I thought that it would be fitting to start out my journey with the EASIEST recipe on the planet. Also it is an ingredient in a lot of other recipes, so it is very fitting to do first. When I first ‘made' whey, my husband thought I was nuts. Little did he know that it is an extremely useful thing, with a great by-product of wonderfully flavorful cream cheese (not like the dead stuff in stores). And it lasts for months in the fridge.
I have used whey to make dozens of recipes, including yogurt, pancakes, pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing… basically anything that you would like to preserve or culture and add beneficial bacteria to. I also use whey when I soak flour, grains, rice or beans to neutralize phytic acid and other anti-nutrients. And the whey is ‘good' for you and can be taken as a tonic for upset stomach in a little bit of water. Let's just say, I used to love vinegar pickles but condiments with whey make me feel good! And the cream cheese is AMAZING. Give it a try, you'll see!
Whey and Cream Cheese
Difficulty:
Easiest
Page in NT: 87
Yield:
2 cups whey and 2 cups cream cheese
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Preparation:
If you are using piima milk or whole-milk buttermilk, let stand at room temperature 1-2 days until the milk visibly separates into white curds and yellowish whey. If you are using yoghurt, no advance preparation is required. You may use homemade yoghurt or good quality commercial plain yoghurt. If you are using raw milk, place the milk in a clean glass container and allow it to stand at room temperature 1-4 days until it separates. For the raw milk to separate into curds and whey properly the air must be around 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a large strainer set over a bowl with cheesecloth or a clean dish towel. Pour in the yogurt or separated milk, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours (longer for yogurt). The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for up to 6 months.
Problems with Raw Milk Whey and Cream Cheese?
If you're having problems and need detailed answers with raw milk, please see this guide:
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{ 184 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi! Looks like an interesting project! I’ll be a regular here, for sure.
I make whey from raw milk which yields quite a bit. Because we don’t use it terribly often, I have discovered that whey can be frozen without losing its potency as a fermentation starter! I usually freeze it in glass pint jars and pull a jar out once a week or so.
I freeze it in ice cube trays and store in ziplock bags.
Whey is great for cooking. I use in in bread making. I have reconstituted it with dry milk powder for baking. It’s great to recook; making ricotta.
Peggy… thanks so much for joining us! That is a great suggestion to freeze the whey. Yes I agree, there is a lot more whey from the raw milk than yogurt. When I had way too much once, I used to put some on our dog’s food and they loved it. And it was good for them too.
“When I first ‘made’ whey, my husband thought I was nuts.” This comment made me chuckle as mine did too – now he’s so impressed he can’t wait to explain to our friends and family how things operate in our kitchen!
So tell me, what is the longest you’ve left your milk to ferment before making into whey and cream cheese? I’ve always been curious as to how long people have left it…
Justine… thanks for the comment! I think it depends on the milk and how fresh it is. I haven’t had the milk for awhile, but I remember it taking 3-5 days depending on how soon I received it. Lately I’ve been using store-bought yogurt… I plan on doing it the other way (no pun intended) soon though…
Could I use a cheesecloth for this instead of a dish towel?
Elise… absolutely, cheesecloth would work great. I’ve even used paper towels suspended in a strainer in a pinch before and it worked fine…
You can also use coffee filters as great strainers 🙂
I have some cultured buttermilk that is grade A pasteurized. Would that be okay to use?
Per Nourishing Traditions, you can use whole milk buttermilk as long as it’s not ultra-pasteurized. Here is what Sally says “let buttermilk stand at room temperature 1-2 days until the milk visibly separates into white curds and yellowish whey.” You will get much better results with whole milk buttermilk. The process has never failed me with whole milk yogurt, I have never used buttermilk to do this so please let us know what kind of results you receive. thanks!!
Kim, I have not come across anyone using whey derived from culturing Kefir. Is this not something that you use for culturing vegetables? I love gingered carrots and use the Kefir whey. This morning I had some fruit left over that I didn’t want to lose so thought I would culture those along with the carrots.. I used 1 granny smith, 2 pears, 4 carrots, 3″ piece of ginger and 1 cup of cranberries along with 3 T kefir whey, and 1 T of sea salt.
