This article is all about whey! How to make your own, why you would, and how to use it—especially for fermenting vegetables.

Whey: Doesn't the name remind you of the old nursery rhyme? "Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey." When I was a little girl, I used to think whey MUST be something delicious and sweet! Hahaha! Oh, the things children think! Little did I know!

So, what is whey?

Whey is that thin, runny liquid on top of many fermented acidic dairy products like yogurt and some cheeses. Whey is a pretty fascinating liquid, and turns out, it's pretty useful too!

If you want to get into fermenting your own foods, then you'll want to become friends with whey! You'll definitely want to learn about where to find the best kinds and how to make it! It's one of the best starters you can have on hand to get a lacto-fermented batch of veggies, fruits, beans, or even meats going!

Whey is easy to make, and will last for two or three weeks in your refrigerator; and, there are many other uses for it besides lacto-fermentation, too..

What Exactly is Whey?

Now that you know whey is that thin, runny liquid on top of yogurts, cottage cheeses, etc., let's take a look at the actual composition of whey.

Whey is made up of proteins, lactose (hence lacto-fermentation), and some vitamins and minerals too. There may be a little fat, especially if you use whole milk yogurt.

Whey is very good for you! In fact, In some countries, especially Northern European countries, whey is actually included in many drinks and sold in stores as well. It's excellent for your gut micro biome, as are raw fermented foods of all kinds.

Note: Since whey is still considered a dairy product, if you are lactose intolerant, you should probably avoid it, unless just a little dairy in ingredients doesn't bother you. If you really want to try whey, even if you’re lactose intolerant, then start with small amounts. The amount you use in your ferments shouldn’t be a problem for most people.

The reason whey is often used as a starter culture to ferment vegetables and other things is because of the type of bacteria found in it. Lactobacillus is one of bacteria needed to get a ferment going, and whey contains several strains of this bacteria.

These are the "good" probiotic bacteria that promote gut health. You'll want to use yogurt with live strains of the bacteria, so find the least processed plain whole fat yogurt you can.

Get the herbal remedy guide and handy cheat sheet! It’s perfect for your kitchen apothecary!

Do You Really Need Whey to Ferment Vegetables?

The simple answer is "NO," you don't need whey. However, you do need some type of starter culture.

A starter culture is going to consist of a variety of good bacteria and yeasts. Possible starter cultures could be liquid from a previously fermented batch of raw vegetables, or even wild yeasts and bacteria that are naturally found in all environments, or whey.

Some people even use water kefir or kombucha. (I've used kefir and kombucha, but it's not the best way, in my opinion. I prefer to use whey or leftover liquid from my other raw fermented veggies.)

Now there are many opinions about which kind of starter is best, and even if whey is actually useful at all for fermenting vegetables since it's a dairy culture. Let me just say that in my experience (years) of fermenting foods, whey makes a terrific starter culture.

I may change my mind at some point, but in the past years I have made some excellent ferments using whey to help get things going.

With that said, though, I don't use whey every single time. I tend to mix it up, depending on what I have on hand. For example, right now, I don't have any whey in my refrigerator. But I do have some liquid left from another culture. So--for now I'll use that.

However, I don't like being without whey, so I'll be making up some more in the next couple of days!

Sign Up for the Newsletter and Never Miss a Thing! You'll Get Immediate Access to the Resource Library and LOTS of Printable Goodies!

How to Make Whey for Lacto-Fermentation

Ingredients & Tools You'll Need to Make Whey:

1. Large carton of whole fat plain yogurt. Organic is best. I like to get mine from Whole Foods or a Sprouts-type store because they generally have a larger selection of yogurts from grass fed healthy cows. In some places, you can even find yogurts from raw milk!

2. A large bowl

3. A large strainer

4. Cheesecloth

5. Storage Jar

Directions for Making Whey:

1. Get your tools set up.

Using your large bowl, place the strainer on top and line it with cheesecloth (several layers) OR one layer of paper towel (the paper towel will keep even more of the milk solids out and your whey will be clear and beautiful.

