If you’ve read anything from the Nourishing Traditions world about soaking your grains, you’ve seen the recommendation to use whey as an acidic medium. I prefer it for soaking my oats because I have found it least likely to impart a sour flavor to the finished oatmeal.
What is Whey?
My brother, a big weightlifter, is huge into the “whey protein powder” drinks for big muscles. Don’t get this sort of whey confused with the powdered stuff, which I’m sure has some “I-am-not-real-food!” sort of health issues. (UPDATE: A faithful commenter tells me that powdered whey is just spray-dried regular whey.)
Regular whey is a byproduct of cheesemaking, just like Little Miss Moffet had: curds and whey. It is a nearly transparent, yellowish liquid that pours like water.
You may be thinking, “Great, now I have to make cheese.” Luckily, this is much easier than that sounds.
What is Yogurt Cheese?
I get my whey from yogurt, which I happen to make homemade, but you could use plain, unsweetened yogurt from a store with the same results. Yogurt cheese has the same consistency and almost the same flavor as cream cheese, but with power-packed probiotics for good digestion and more. If you use cream cheese, even if you don’t want the whey, this process is the most frugal substitute for cream cheese you’ll ever find. It costs less than 50 cents for 8 oz. of yogurt cheese if your milk is on sale for $2 or less.
How to Make Yogurt Cheese and Whey
It’s almost embarrassing to post something this easy. Love it!
- Line a colander with a tea towel or cheesecloth.
- Place a large bowl or measuring cup (at least 4 cups) under the colander. Make sure the opening is wide enough to be underneath all your yogurt (see next step).
- Pour a container of yogurt (I do a quart at a time) into the towel.
- Wait. See the whey draining out? *peek*
- After an hour or so, rig up some way to hang the towel so that gravitational pressure gets all the whey out of the yogurt. Here’s my method:
- After ~4 hours or whenever your yogurt stops dripping, that’s it! You have about 3 cups of whey in the bowl and 1 cup of yogurt cheese in the towel.
- Yogurt cheese lasts 1-4 weeks (you’ll know when it goes bad) and the whey lasts up to 6 months.
Looks, tastes, and behaves just like cream cheese! The only thing it doesn’t do great is melt, like in a hot food recipe. - A quickie version: You can put a few Tbs of yogurt onto a coffee filter on top of a jar, and in an hour or less you’ll have a smidge of yogurt cheese for your toast on top and whey to soak your oatmeal in the jar.
Whey Recipes: What do I do with Whey?
- Make tortillas (uses 1/2 cup of whey per batch)
- Use as up to half the water in any bread recipe. You’ll need to add more flour, even up to a whole cup for a loaf of bread.
- Soak oatmeal.
- Soak other grains, including breadmaker bread.
- Some add it to their smoothies as protein. I haven’t done that.
- Lacto-fermentation:
Yogurt Cheese Recipes
- Fruit Pizza
- Creamy Garlic Veggie Dip (in Healthy Snacks to Go eBook)
- Tuscan Beef and Bean Stew
- Avocado Dip
- Homemade Fudgesicles
- Use in place of some or all the ricotta in a pasta recipe
- Yogurt Cheese and Jelly Sandwiches
- Any dip, dessert or main dish that calls for cream cheese!
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Katie, I have a bunch of whey sitting in my fridge, just from straining my too-thin homemade yogurt. I didn’t know what to do with it until this post (thanks!), but I’m also not sure how long it keeps in the fridge. I have a feeling mine is probably past its prime by now (it’s been well over a week), but if it’s still good, I’ll have to try some of your ideas!
.-= April´s last blog ..Moving in a new direction =-.
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Katie Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:08 pm
April,
Katie
I bet it’s still okay. Whey is a preservative, so it’s supposed to last 6 months. Realistically I’ve found it to be good over a month. You’ll know if it’s bad – the smell is awful!
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I love it! I’ve been reading about whey for awhile but I don’t know, it just didn’t make sense to me. The pictures help, I think. Thanks!
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Love the idea of the yogurt cheese! Thanks so much!
.-= Dani´s last blog ..It’s okay to ask for help. =-.
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Thanks for the great information.
I’m wondering how you think yogurt cheese would sub into a cheesecake?
