Curds and Whey!
Part I: How to separate curds from whey
Why? Which? With What?
Curds and whey. They are a real thing! We have all heard about Little Miss Muffet…”eating her curds and whey”. Who knew I would write about it one day, and that WHEY would be such a part of my life for more than a quarter of a century?!? True!
Today, I am writing about whey. (In part II, I will write about curds! Stay tuned.)
Whey.
That fabulous simple protein found in milk. We can obtain live whey a few ways 😉. The whey that we want is live – so it is not from cheesemaking that requires the heating of the milk. The whey that we want is full of beneficial bacteria.
How do we “make whey” or “get whey”? – by allowing fresh RAW milk to separate at room temperature and straining it (do NOT try this with pasteurized milk – you WILL get sick) or straining whole milk yogurt or kefir. Homemade is always best. (More about why in another article.)
Uses for Live Whey
As a starter for lacto-fermenting vegetables, fruits, and tonics - this is covered in my book, The Complete Cooking Techniques for the GAPS Diet, 2nd edition, and can also be found in Sally Fallon (Morell)’s Nourishing Traditions Cookbook
To ferment nuts, seeds, beans, and grains – this is covered in my book, The Complete Cooking Techniques for the GAPS Diet, 2nd edition
As a tonic or beverage, or added to one – plain (helps resolve diarrhea!) or mixed with sparkling mineral water, a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt (see my article here on a Summer Refresher!) Add it to Hibiscus Concentrate (“good for your circulation”) and sparkling mineral water!
As a probiotic boost – added to soup or stew or any other food you are eating (note: not too hot!) - This is a GAPS diet hack.
To marinate meat, poultry and liver. Leftover whey is a wonderful way to tenderize meat. You can use it “neat” or add water (make sure it is filtered or spring, not tap water).
Note: it is suggested that you use whey from yogurt or raw milk for the above. If you use whey from kefir, it will be high in yeast and therefore more potent when you drink it, so proceed with mindfulness for this powerful food!
With What? Or what do you need to strain whey?
(This subject was actually the reason for writing this little ditty – but those who know me well know that I like to give some background!)
The setup usually consists of a bowl or liquid measuring cup (I prefer glass), a fine mesh sieve, and something with which to line the sieve. You place the sieve over the bowl or liquid measure, then line it, then pour in the yogurt or the raw milk that you allowed to separate on the counter or kefir (homemade is best!).
Liners – I prefer an old cloth napkin – it is a great way to reuse a napkin that has seen better days. Just be sure to wash the napkin with unscented detergent prior to and after use (we don’t want our whey to taste like the laundry detergent – in fact, I suggest you use unscented).
An old cotton t-shirt (same considerations as above). Just cut one into squares that will fit nicely into your sieve.
An unbeached, flat bottom coffee filter! If you have them, or if you need to purchase them (remember the original Mr. Coffee machines?), they work well and then you can just throw them out or compost them! No additional laundry for you!
Cheesecloth – unbleached, and preferably tight weave (90 or 100) will allow for a clean separation of curds and whey.
All the above options will allow for a “clean” whey – one that you can almost see through. Whey should not have milk solids in it, especially if you are going to use it for lacto-fermenting vegetables, fruits, and tonics.
Okay, now you should be on your way to straining and using whey! No way! Yes, way! 😉(Those of you who were with me when I taught the first cooking class at the Wise Traditions conference in PA in 2010 – it was all day on Monday! - remember me saying the same. You know who you are. 😊)