Here is my basic set up for making whey:  large bowl or container, large strainer to hold all the yogurt, and a paper towel or layers of cheesecloth to strain.  In this picture and for the whey gathered for this article, I used paper towel… — Here is my basic set up for making whey: large bowl or container, large strainer to hold all the yogurt, and a paper towel or layers of cheesecloth to strain. In this picture and for the whey gathered for this article, I used paper towel.

2. Pour all the yogurt into the lined strainer.

Cover it with another layer of paper towel to keep little interested parties out, and place in a quiet, cool place for several hours. The "drip" process can take a long time. I usually leave mine overnight on the counter, and when I wake up....lovely whey!

Here is the set up above with the yogurt sitting on the layer of paper towel.  The whey drip is just barely beginning.  It's a slow process.  Plan for several hours, even overnight! — Here is the set up above with the yogurt sitting on the layer of paper towel. The whey drip is just barely beginning. It's a slow process. Plan for several hours, even overnight!

3. Now just pour your whey into a clean jar and refrigerate.

This batch (and most of the batches I make using really good yogurt yields about 2 cups, give or take a little.

Here is the yield the next morning!  About 2 wonderful cups. — Here is the yield the next morning! About 2 wonderful cups.

That's it!! Isn't that crazy easy?

Your whey is ready to use in any of your lacto-fermented recipes! Most recipes call for about 1/4 cup of whey, or perhaps only a couple of tablespoons--not very much. So, this whey will last awhile, unless you are a serious fermenter, like me.

The general rule for shelf life is 2 weeks in the refrigerator, however, I have used it after a much longer time than that, and it's been just fine. I go by the "smell" test. If in doubt, though, throw it out---just to be safe.

What Do You Do with the Leftover Yogurt?

Maybe you’re like me, and you don’t want to waste the leftover yogurt! Well, did you know that you can use this soft cheese? In fact, in some cultures, it’s counterpart is called lebneh, and it’s quite expensive if you go to a Middle Eastern or Greek restaurant. And…it’s delicious!

You can dip crackers into it and eat it as is. You can also add your own choice of spices, herbs, and flavors to make it your own. This is what I just love to do with that leftover yogurt after I strain off my whey.

Other Uses for Whey

Besides using as a starter culture for lacto-fermentation, whey has many other uses. Sometimes you’ll end up with so much whey, you’ll have extra. Here’s a short list of things to do with whey to get you started:

Feed it to your chickens. They love it!
Add it to a smoothie in the morning for extra protein.
You can substitute it for the water or milk portion in recipes.
You can soak grains and beans with whey. Just add a bit to the soaking water. The acids in the whey help break down the anti-nutrients and provide extra nutrition.
Did you know you can freeze it? I like to use ice cube trays, especially if I plan to use it for fermentation.
You can use it to cook with, as in soups, stews, various sautee’s, etc. The thing to be aware of is that the heat will kill the raw probiotics it contains. But it’s still boosting the nutrient load of the food!
Use it to moisten your dog’s dry kibble. It’s great for their digestion!

I’m sure there are other things you can do with whey, too. It’s a wonderful liquid!

Final Thoughts About Making Your Own Whey as a Culture Starter for Your Lacto-Ferments

Whey is one of my favorite additions to my ferments because it’s tasteless. You can use liquid from other raw ferments (like raw sauerkraut, kimchi, or beet kvass), but you’ll have the flavors of those ferments in your new ferment. If they match, that’s great!

But if you want the purity of flavor of your fermented vegetables to come through with no disruption from other fermented vegetables, then whey is the way to go!

Here are some other related articles you may enjoy:

Golden-Beet and Turmeric Kvass (great for inflammation)

Easy and Delicious Berry Fermented Soda

Why You Should be Eating Raw Fermented Foods Every Day (Benefits of Fermentation)

How to Make a Ginger Bug—and a Recipe for Ginger Soda

Head over to the website for more fermentation recipes!

Hugs, Health, & Self-Reliance!

Heidi

P.S. Sign up for our newsletter and never miss a thing! You’ll also get this free Herbal Remedy Guide!