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
December 2nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Julie,
Katie
Since it seemed to work really well in a dip that *sort* of had to hold its shape, I would guess absolutely great. I’d say – make some and get the feel for the consistency. The Pampered Chef guru thought it acted just like cream cheese in that it was firm cold and softened right up on the countertop. Let me know if you try it!
[Reply to this comment]
elaine Reply:
February 7th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Julie~ I’m coming to this post a little late but I’ve had a cheesecake made out of yogurt cheese – it is AWESOME! We are so spoiled with yogurt cheese that nothing tastes quite as good anymore. Let me know if you need a recipe.
[Reply to this comment]
Julie S Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 6:18 pm
Thanks Elaine, I’d love to get the recipe!
On a related note, I just recently tried to make cream cheese icing for carrot cake, but it definitely did not have the same flavour. I just used it drained.
Maybe it was because I didn’t flavour the “cream cheese” with salt and sweetener first?
[Reply to this comment]
susan Reply:
August 19th, 2011 at 11:19 am
i’d love your yogurt cheese-cheese cake recipe. could you e-mail it to me? sthompson236113 (at) gmail (dot) com
Thanks
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This is totally next on my food to-do list! (Right after finishing the sourdough starter I’m working on) Thanks for showing how easy it is.
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Thanks for the tips for using whey. Maybe I missed it, but does whey have the same probiotic properties as the yogurt or yogurt cheese, or does it have some additional benefits?
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“My brother, a big weightlifter, is huge into the “whey protein powder” drinks for big muscles. Don’t get this sort of whey confused with the powdered stuff, which I’m sure has some “I-am-not-real-food!” sort of health issues.”
Katie…Katie…Katie. I’m *tisk tisk-ing* you here. Let’s not assume the negative. Whey powder is spray dried whey. In it’s simplest form (not fortified/amplified like the bodybuilder stuff) the biggest concern is probably the oxidation factor that you discussed previously.
.-= tonya´s last blog ..rcwant2be: RT @animalag: What’s in a name? Good discussion of public perception of "farmers," "producers," and "factory farms" http://bit.ly/8K1OMj =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 2:46 am
Ah, Tonya,
Katie
So we’re back to the question of oxidizing…and is anything powdered “real food”? Good to know that whey protein powder isn’t quite as far away from the source as one might assume…as I did!
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tonya Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I like to think of spray drying as dehydrating. Dehydrating isn’t necessarily bad. This oxidation factor though…I need to learn more about that.
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This is great information about whey! Do you know if I can I freeze it?
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Katie Reply:
December 7th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Malia,
Katie
I have read about folks freezing it in ice cube trays and adding to smoothies, in fact! I just froze some because I have trouble with mozzarella cheese whey going bad after a week, but the yogurt whey really does last quite a while.
Great question!
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Another great post. I especially love the idea of your quick version- I would never have thought to do a little so I could have just a bit to soak in- and now I have some right on my counter. Thanks!
.-= Shelley´s last blog ..Holiday System Day 14 – recipe: sprouted flour butter cookies =-.
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Hi Katie, here from pennywise platter. Do you have more suggestions for yogurt cheese/traditional cream cheese? I use the whey almost daily to soak oatmeal, but the trad. cream cheese has a little too much tang for my liking right now. Hate to not use it though. Some has gone into a frittata and a little into a quiche over the wekend, but I still have more than I know what to do with.
.-= Soli´s last blog ..Let’s see =-.
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Katie Reply:
December 11th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Soli,
Katie
I use yogurt cheese in my fruit pizza (link above) and in many dessert recipes that call for cream cheese. My slow cooker beef stew includes it http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/03/31/making-a-healthy-meal-from-packaged-recipes/ as do other beef stroganoff type recipes. My son loves cream cheese and jelly or cream cheese, fruit and honey sandwiches! This yogurt cheese garlic veggie dip is AWESOME: http://www.nourishingdays.com/?p=1055 Hope that helps! Thanks for visiting -love to see you back!
[Reply to this comment]
Pennywise Platter Thursday 12/10 // Dec 10, 2009 at 11:53 am
[...] Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship- I’ve made more “homemade cream cheese” this month than ever before because cream cheese is an ingredient in so many party foods, from [...]