Any comments would be useful. Is there any info on not mixing carrots with fruit?
Dear Winnie,
A great resource for kefir related information is http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/
I think it should work better than fine, because kefir has got certain organisms that help keep food for a long time as well as improving the bioavailability of nutrients. I have only used it for making bread, but will use it for kimchi today!
A good question – I make my own kefir and since my grains are small and plentiful, I’ve been over-culturing my batches. Not that I’m complaining, but I do get the separation and was wondering if I could strain some whey for other fermentation projects. This apple/pear/carrot/ginger/cranberry dish sounds amazing!!
Just saw the whey recipe. Good it’s easy. E
I’m going to try the whey recipe. It calls for yogurt and whole milk but doesn’t specify how much milk to use and how to use it.
Or, does it mean I can use either yogurt or milk?
Could you please clarify this for me.
Thank you.
Margo
Margo… you can use either whole milk yogurt or raw whole milk. I feel it’s the easiest to use the yogurt, but it really depends on what you can get easily. I usually buy the 32 ounce size but you could even use the small size you’ll just get less whey and cream cheese. 🙂
Elaine.. yep it’s really easy. If you run into anything weird just let us know. There are a lot of really knowledgeable people on here!
I wonder is this the same as kefir? If not what exactly are the differences? What do you use the whey for after you make it? I have gotten kefir grains from the net and cover them with fresh raw milk to make my kefir and I just eat it with a little garlic powder and salt with a spoon, a cup at a time. Looks like I’m gonna like your blog.
No, Kefir is made by fermenting milk with Kefir grains. It’s kind of like yogurt, but runnier.
Whoops, failed to read the rest of your comment before replying. You obviously know what Kefir is! Were you asking if you can make whey with kefir? I just tried it! The resulting cream cheese is delicious and I’ll be using the whey to make Kimchi!
Just to clarify – you use kefir instead of milk or yogurt in the above recipe and you’ll get the whey/cream cheese separation?
I ended up leaving the buttermilk out for 2 1/2 days since it didn’t look curdled enough at 1-2 days. Once I poured the curdled buttermilk into the towel it seemed to drip for quite a while – a good 1/2 day or so. Parts of the cream cheese were thicker than others, but I thought that might even out once I put it in the fridge. It seems to have thickened a bit now. I haven’t actually tried the cream cheese yet, I’m just hoping I did it right!
Elise… it sounds like you did it right, congrats! Just remember to salt the cream cheese a bit before you taste it, brings out the flavors. Thanks for sharing your update, this is helpful for all of us to know the details around the buttermilk. thanks!!
June… I believe that you can also use kefir, but I’ve never done this myself yet. Kefir just has a different good bacteria strain than yogurt, I believe. I use whey for all sorts of lacto-fermented vegetables such as sauerkraut and ginger carrots, and for soaking beans and grains before cooking them.
I’ve made homemade cheese a few times before, and I’m wondering if the whey that is a byproduct of cheese making (you wind up with a whole bunch of it–easily over 3 quarts from a batch of cheese made with a gallon of milk!) is the same (or at least similar in terms of containing probiotic stuff that can be used for the lacto-fermented recipes in NT) as the whey made from yogurt.
Kim, do you know? Or any other readers of this blog, do you know?
Thanks,
Scott
The whey from cheesemaking is similar but does not have all of the cultures in it, since it’s been heated. So it won’t work as a fermentation starter like the ‘raw’ whey will. However, there are a lot of uses for the cheese whey, as you’re right it still does have some of the good stuff in it. I’ve heard of people adding it to soups, breads, and other recipes as the liquid ingredient. Some people also give it to their pets.
