Cookaholics Bulletin Board

I've been draining plain yogurt using cheesecloth and a wire strainer with the purpose of creating a thicker product (like greek style). It looks like the yellowish slightly thick liquid that drains off is whey (according to the internet). What exactly am I loosing in this whey if I toss it? Will it just decrease the protein slightly, or by a significant amount? I also see that it might contain some lactose....a significant amount (which would be a good thing). Can I use the whey as I would liquid in other recipes to increase protein?

Any comments, tips, tricks, blogs on yogurt to refer me to?

You can mix it with a little salt and molasses and use it as a de-icer
WA State Uses Whey as De Icer

Now there's a "whey cool" idea Holly!! Honestly I need that right now on my front steps. I heard it called the Snowpocalypse somewhere....how true.

eb,

I'm not sure what you can use it for but someone uses it -- DH used to work for the AZ state dairy cooperative and they sold it by the ton.

They made cheeses, butter and dry milk but they dealt only with the state co-op's "excess" liquid milk, that left over after most of it was sold for drinking or made into yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, etc. They bagged up the whey produced in their cheese/butter/dry milk process in 100 lb bags and sold it by the semi-truck and railcar load in the US and abroad. Who knows what it ended up in but I'm guessing it would raise the protein level as you can purchase "health shake" products from TJs that are whey based.

I have used it in my dog food the few times I drained yogurt Good question, maybe we'll figure something out in this thread....

I wonder if you could use it as the liquid in bread making. I thought I read that somewhere but I could be just "mis-remembering"

My main question is to what extent am I degrading the nutritional content of the original product. Is it significant? I've really googled around a lot on this and can't really find anything on that. I suppose I have too much time on my hands if I am wondering about this kind of stuff.

eb

Hi Lynn
I don't think you are losing much nutrition by losing the whey....lots of recipes call for this technique and my mother did it all of the time to make a thicker yogurt.
Now if it was your only source of nutrition, I would be worried (of course with your current weather, you may need all you can get) and the fact that you can use it as anti freeze is perfect. We love multi-taskers.
Don't worry about it basically
ilene

Actually, Lynne, I think it's a good question: whether and/or how much the yogurt becomes less nutritious by draining off why. I hope one of use can find the answer as I'd like to know too.

Darcie, I do think whey is used in baked goods but it seems it would be difficult to figure out what you are adding over and above the moisture content. I have to assume it would add protein based on the fact that those 100lb bags were labeled "whey protein".

I discovered draining yogurt to make a cream cheese substitute when Graham Kerr came out in his healthy incarnation...to be honest, the liquid never looked like something I would want to use

try heating it to 180-200F and see if you get ricotta...