I wandered over here from Tammy’s Recipes and I’ve been browsing around.
We have NO trouble getting whey, our problem is what to DO with it, so I love these ideas. We make and strain our own yogurt (so easy to do), but had no idea what to do with the whey so we were just tipping it down the sink. I’ll have to try some of these soaks.
I use homemade yogurt in my smoothies, so is there any added benefit to putting the whey in also?
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Katie Reply:
February 15th, 2010 at 5:51 am
Stacy,
Katie
I have heard of people freezing the whey in ice cubes to add to smoothies. Any place you use whey will add some protein to what you’re eating. Frozen in a smoothie would be great for consistency!
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Curious…What’s the difference between yogurt cheese & Greek-style yogurt? I’ve only had Greek yogurt a few times (largely b/c it’s significantly more expensive to buy it), but I wouldn’t say it taste like cream cheese – even though I understand it’s just yogurt with the whey drained off. I do need to brush off my Salton yogurt maker in the pantry and quit buying the quarts of yogurt, and would love to try this!
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Katie Reply:
March 1st, 2010 at 6:02 am
Cindy,
Katie
Greek yogurt just has *some* of the whey drained off. This yogurt cheese would totally hold it’s form on a plate and is truly exactly like cream cheese consistency. Enjoy!
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Thanks so much! I just bought your healthy snacks eBook (and so did my best friend), and I’m totally jazzed.
You’ve made me unafraid of whey. I may even be ready to make homemade yogurt soon. My MIL kinda scared me away from it, but it doesn’t look like it’ll be too bad to make.
.-= April´s last blog ..Another Reason to Choose Local Organic Food =-.
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Katie Reply:
May 28th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
april,
Yee hah! You’ll love homemade yogurt and never look back (even if MIL is chasing you with a wooden spoon).
Katie
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Going back to my question about my whey jar molding that I tweeted to you, Sarah (heartland Ren.) told me I could’ve just decanted it into a new jar. I’m thinking she’s right, since it was just the jar and not the whey itself that molded. I also had some crunchy friends tell me that whey made from raw dairy lasts much longer.
It sounds like freezing whey kills off the probiotic … enzymes? qualities? whatever, so that really isn’t a good way to store it, but I suppose I could soak and dehydrate a large quality of oats and freeze those.
My real question – I used to make ricotta cheese using this recipe from Cooking Light (though now I would go for the full-fat counterparts!) and I’m wondering if the cultured buttermilk would mean that the whey left over would be good for soaking. I think yes, but wanted to know your opinion. :>)
.-= Lenetta @ Nettacow´s last blog ..Peeling Onions =-.
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Katie Reply:
June 5th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Lenetta,
I freeze both my yogurt and buttermilk starters, and they always still “work”, so the bacteria isn’t killed. Enzymes, I don’t know. I think it’s the probiotics that you want in both.
I think yes on the buttermilk whey – anything acidic is supposed to work, and cultured is even better. Homemade ricotta = fun!
Katie
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Awesome for the ricotta substitute idea! I bought mascarpone (so expensive) recently to make lasagna because I couldn’t find growth hormone-free ricotta. Now I can use my homemade organic yogurt cheese…I think you are my new best blog friend!
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I am not sure if you will get this this comment or not to respond, but I am curious as to if the whey must be drained in the fridge? I make homemade yogurt (from a different site) and I am starting to realize we can not afford how much cream cheese I love. I love to put it on my bagels, and in mashed potatoes and all kinds of things.
Would this yogurt cheese be a good replacement even in my mashed ‘taters? (which I boost nutritionally by steaming and mashing with organic carrots.) When I started making yogurt I just used my thin yogurt in smoothies and I still throw the liquid from the top in, or just stir it up.
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Katie Reply:
January 24th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Jesilee,
I always see and respond! Welcome!
As yogurt is a cultured food, it’s perfectly ok to drain on the countertop, then store the finished product in the fridge. I use the cream cheese/yogurt cheese in everything I would put cream cheese in, so I would think it would be great in mashed potatoes, too! It doesn’t melt quite as well as regular cream cheese, but hopefully it still adds the creaminess you’re looking for. Enjoy!
