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How To Get Whey

When making low temperature cheeses, whey will spill out from pressing or hanging curds. However, it is probably easiest for most people use the whey from making kefir or yogurt cheese, or the soft cheese of the Fundamentals eCourse. You can also use store-bought plain kefir or yogurt, as long as they contain active cultures.

Course Cultured
Author Wardee Harmon

Instructions

  1. Line a colander with two pieces of 90-count cheesecloth or a pillow-case weight piece of cotton cloth.
  2. Put the colander inside a pot or bowl that holds it.
  3. Pour the cultured dairy into the cheesecloth-lined colander.
  4. Tie up the ends and tuck them inside the colander.
  5. Let the whey drip out for about a day, or hang up the bag so gravity can speed up the process.
  6. Scrape the cheese out of the cheesecloth and use as you would cream cheese.
  7. Pour the whey into a clean jar and store in the refrigerator for many weeks.
  8. Or freeze for many months.
  9. The whey will last a long time.

Recipe Notes

It is normal for a few milk solids to slip through the cheesecloth with the whey. Over time, they can get moldy floating at the top of the whey. Strain them off as necessary, and usually the whey is fine. It should smell fresh; let your nose be your guide.