Kim,
Thanks for the reply. It prompted me to look up the temperatures involved in cheese and yogurt making. The max temp in the cheesemaking recipe I use ( http://www.leeners.com/cheese-recipes-mozzarella.html ) is 105, and the incubation temps I saw for yogurt recipes varied from 110 to 122, and one page mentioned that temps over 130 kill the yogurt cultures. So as far as temp goes, it seems that yogurt is actually done at a higher temp than the cheese recipe I use.
However, it also got me thinking, the cultures are different stuff… cheese is made with rennet, yogurt with previous yogurt. Probably a lot of overlapping enzymes & bacteria, but still different.
So maybe I’ll do a little “pepsi challenge” someday–make two batches of kraut, one with cheese whey and the other with yogurt whey. If I do, I’ll post the results here.
Scott
this is great Scott! I love experiments. I bet both krauts will turn out though, maybe the ‘cheese’ kraut will take a bit more time to ferment. You really only need salt to ferment the kraut. I just like the whey because it makes things more predictable. Thanks for adding so much to the discussion and for doing research to boot!
Hi I used to make this from raw milk. Very easy. Simply put in a jar and leave at room temp for 3 days and then strain (through a cheesecloth). If you leave it longer it will have curdled a little bit more / taste a bit more curdled.
I now Kefir my raw milk and so now make whey from Keffired milk. i.e. put the grains in the milk and leave it for approx 2 days. Doesn’t need as long because of the Kefir culture. You can see it has separated when there is clear liquid (whey) showing. Although i then leave it a bit longer (usually 2 days). Timing also depends upon how many grains to milk you use so it is really go by a look and feel.
Then strain the grains out, then put in cheesecloth to strain.
I use whey in tons of things – fermented veges, soaking oats, rice, beans, lentils, Beet Kvas, drinks
Would love to hear more ideas about the cheese as I am not a big soft cheese eater and rarely eat crackers.
Thank you for your comment – I tried making whey from raw milk and it sat on the counter for 2 weeks and never separated?! I’ll just use my Kefir instead! If I add it to something hot, does it kill all the beneficial nutrients?
Hi Christie,
I tried to make the cream cheese and whey this week from raw milk as well. I am on day 5 and it does not look like it is separating very well at all. I do have some curds on the top, but the rest looks like the color of regular milk. Has anyone tried using raw milk and were you successful???
Add me to that thread. My first batch of cream cheese and whey from raw milk turned out perfect (beginner’s luck?). I left the milk, in its original glass bottle, on the counter. After four days I couldn’t really see any visible separation, but I poured it into the strainer/dishcloth and let it do its thing. It turned out perfect. So… my next attempt, I left the bottle out on the counter and after two days, it starts leaking through the sealed cap. I figure it must be ready because my previous batch didn’t do that (still can’t see any separation) so I take the cap off and strain it. Not good. I get the cream in the cloth and milk in the bowl. So… I put everything back into a 1/2 gallon wide-mouth jar, put a loose cover on it and wait a couple more days. After 5 days total, I still don’t see the separation but I try to strain it again–not good. I’ve got more curds but the “whey” is opaque, not translucent like my first batch. This is frustrating when I can’t figure out what would be different different about how this was being done. The only variable is room temperature, which has been between 68 and 70 for the past month or so. I’ve checked all the fermentation sites I could find and no answers yet.
Any help?
Addendum… I have also made the cream cheese and whey from organic whole milk yogurt, but the resulting cream cheese tastes like yogurt. Whereas, the cream cheese from raw milk tastes heavenly!
fi you read the recipe again you’ll see you need to have the milk at 73 or so to get it to ferment properly. I’ve never done this, still reading, but I bet it wasn’t warm enough.