Katie
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Hi Katie,
Have you tried making whey with raw milk? I tried but wasn’t very successful… Any thougts? just seemed like all milk….
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Katie Reply:
February 3rd, 2011 at 1:59 am
Shelley,
Katie
Do you mean letting the milk clabber and then draining? That’s one I’ve never tried, but Kelly the Kitchen Kop might be a resource. Sometimes it takes up to 2-3 days to completely separate on the countertop.
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Katie,
Just wondering if you get the same health benefits from using store bought yogurt to make whey? I’m not ready to make my own yogurt yet, but want to try the whey. Tried making whey with raw milk and it didn’t go so great.
Thanks!
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Katie Reply:
February 12th, 2011 at 6:12 pm
Kristy,
Katie
Absolutely, exactly the same!
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Thanks for this post!! I just strained my yogurt the other day because I didnt like the consistency of my yogurt. Low and behold, I strained it too long and made yogurt cheese!!
My daughter still loves taking it in her lunch with peaches and honey on top, but it is a little too thick now!! lol
I was wondering what I could do with yogurt whey…maybe I’ll try my hand at soaking oats and making your granola bars with it!!
Thanks so much!!
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Katie Reply:
March 12th, 2011 at 9:31 pm
Mmmm, put the yogurt cheese with peaches and honey on bread – cream cheese and fruit sandwich!
katie
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Could you just use plain yogurt or lemon juice instead of whey like in Nourishing Traditions? Thanks!
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Katie Reply:
April 17th, 2011 at 3:57 am
Beth,
Katie
I have no idea how your comment got so lost, but I just saw it here – I’m not sure what you mean, though. Are you asking about soaking grains? If so, yes, those are also options.
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I am new to the whey and lacto-fermentation. Can whey be added to any condiment to add more nutrients and make it last longer?
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Katie Reply:
April 17th, 2011 at 3:57 am
Stacey,
Katie
Yes, I believe so, but personally I turn to http://gnowfglins.com/ or http://nourishedkitchen.com/ as my lacto-fermentation experts.
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Oh my gosh, I just made yogurt for the first time and ended up straining it this way to get it thicker. And what did I do? I threw away the whey!! I didn’t even realize thats what it was. Oh well, now I know. (yogurt turned out great by the way!)
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This is something that has really piqued my interest! After reading about home-made yoghurt, this really does seem like a logical step to follow.
For my family of seven, we already need to buy shares on a dairy farm, and the only things I have changed in our diet is making bread, cookies etc myself (no packaged snacks – go me!!!). Getting enough milk to make our yoghurt, and cheese also would mean we’d probaby have to buy ourselves our own farm, lol.
Jokes aside, I hope to come back to this (and your home-made yoghurt tutorial) to give you my review after making it myself… though that may be some time away, I will definitely get there!
Warmest blessings,
Angela
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Katie Reply:
April 24th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
Angela,
Katie
Even if you have to buy store milk to make the yogurt, it is SO worth it! You’ll love it. Can’t wait to hear how it goes.
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OK, I ran errands today – yeah, Memorial Day and been thinking about this and it donned on me that when I eat my Stonyfield organic yogurt every morning at work, there’s always a small amount of liquid at the top – since you tell us to strain it, I’m guessing it’s the whey – sure enough it is!!! Yahoo!!! So, what I can do is just go on and eat my yogurt like normal and take the whey out of a few instead of mixing it in like I’ve been doing the last 2 months… LOL Straight from Stonyfield’s site:
Why is liquid sometimes on the top of my yogurt when I open it?
It’s normal for a little bit of liquid (whey) to separate from our yogurt. It occurs when there has been any type of pressure applied or when the product has undergone a temperature change. We also don’t use any artificial thickeners that might prevent this. Whey contains many of the important vitamins and nutrients in yogurt, so we recommend that you simply stir it back in.
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Katie Reply:
May 30th, 2011 at 11:47 pm
Debbie,
Katie
Exactly! If you WANT whey for soaking purposes or whatever, just leave a dent/hole in your yogurt each time you scoop, and then you’ll have a puddle of whey next morning that you can pour off for soaking.
