What to Do With Leftover Whey After Draining?
Whey is filled with ton of nutrients for added health benefits. It is quite common to see professional athletes use whey to fuel their bodies after an intense workout.
Below are several brilliant ways which you can use for your leftover whey:
Here’s What You Can Do With Your Leftover Whey
For cooking
- Substitute whey for water (all or partial) in soup stock
- Replace water with whey for bread or dough recipes (especially sourdough)
- Use whey for mashed potatoes and pancakes
- Impart added nutrient to beans and legumes by soak drying them in whey
- Use whey as a base (instead of milk or water) for smoothies and shakes
- Substitute whey for water when cooking rice
For Farm/Garden Use
- Feed to farm animals such as pigs and chickens
- Mix with water for acid-loving plants (see below for suitable plants that tolerate low pH soil)
The 2 Types of Whey After Draining
There are two types of whey depending on the type of cheese you are making.
- Sweet Whey (usual pH 6.7)
- Acid Whey (usual pH below 5.1)
Sweet Whey
Sweet whey is drained from hard cheeses before the lactose are converted into lactic acid.
The majority of these cheeses drain most of they whey within an hour.
It is advisable for sweet whey to be used within 3 hours of draining otherwise it will become too acidic due to the continuous turning of lactose to lactic acid.
The sweeter the whey, the richer the cheese.
Acid Whey
Acid whey is drained from cheeses with added acid, such as:
- Lemon juice
- Vinegar
- Tartaric acid
- Citric acid
- Any soft cheeses that take more than an hour to drain (such as fromage blanc and mascarpone).
Usually, acid whey has a higher calcium content so use it sparingly to feed acid-loving plants.
Be careful when using it in kitchen as it is too acidic for most culinary purposes.
Use Leftover Whey for Acid-loving Plants
Acidic soil has a pH 7 or below.
| Fruits (pH 4.0 – 5.0) | Vegetables (pH 4.4 – 7.5) | Herbs (pH 5.0) | Flowers, Trees & Shrubs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberries | Beans (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | Garlic chives | Azaleas |
| Cranberries | Broccoli (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | Horehound | Beech |
| Elderberry | Turnips (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | Lemongrass | Camellias |
| Gooseberries | Tomatoes (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | Marjoram | Daffodils |
| Huckleberries | Squash (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | Oregano | Dogwood |
| Thimbleberries | Onions (pH 5.5 – 7.5) | All varieties of thyme | Hydrangeas |
| Strawberries | Parsley (pH 4.5 – 5.5) | Rosemary thrive | Magnolias |
| Potatoes (pH 4.5 – 5.5) | Mountain ash | ||
| Peppers (pH 4.5 – 5.5) | Mountain heather | ||
| Sweet Potatoes (pH 4.5 – 5.5) | Nasturtiums | ||
| Radish (pH 4.5 – 5.5) | Oak | ||
| Basil (pH 6.5 – 7.5) | Rhododendrons | ||
| Radishes (pH 6.5 – 7.5) | Willow | ||
| Asparagus (pH 6.5 – 7.5) | |||
| Eggplant (pH 6.5 – 7.5) | |||
| Lettuce (pH 6.5 – 7.5) | |||
| Leeks (pH 6.5 – 7.5) |
These are some other plants, fruits and vegetables that tolerate low pH soil level:
- castor beans
- chili peppers
- dandelion
- garlic
- hops
- shallots
Conclusion
To get the most value out of your home cheesemaking endeavor, you might want to start putting whey – a valuable and nutrient-rich leftovers – into good use.
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