I’m with you guys. I kept forgetting the recipe so wound up leaving my raw milk in the plastic for two days in a cool place. Then re-read the recipe and moved it into a glass lasagna shaped tupperware with the lid on loosely in a less cool place. I’m sure the temperature has been above and below the desirable 73 ish. Day four and it didn’t look like anything had happened, cream on the top, tangy smell. From what I read it sounded like I could try stirring it. When I did I discovered the consistency was like jello! (I think this is good). Beneath the yellowy cream the curds were coconut white. And since I was finally looking really closely I saw clear whey on the bottom, a very small layer. It is separating now in a nut milk bag. The whey is white but I think that may be fine as I’ve read a few people having those results (maybe the bag I’m using to strain it is letting some curds through?). My husband and I just enjoyed a surprisingly pleasant cup of potassium broth with a spoonful of whey. Fun!
I’ve been making whey for about month and a half. I have noticed that when I make less (a quart or so) that it doesn’t look separated. But I still go ahead and cover a container with cheesecloth and strain it and I get plenty of whey by morning. So just wanted to throw that out there… you might want to strain it after day 2 and see what happens. I came on this site because I wanted to know what to do with the cream and curds that are left (I’ve been throwing it away). I just let it hang another night after collecting my whey, and I tried to mix it and jarred it this morning. Now do I salt it and mix it? Or wait until I’m using it to salt it? I don’t know what the procedure is… I can’t wait to use my homemade cream cheese.
This was my first ‘recipe’ to try and it was so neat to watch it work. The cream cheese really is yummy! About the whey – mine has a little milky film on top (a bit of the yogurt that slipped through, I assume). Do I need to remove all traces of this in order for it not to spoil? Thanks!
Hi Karen… cool that it worked out! Sometimes a bit of yogurt gets in my whey too (no pun intended haha) and I just scoop it out, or leave it. It may affect the spoilage but I guess most of the time I use it up before that so I haven’t had a problem. I would suggest freezing the whey if you won’t use it in the next month or so. It will last longer than that in the fridge, but sometimes I just put it in a jar and label it. thanks for the comment…
thanks for the post, I am surprised no one else has mentioned this, but I just screwed in a small hook under our kitchen cabinet and I put the yogurt in a mesh nutmilk bag (you can buy them for about $4) and then hang it over a bowl. SUPER easy and works like a charm! We have the kind of cabinets that have about a 2″ overhang on the bottom, so you can’t even see the hook when it’s not being used.
Thanks for this site and this recipe. Just tried it with a good yoghurt (we can’t get whole milk here in Nova Scotia unfortunately – at least not legally) and it worked fine. I now have whey so will try pickling beets and ginger soon. But the ‘cream cheese’ is delicious and considering how expensive cheese is here in Canada, and all from pasteurised milk that I can get here, well, I think I’ll start making my own. Just started making my own cultured butter (why I bought the yoghurt), so now I have two uses for the yoghurt – 3 really: to culture the butter (with whipping cream), to make whey (for pickling) and also to have lovely fresh cream cheese.
Thanks again.
Haven’t tried this yet but, I’ve got a 1/2 quart of raw milk in the fridge and I’m excited to start it this evening! One thing I’m wondering about people who have tried this with milk, are you sure you’ve got the right temp where you’re storing it? My NT book says 72 – 75 deg F and I think that might have a big effect on seperation. I think I’m going to put mine on top of the fridge, it gets pretty warm up there or, I might have to keep the thermostat going overnight instead of turning it off like I usually do, just to insure the temp stays consistent. Wish me luck!
I recently made whey from yogurt, and right now I’m making it from raw goat’s milk… the color of the whey looks different to me. The yogurt whey is more clear/yellowy looking and the raw milk whey is white. Is this normal??? Also, should I keep the two types of whey in their own separate containers?
reading through your replies, I was surprised no seems to have made flavoured cream cheese. I sometimes add chopped sun ripened tomato with chopped basil or finely chooped smoked salmon and chives. I admit I have not read yor book yet, it is on order, so flavourings coukd be a no no?
Cheers John.
great idea John! I do believe that there are some recipes for flavored cream cheese but I just haven’t gotten to them yet. Thanks for the reminder though because I just made a new batch of whey and should be doing this soon. Tomato and basil sound yummy…!
hi, I make my own greek yogurt using milk (non-raw). The yellowish-clear liquid I strain out is the whey right? What can I use that for? I just found this website and until now, I’d just been tossing it down the drain!!! when you said how to make whey, you specified raw milk — can I use the non-raw milk? we can’t get raw milk around where I am. Thank you.
