What's UP with that Whey?....A long-awaited post on Fabulously Frugal Friday

I know SO many of you have been waiting for this. You have been waiting for me to tell you what to do with all that yellow liquidy stuff that you collected and stored in your fridge willingly (and cautiously) a few weeks ago when we were talking about making your own yogurt.

I applaud you.

Thank you for the many emails and questions, comments, etc, posted here and over on the Welcoming House FB Page to ask about where the post was and what you were supposed to do with the stuff you saved.

And I am sorry it took this long.

If you are new to this thread and have NO IDEA what I am talking about, I would encourage you to follow the highlighted link below and find out how we make a gallon of amazing, thick yogurt for the cost of a gallon of milk, and a little time out of our day around here.

Click here

We know that by straining the yogurt we get this amazing yellowish whey that is...well, kind of a mystery. We dont know what to do with it, but in the spirit of frugality, we dont want to throw it away. So, here is a post to come alongside you and show you the way.

Sweet whey is amazing stuff.

Really. 

It is full of the good and healthy bacteria that makes yogurt such an awesome product in the first place. Slightly sour tasting, but mild, it packs a fantastic probiotic and protein filled punch to almost anything you can imagine.

Top Ten Ways to use the Whey

1. Probiotic Blast in a smoothie for healthy eating. Here is what we do at our house: Take a blender, and add the following: 1 cup frozen berries, two darkening bananas, one cup yogurt, one cup whey that has been chilled, one tbs coconut oil, and 1 tsp vanilla. Puree, stirring if necessary until thick and combined with fruit chunks. Serve in tall frosty glasses with awesome spoons, and your kids will never know that you are serving them something healthy. (by the way, protein shakes that you pay an arm and a leg for? Check the ingredients. THIS is the big boost of protein that is in there.)

2. Replace up to two cups of the liquid in your bread recipe with room temperature whey to give your bread an uncharacteristically 'sourdough' taste, and amazing loft. Not to mention the added protein boost for your body.
For my  Farmer's bread recipe Click Here
This also works for pizza dough, biscuits, etc etc etc etc.
If you bake it and use liquid to bake it, then try this as a substitute.

3. Use in lacto-fermentation to boost the good bacteria and oust the bad. Learn more about this here, in a four part series...

4. Prolong the shelf life of homemade foods that you have just opened by adding a couple tsp of whey, (or Tbs to a quart) which acts as a natural preservative, and floods the jar with good bacteria.

5. Make homemade sauerkraut that is to die for, and which will stay good in your refrigerator for a long time, or you eat it, whichever comes first. (this is not the sauerkraut that you can up, because heat will destroy the good bacteria). Click here for one of many posts bloggers have done and given more information on that.

6. Use it for a hair and scalp treatment for those long winter months that lead to stressed scalps and dry, fuzzy hair. No kidding here. If you look at my picture above  you will see that I have very long hair, which I love (and sometimes hate) all at the same time. It is half-wavy, and half-straight, and I tell you what, during the winter it just gets really tough to keep it looking nice. I also notice my scalp is more stressed and prone to issues during the winter, but I found out really quickly that whey, which is full of all that good bacteria, makes for a happy head of hair. Take two cups of whey and heat it to a comfortable warmth, rub through your hair, and wrap head in a towel. Let it sit for 20  minutes, then go climb in the shower. My hair is silky and my scalp is much happier each time I have this treatment. Before you knock it, give it a try. If you knew what was in your shampoo, you would not think twice about jumping to this alternative. You can also mix it with an egg, for an added protein boost and shine if you want. Just dont forget to wash your hair. Seriously.

7. Love on your pets. Pour a small amount on your cat or dog's food every once in a while for a treat. Our cat gets very excited when we give this to her, and when it is regular treat, I notice her coat becomes shinier. She loves yogurt too, though, so perhaps all around making this a treat for your pets is a good idea.

8. Make Ricotta cheese with whey. You get a small amount of awesome cheese with whey, but what a simple way to again make something out of nothing, or what we would consider a waste product. Click here for a good tutorial on that.

9. If you are a gardener, dilute your whey on a 1:1 basis, and use to water your plants. No kidding. The plants love it, and you will see a happier plant. Also, whey boost the efficiency of your compost pile if used in moderation, so next time you turn your compost heap, dump a little whey on there, add a little water, and watch it steam! I have also heard that whey can be diluted and used as a spray for powdery mildew on plants, but have not personally tried it. Whenever you put it on plants, dilute it, or it will burn them. Still, definitely something that plants love.

10. Make whey cheese---------a spreadable cheese that you can use for toast or bagels, similar to, but not like, (if that makes sense) a yellowish cream cheese. Take your trusty crockpot, and add up to two gallons of whey into the crockpot. Turn on low and let this slowly cook down for 12 hours. It will reduce and become thick and creamy. If you still feel that it is too runny for cheese, move to the stove top and reduce further for about 15-25 minutes, stirring frequently. I have a whisk attachement on my immersion blender, and use this off and on until I am extremely happy with the thickness. Flavor this with fruit, or honey and walnuts, whatever your favorite bagel spread is, and use it for that. Tangy, sweet, amazing, and a great way to use up a lot of whey. Here is a link for a similar process, just click here.

There are many many MANY ways to use up whey out there, and all you have to do is start looking. I wanted you to know though, that there is a fantastic book available on using whey, and starting a real, healthy food diet...learning to do things the way many generations past did them. Thanks to  my affiliate with the Bulk Herb Store, I can take you right there and show you the book. 

It is called Nourishing Traditions, and it shows you exactly how, and WHY you should begin to learn these processes. Chock full of amazing inspiration, and tons of recipes, I would absolutely encourage you to jump in and purchase it. This was one of the first books I ever owned that started me on this journey, and am thrilled to send one to my brother, who is just starting his own journey of healing and learning what is really good for your body. You can find the link below.

Thank you for reading, and for being patient.

Tomorrow I will have the post for you about Meals in a Jar that many of you have been also waiting patiently for through our illnesses and my injury.

Blessings to you and yours,

Heather

Click here to purchase from Bulk Herb Store or read more about it...