Whey

[flyinglentris]

Whey comes in a variety of forms, only three of which are really suitable for food preparation - and one of those is more rarely used than the other. Given this, Whey Protein Powders and Whey Isolates are excluded from consideration. Instead, Sweet Whey, Sour Whey (Acid Whey) and Whey Solids are the forms that would be used in food preparation.

Whey is highly nutritious.

Sweet Whey and Whey Solids are more often used. It is a leftover product from Cheese making.

Sour or Acid Whey is a leftover product from making Yogurt. The thing about Sour Whey is that it is hauled off by the truckload to farms to be used as a nutritious fertilizer or discarded. Truth be told, there is too much of it to used as fertilizer as it causes a runoff that gets in streams, brooks, rivers and lakes and causes algal blooms which are detrimental to fish and other life. It has this negative stigma and is therefore rarely used, except commercially in food products. But there is an undercurrent of chefs and cooks who are discovering the potential of Sour Whey as a food ingredient which gives a unique flavor boost to foods.

For the home cook, Whey, especially Sour Whey, is a challenge to use. The home cook often, does not even consider Whey. Both Sweet and Sour forms are often substituted where milk, cream or butter might otherwise be used. But Whey may have unique applicability.

I can think of a few ways I might use Sweet Whey and Whey Solids. I'm sure some Cooking Bites members have probably used the same.

I'd be interested in hearing about or seeing responses on using Whey, especially any ventures regarding the use of Sour Whey.

 

[Burt Blank]

Whey is a massive part of Icelandic diet. Iceland Naturally | Icelandic Cuisine: Seeing Whey in a New Way

 

[Morning Glory]

I've used whey from cheese and yoghurt making in bread making (replace water with whey). Its delicious and tastes a bit like sourdough.

 

[flyinglentris]

I've used whey from cheese and yoghurt making in bread making (replace water with whey). Its delicious and tastes a bit like sourdough.

Great idea.

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I've used whey from cheese and yoghurt making in bread making (replace water with whey). Its delicious and tastes a bit like sourdougeph.

Yep I do this too - hate wasting anything!

 

[flyinglentris]

While researching Whey, I came across some information about people using Sour Whey for pickling.

 

[flyinglentris]

I've come up with an idea for a Greco Salad Dressing ...

Whey
Some Plain Yogurt
Feta Cheese
Garlic
Olive Oil
Basil
Oregano

I hope that it would be different than Tzatziki.

 

[flyinglentris]

I'm kind of going on a less than usual flavoring adventure here. Whey is just one of several ingredients that I need to put my wits to.

I just made Tuna Salad Sandwiches for lunch today, using Albacore, Onion, Serrano Pepper, Mayonaise, Stone Ground Mustard and a tablespoon of shredded Horseradish. The Horseradish really put a favorable zing on those sandwiches.

 

[flyinglentris]

So, what the heck are Whey Solids?

To understand that, it might be best to consider true Ricotta Cheese. Contemporary Supermarket Ricotta Cheese is made from Milk, because too much is required to be supported via mass production from Whey. True Ricotta Cheese is made from the strained tiny portion of solids that remain when Whey liquid is separated from Cheeses or Yogurt, usually Cheeses. These same solids can be dried and distributed as crumbs/powder.

Finding a source of true Ricotta Cheese or Whey Solids can be a task, as they are specialty items. But they are available.

 

[rascal]

I know it's a by product to making paneer, I just havnt figured what to do with the whey yet?

Russ

 

[Morning Glory]

You can use whey to lacto ferment vegetables and fruit. Its incredibly easy to do.

 

[Hemulen]

A large Finnish dairy has separated dairy salt from whey and uses it as a healthier salt substitute in e.g. cheeses and butter-margarine bread spreads. Whey is also used in Finnish quarks/curds which resemble the Icelandic Skyr. Quarks are used in e.g. baking and berry/fruit desserts combined with whipped cream. Quarks (which contain a bit of liquid whey on top) are sold both unflavored and seasoned with e.g. vanilla, lemon and strawberry. A typical berry pie consists of a basic crust, berries tossed in potato starch and a can of quark mixed with one or two eggs and sugar. Quark filled wheat buns with raisins and lemon zest are basic bakery goods here as well. Cheeses and cottage cheeses with whey residue are sold widely in Finland.

Photo source

Whey (liquid filtered/dripped from making common buttermilk cheese, pic below) is used in e.g. bread making, porridges and smoothies.

Photo source

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

But it's a dead thread resurrection, but all of this just increases the risk of anaphylactic shock for me (and a surprising number of others).

The idea of a dairy salt terrifies me tbh.