I make this regularly from plain brown cow brand yogurt. Unfortunately here in Juneau, there aren’t any cows and I haven’t even heard of any goats. My option is ultra pastuerized everything. The yogurt makes a good whey that has worked beautifully for kraut etc. My challenge is that the cheese tastes like concentrated plain yogurt (imagine that). No one in my family has liked the cheese. Any ideas? Maybe the post about adding flavorings might do the trick.
Kim – I happily discovered your blog while searching for non-cow dairy options for making whey. Looks like Kaitlyn has had success using raw goat’s milk, but the only goat’s milk I can find in the stores is ultra-pasteurized. Do you know why ultra-pasteurized milk is not recommended for making whey? Thanks!
Hi Judi… pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized milk’s whey can’t be used for lacto-fermenting since all of the beneficial bacteria has been killed from the heat. However, raw goat’s milk or even yogurt from pasteurized goat’s milk can be used. Even though the milk used to make pasteurized goat’s milk yogurt has been heated, beneficial bacteria has been added back to culture the milk. Let me know if you have any more questions… thanks for joining us!
I made this once from raw milk that was past the point that I wanted to drink. It separated easily, and the curds came out almost hard. Mentally, I had a hard time trying it, so it sat in a bowl in the refridgerator for a couple of weeks. Last week I finally put a small bit on my toast, and it tasted horrible! It tasted sour and like it had gone bad, and I actually had a stomach ache and sweats for a couple of hours. Is that the normal taste, or did I mess up somewhere? Are you supposed to start with raw milk that you’d be comfortable drinking? My NT contact said that milk takes a long time to go bad and you could do it this way, but somewhere it went horribly wrong. Thoughts?
Okay, I have a half of a gallon of whole raw cow milk in my fridge, cow was milked 2 days ago. What do I set it out in? The jug it came in? Do I leave the lid on or take it off? I am afraid to waste $6 worth of milk on an experiment so I hope someone can answer. Thanks.
Mary… since your milk is pretty fresh it might take longer to separate into curds and whey. Sometimes you have to shake it a bit every once in awhile for the curds to glom together (technical term haha). Read the comments above because I believe other people have had some additional experiences with getting the raw milk to separate. Let us know how it goes!
I’m with Mary…This is my first attempt to make whey from raw goat’s milk. NT only states to put the milk in a clean glass container. It does not say whether or not to cover with a lid (tight or loose)…..Anyone have an answer? Thanks (just found the website tonight).
Hi,
To make cheese and whey just from raw milk the temperature is important to let it seperate, allthough it’s not described in my NT book.
The temperature should be around 23 deg celsius or 73 deg Fahrenheit. If it’s colder it will not seperate.
Covering the jar is fine.
Jochem
Jochem… thank you! This is exactly what we needed. It seems some of our kitchens are too cold for raw milk separation. This info is very helpful.
I know someone who makes yoghurt from raw cow milk. She uses a coffee make filled with plain water and set her jar of raw milk next to it and it makes wonderful yoghurt. Could possibly use this same ides to keep the whey–to get the right temperature.
Thanks Sandy – I might try that for raw milk separation; our kitchen might get to temp in Summer, but its dark and cool for most of the year 🙁 Was an old shop front that’s been mostly boarded up; is chilly in Winter!
I’ve left my raw goat’s milk in the fridge for 2 weeks now, going on 3, and it’s separating into solids and a cloudy liquid… still has that sweet-tangy yogurt-like smell, too. If it’s too cold to separate properly into whey and cream in the fridge then what’s going on?
Or does it just take a lot longer in the fridge as some of the comments here and elsewhere seem to indicate? If I have to heat the jar to get it to separate fully, I’ll have to figure something out. I am not leaving it on our counter as it’s definitely too cool there; the only place in the house that gets close to 70* in the winter is our bedroom!
