18+ Uses for Yogurt Whey You May Not Have Thought Of Yet

I once offered him a glass of lemonade leftover from a party. Later in the day, he went searching for more lemonade. After a quick survey of the fridge, he spotted a lemonade look-alike in a quart-size mason jar and unwittingly poured himself a big glass of whey-on-the-rocks.

Unfortunately, I missed the show, but I heard he couldn’t get to the sink fast enough.

#1 

Substitute whey for other liquids when baking.

 For instance, it gives bread and pancakes a unique sourdough-ish flavor. I have often used it as the liquid in My Favorite Pizza Dough and this Crusty French Bread. It adds a delicious taste to the crust.

#2

Add whey to protein shakes.

#3 

Lacto-fermented veggies and fruits

#4 

Use for soaking whole wheat flours.

#5 

Keep feta cheese fresh.

Submerge your chunk of feta in whey like they often do in Greek delis.

Whey makes excellent sauerkraut, fermented bean dip, beets, etc.

The whey promotes fermentation along with some salt.

#7 

Use yogurt whey to make more yogurt.

#8 

Feed whey to outdoor plants.

Reportedly, tomatoes especially need and benefit from the extra calcium. If you have pink hydrangeas, you can reportedly pour whey on the soil around them to turn the blooms blue.

#9 

Mix whey and half-and-half with iced tea (or grape juice or orange juice.)

One person called it an “Arnold Palmer without the lemon-aid.”

#10 

Make Crème Fraîche.

Get the extremely simple directions for making crème fraîche here. It’s the most extravagantly rich and slightly tangy condiment you can imagine.

#12 

Use it for cooking quinoa.

#13

Boil your oatmeal in whey.

Then top with dried Montmorency cherries reconstituted in (you guessed it!) whey.

#14

Make lacto-fermented pickles.

The cookbook Nourishing Traditions explains how to use whey along with a brine.

#15

Make ricotta cheese using whey

Try whey instead of the more traditional lemon juice or vinegar. Just so you know, the process will produce even more whey, but at least you won’t have to buy lemons.

#16

Think of whey as transparent buttermilk.

This idea resonated with me, so I started envisioning how I could do this with fried chicken. I marinated my chicken breasts in whey, then rolled them in seasoned flour for some pretty fabulous fried chicken.

#17 

Make light, flaky, and tender biscuits using whey as the liquid.

Based on suggestion #1, I recently made the flakiest, lightest, and most tender biscuits with whey.

Check out the recipe for Flaky Cinnamon Biscuits or the Glazed Flaky Biscuits Made with Whey (or Buttermilk)

#18

Many people feed whey to their pets and claim they love it.

Bonus tip

Make a sourdough starter with yogurt whey (or yogurt) and flour.

How to use and maintain the starter:

1. When you are ready to make bread, discard all but ½ cup of the starter. Add equal amounts (in weight) of whey and bread flour to replace what you will take out to make bread.
2. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of starter, add ½ cup (120 gr) of whey (or spring water if you don’t have yogurt whey) and 1 cup (120 gr) of bread flour. Stir.
3. Place your starter in a warm place and let it sit until bubbly on top and spongy throughout. It should double in size (or more) when your starter is vigorous.
4. Measure out the amount of starter you need.
5. Add another 1/2 cup of whey or spring water and 1 cup of bread flour to the original starter. Stir, cover loosely, and let it sit in a warm place (70˚F) until it starts to bubble. Refrigerate if not using in the next few days.

It’s best to feed your starter at least once a week. Once a month is minimum.

If at any point, you see mold or funky colors appear in your starter, throw it away and start over again.

If you want your sourdough bread to taste sourer, use whey instead of water when feeding your starter.

Need a good sourdough bread recipe? Check out these Sourdough Dinner Rolls and this Sourdough Bread Machine Bread (A Simple Loaf).