut flora
• Essential amino acids in a highly bioavailable form to act as building blocks for proteins
• Glutathione precursors, to boost production of the body's most powerful antioxidant
• Minerals such as potassium, iron and zinc in balanced amounts
• Vitamins notably vitamin B2 or riboflavin which helps the body to convert carbohydrates into fuel

Homemade whey has many uses including making lacto-fermented vegetables, condiments or beverages; soaking and sprouting nuts or grains; or as an additive to smoothies, sauces and stocks. The process to make whey is simple and uses things you probably already have around the house.

2 cups yoghurt or kefir*

1 large glass bowl

1 strainer

1 thin, clean dishtowel or unbleached cheesecloth

1 wooden spoon

1 pitcher

1. Line a large strainer with an unbleached cheesecloth or thin, clean dish towel and set strainer in large bowl. Pour yogurt or kefir into the cloth, cover and allow to sit out at room temperature for several hours. The liquid whey will begin to drip into the bowl, while the milk solids will stay collected in the cloth.

2. When the dripping slows, tie up the cloth into a sac with the milk solids inside. Although tempting, do not squeeze the curds to get the remaining liquid out. Instead, tie the cloth to a wooden spoon, placing it over a pitcher so that the sac containing the milk solids is suspended inside. Allow this to hang for an additional several hours (I generally leave mine overnight) or until the dripping completely stops. At that point, pour the liquid whey from the large bowl or pitcher into a small glass jar for storage- it will last 6 months refrigerated. The curds left in the strainer are a tasty cream cheese rich with healthy fats, that can be used as a nutrient dense spread or dip.

This second step ensures that you are getting all of the whey to separate from the curds. There is no one way to do this either; get creative with straining methods! For example, you can tie the cloth to the kitchen faucet and place a bowl in the sink to collect the whey, or onto a knob on your cabinets so that the whey collects into a container on the counter. Find out what works best with your kitchen set-up.

*You can also use raw milk in this process, if first left out to separate for about 1-4 days. I prefer to use cultured yogurt and kefir because of their superior probiotic profile. If you use a high quality store bought yogurt, make sure that it is free of gelatin and pectin as these will bind the solids to the liquids, and prevent separation of curds and whey. Although different dairy produces different results- a rule of thumb is that 1 cup of dairy yields about 1/2 cup of  whey.

Finding a Non-Denatured Whey Powder

It's true: In an ideal world, everyone would obtain their nutrients from traditional whole foods like tart, golden, homemade whey. However, realizing that a significant piece of modern wellness is making informed choices that best fit your lifestyle, the convenience of a powdered form of whey is completely understandable. Over the past few years have been unwaveringly committed to finding a powdered whey from happy, healthy grass-fed cows, in its complete, non-denatured form or goat whey, this prepared whole food supplement is incredibly rich with alkalizing minerals and electrolytes. This mineral whey can be very helpful for the improvement digestive distress, weak and painful joints and to replenish the mineral reserves depleted by stress and devitalized foods. While these powders cannot by used in place of fresh whey in cooking and baking, you can try blending them into a superfoods smoothie for an effortless way to incorporate the health benefits of whey into your diet.


Resources

Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Enjoying Little Miss Muffet’s Curds and Whey by Jen Allbritton, CN

Remarkable Whey Protein by Alan Shugarman, M.S, R.D.

radiantlifecatalog.com/