Hello! I made whey and cream cheese. the only thing is the cream cheese did NOT taste good to me. It was really tart and not like the store bought cream cheese that I am used to. Some comments here mention that its great and fantastic. What did you do to make it so good? Is it an acquired taste? Did I leave it out too long (4 days seemed correct to me) and it soured extra? Is it supposed to taste kind of sharp tart like this? Any ideas.. greatly appreciated! thx!
Sabrina… it does taste quite different from store bought cream cheese as it’s alive with good bacteria. I think it may be an acquired taste, but it also depends a lot on the yogurt you use. I have found that if I use ‘European’ style yogurt that the cream cheese is much more tart because the yogurt is more tart to begin with. I have settled on the Stonyfield or brown cow brands for myself, as they are a bit milder. Even so they will be tart. Salt the ‘cream cheese’ and it helps though, or even flavor it more with garlic and herbs. You will adjust to it over time…
Also some have mentioned ‘great’ cream cheese but I think they used the raw milk method instead of the yogurt method. The raw milk method needs a warm room (about 73 degrees). This will taste more like store bought but will still be tangy…
hope this helps!
I did not read the directions carefuly enough and I left my milk in the original plasit jug. I am on day 2 1/2. Should I switch it to a glass container or will it work left in plastic?
sorry for delay in reply… it should be fine in the plastic… glass is just preferable but the plastic won’t hurt just one time…
I am looking for some feedback. I bought some organic full fat yogurt from Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago and made whey and cream cheese. It has a sell by date of Dec 6, 2010 on the container. I have the whey still in the mason jar in the fridge, but two weeks later I open the cream cheese and it’s all moldy. One day past it’s sell by date. I thought it would have lasted longer. Do you think I used an inferior store grade yogurt? It also took about 6 hours to strain. Did I let it sit out at room temp too long? Should I strain it in the fridge next time? Is it common to mold sooner once the whey is removed? Is the whey still okay? I did use it to make some pineapple vinegar and it made lots of bubbles so it must be active – right? Maybe some readers have some feedback for me? I’m new to all this and the NT ways.
The whey is probably still fine, especially if it is a clear yellow without traces of the milky yogurt substance in it. It’s possible that something came in contact with the cheese and contaminated it, and the leaving it out on the counter helped that bacteria grow. Or it could have been older yogurt than the sell by date led on.
I wouldn’t say leaving it out 6 hours was too long. I’ve done this many times, but it depends on temp in your kitchen and such. definitely try it in the fridge next time and see what happens.
I use that same type of yogurt (I love that TJ’s has this) and I will have to do some testing on my own to see if I have the same problem. Usually my cream cheese lasts a week to two weeks and the whey lasts 4-6 months.
That makes me feel better. I am not sure why but I feel like I can’t quite trust things yet. I think the problem is that I don’t trust myself! I don’t trust that I’m doing things “right”. The whey looks perfect to me. No traces of milk. Clear and yellowish. No funny odors. What I do think may have happened is that the towel I used contaminated it. I used a clean (regularly washed – no fabric softener) dish towel. I need to go buy some cheese cloth. Gosh…can you wash and re-use cheese cloth? I guess I have so many questions. Or, I can use paper towels like you mentioned. I think I will redo the whey just to be safe. My beet kvass did give me a tummy ache yesterday. Thanks for your great blog and your help!
Courtney… I had the EXACT same feelings when I started! And I was afraid to eat pretty much everything that I made too. Note on the beet kvass… if you’re not used to it and drank more than 2-3 ounces that could have caused the tummy ache, not necessarily the whey.
If you don’t want to use cheesecloth or paper towels, I also just started using this inexpensive cheese bag. Although someone that sews could just make this. I’ve heard of people going to the fabric store to buy cheesecloth.