Whey in sourdough to improve the flavour. Great idea (sorry but really it isn't), you must remember to tell people, guests to your home (when that is ever an option again), or people that you have given food to, that you've used it. And it won't occur to you until it's too late.

I have suffered anaphylactic shock (in the UK) from eating toast in a supermarket cafe. I'd eaten it there every weekend for months. They knew me by sight and knew no marg or butter, just jam. And it's easy to see the difference. One Sunday, just an ordinary Sunday I had the usual toast and coffee (black...) and immediately knew something was wrong. The only possible option was the toast. I'm not trace sensitive, but do need a clean knife used etc. A blue light job to A&E followed. The supermarket (I won't name them) ended up looking after our bikes and paying for a taxi ride (50 miles) for my husband to get home for the car, because I was in no fit state to ride home. The cause was the bread. And it's little things like this that make accepting others cooking for me almost impossible.

I've known butter to be used in jam (only homemade jam to date but) to stop foaming.

I can't even have probiotics that are usually grown from the waste products of the dairy industry. I have to ensure that even if they say 'vegan' on them that they are grown in a non-dairy environment. Same with my yoghurt starter. It's why I make my own sourdough starters and not use powder form. And exactly the reason I can't eat fermented vegetables unless they are my own because I need to know how they were fermented.

I have exactly the same issues with medication btw. Lactose monohydrate can be made 2 ways. In the lab from the 'ground up' or from the waste products of the dairy industry. And sometimes that is ok, because you can't be allergic to lactose, only intolerant (- there is a massive difference) but unless the tablet filler is cleaned properly, too many traces of milk proteins contaminate the tablet filler (more common in the generic medications) and those can be enough to trigger anaphylactic shock. Sadly most medications use lactose monohydrate as a tablet or capsule filler (even inhalers use it! ).

Please, I implore you all, be very careful when you start to venture into these areas. Most of you won't even think twice about kindly giving food away to others, others who won't necessarily realise that a milk component has been used because it is not normally used in that field/food. Sourdough is one in particular that even I normally doubt think twice about and would only be checking for marg or butter and if the jam is made in house or commercial...

 

[flyinglentris]

That was a long way of asking members to take care not to expose people to things that can cause them system shock. I agree in principle that respect should be given, especially when a person informs others of their response to such foods. But I can't understand how otherwise one might know unless asked "Does this contain ...?" By law, packaged foods must list content, but food exchanged between people is another matter. Food served in restaurants can also be an issue, but again, ask.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

That was a long way of asking members to take care not to expose people to things that can cause them system shock. I agree in principle that respect should be given, especially when a person informs others of their response to such foods. But I can't understand how otherwise one might know unless asked "Does this contain ...?" By law, packaged foods must list content, but food exchanged between people is another matter. Food served in restaurants can also be an issue, but again, ask.

The problem is that not all ingredients have to be declared (it's a percentage thing). They just add the comment may contain traces of... some indicate that the same machinery is used to prepare or package the products but that the actual product itself is free from milk (they don't have to break it down any further than they).

And the bigger problem is that things like fermented vegetables do not have to declare the source of fermentation. It's not an ingredient of the final product but it can still trigger anaphylaxis.

Plus adding things like milk/milk products into things that don't normally contain it (sourdough should not contain milk or milk products and is not allowed to if it is to use the name sourdough in some countries) can be a problem. Cross examining someone who has just given you a loaf of sourdough on how they made it and what it contains is not often taken very well. I know exactly how long making sourdough takes, especially if you cold prove it. Mine often cold proofed for 48 hrs. If I then asked you if you had used a proper sourdough starter made from flour and water only, or a sachet from a supermarket that you've just added to water (or worse milk) most people start to get upset at that point.

And saying "system shock" is putting it mildly. Anaphylaxis can and does kill. People appreciate that some respond to exposure to nuts and peanuts (as opposed to consumption of) . But secondary exposure to dairy by virtue of whey being used to ferment vegetables that are then removed from the fermentation liquid and often washed, then used in another recipe is not as obvious, but can still be fatal. The salad prepared with these vegetables won't have dairy in it in most people's mind. And if I was to ask you what the ingredients were, you'd not think to consider how the 'fermented vegetables' were prepared, you'd just say cabbage, carrots, and so on and not think twice about it. You might think fermented cabbage, fermented carrots but again not that it contained milk because technically there is no milk (or milk products) in the final product.

I'm not even going to start with dairy salt.

I'm my view, too much food is contaminated with unnecessary components. Why do salt and vinegar crisps need milk powder in them? It does happen and it is no myth, no ingredient list error (which one company became famous for), just unnecessary calories added to make something 'creamier'.

One mouthful is all it takes for that food to kill.