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Hello and thank you for this (and many) posts. Have you worked with Kefir grains? I got some a short time ago, and now they separate so well there is a clear liquid on the bottom of the jar. Is that the whey? Is it the same kind of whey in cheese or yogurt?
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Katie Reply:
June 22nd, 2011 at 11:32 am
Esther, I’ve not yet done milk kefir, sorry!
Katie
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Kirsten Reply:
December 14th, 2011 at 8:24 pm
Yes, kefir whey is excellent!
[Reply to this comment]
How To Make Homemade Yogurt | Budget Saving Mom // Aug 7, 2011 at 1:21 pm
[...] diet, and so simple Iím almost embarrassed to call it a recipe. Yogurt can be made into yogurt cheese in a few simple steps, and the result is nearly exactly like cream cheese, but at half the price of [...]
Is there anyway to sweeten the cream cheese a little bit? Not sure if I left it out too long or what but it doesn’t taste even remotely like the cream cheese from the store (which may be the point:) ). It set up really great though. Very excited to try it in some recipes.
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Katie Reply:
August 16th, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Julie,
Katie
Sorry I lost your comment for a while! I’m sure I’m too late for that first batch, but for future reference, you can always add a dash of any sweetener – maple syrup, honey, stevia drops, whatever. I’ve only used the “cream cheese” myself in recipes b/c I don’t like cream cheese plain, so I’m not a good person to ask about a comparison…
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Julie S Reply:
August 17th, 2011 at 6:20 pm
Thanks for responding, Katie, especially since you have a lot of stuff on your plate right now! Congratulations, btw!
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Does this work for non-dairy yogurt such as coconut yogurt? Thank you!
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Katie Reply:
August 19th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Lindsey,
Katie
you know, I’ve only made coconut yogurt once as an experiment, and I’ve never tried straining it. Worst that could happen is it doesn’t work and you just retrieve and eat the yogurt. I’d love to know if you try it!
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Lindsey Reply:
August 19th, 2011 at 2:26 pm
I will try. My husband is dairy free so that would be great if this worked. Thanks again.
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Believe it or not we give our whey and some of our yogurt to our dog every couple of days. He used to get horrible yeast infections in his ears. Spending 400.00 for one visit to the vet to clean them and be put on antiobiotics was just not an option for us every couple of months. He itched alot too and I also took ALL wheat away from him. Anyway he no longer gets yeast infections and the itching is gone. Going on more than 2 years and btw he LOVES yogurt and whey. The minute he sees the container he is in the kitchen for his “good medicine”.
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Question: I made some whey about 3 months ago. I stored it in the fridge in a glass jar and haven’t touched it since… until tonight. I opened the jar and there was some swirling misty-looking whitish sediment on the bottom of the jar, and it smelled like sourdough starter. Does that mean it’s bad? How do I know when it goes bad?
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
October 26th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Stephanie,
Katie
The sediment is pretty normal, but I find that whey has very little smell usually. ??? I don’t know that I’ve ever had it around 3 mos. Usually when mine has a problem, I see mold on the jar.
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This morning I made some yogurt cheese so I could have the whey for making lacto-fermented guacamole and lacto-fermented mayonnaise. I smeared the yogurt cheese on some english muffins with my some of my homemade hot pepper jelly. Very tasty! I’m officially now hooked on yogurt cheese. I can’t wait until later today to try my lacto-fermented guacamole and mayonnaise on something. I even made a gallon of homemade yogurt today too. (insert oohs and aahs here) I’m a bit of a newbie at this health food stuff and greatly appreciate your website. It’s made the transition to healthy, whole food cooking/eating a lot less painful than I assumed it would be.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
November 22nd, 2011 at 3:00 am
Shar,
Katie
That’s awesome! So glad you’re here!
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I have made ricotta cheese, and then used the whey to cook my lasagna noodles; made the noodles absolutely heavenly. I’d suspect yogurt whey would do likewise.
Sharon Anne @ sharealikecooking.blogspot.com
[Reply to this comment]
Natural, Healthy, & Frugal Oh My!!! « Joeyanna's Journey // Jan 10, 2012 at 1:43 pm
[...] Here are some great ideas for how to use this very healthful substance. [...]