Keep asking questions… that’s what we’re here for! 🙂
Kim, I have not come across anyone using whey derived from culturing Kefir. Is this not something that you use for culturing vegetables? I love gingered carrots and use the Kefir whey. This morning I had some fruit left over that I didn’t want to lose so thought I would culture those along with the carrots.. I used 1 granny smith, 2 pears, 4 carrots, 3″ piece of ginger and 1 cup of cranberries along with 3 T kefir whey, and 1 T of sea salt.
Any comments would be useful. Is there any info on not mixing carrots with frui
I know this is an old post, but I wanted to chime in to say that I have successfully used whey from kefir (made from pasteurized milk) to make beet kvass many times. I assume that kefir whey has the same properties as other whey. Great post, and great comments – thank you! 🙂
Lea, thanks for reading! And thank you for adding your expertise, much appreciated since there are so many ways to get whey. Pun intended, haha.
hi – i also made the whey & cream cheese from raw milk…i had some raw milk that was souring and decided to try this…it took about 5 days to see any visual separation [although the fat separated to the top within 1 day]. The whey became visible in between the fat [at the top] & the curds which seemed to be at the bottom of the jar.
when i strained the curds & whey, the whey is yellow in color but not clear. Is this ok? i also got a bit of milky residue on the top of the whey.
as for the cream cheese- Are you supposed to mix the fat of the milk with the curds? the taste was not good at all, and the smell was also not good [think stinky socks or flatulence] is this normal? do i just need to add some flavoring & salt for better taste?
Hello,
I just used a cheesecloth to strain the raw milk that I have left out for about 3-4 days. My “whey” is not clear though and does smell sour- is this normal? There was a thick layer on top that separated as I left the milk out. Since it had been 4 days I figured it was ready. Should I have waited longer? Like I said the whey is not clear though and there are some white cloudy things inside after I strained. I guess I am just unsure how this should smell/taste? It just smells like sour milk. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you!
You stole this recipe word for word from Nourishing Traditions and didn’t even give credit where credit is due!
Disregard, I guess it says at the top of the page, my bad 🙁
The closest source of raw milk for me is about a two hour drive. I was wondering if I ever wanted to try the real thing, could I purchase several gallons and freeze them first to make the trip worthwhile? Or should I try to make the whey/cheese with fresh, and just drink the frozen milk over time…will it retain the good stuff?
I will be trying it with yoghurt in the meantime…
I have frozen raw milk before, and it works just fine. One thing to be aware of is that the cream will separate out when defrosting. shaking it after defrosting didn’t always distribute the fat in the milk. I used a stick blender to blend it and it worked though. I think using frozen raw milk is a good way to stock up if you only have access to it every once in awhile.
Is there anyway you can compile all of your additional advice from the comments and put them up in the recipe. IE color of whey, how long it really takes, how it should smell, what it shouldn’t look like. Etc. Thank you
New to your blog so I have A LOT of catching up to do. I LOVE this cookbook, but I find myself using the same handful of recipes — too scared to try anything new. I’m so glad you are doing it for me. There is nothing better than a large jar of whey in the fridge and delicious cream cheese for dipping fruit. Easiest recipe, but one of the best!
I have a question. My son has dairy allergies and I wonder if this includes whey or lacto fermentation. we have always made kefir and others but recently we had allergy testing and he came back with a dairy allergy. Any thoughts? He just had surgery and is on a ton of antibiotics so I would like to get him some fermented food asap…stuck!
Thanks so much
Stacy
Just wondering, when I am using whole raw milk, should I remove the cream first before letting it separate?
I made the whey and cream cheese with organic raw milk. It sat at room temp for 4-5 days and when I separated it, the whey turned out perfect but the cream cheese was lumpy like cottage cheese? Did I wait to long for the traditional smoothness of cream cheese?
Thank you,
Jen
I used this recipe to make whey and cream cheese with organic whole yogurt. The recipe states the whey will last up to 6 months in a glass jar in the fridge, however mine got moldy after a month? Thoughts? I see here that many of you freeze it and I’ll definitely start doing that, but not sure what I did wrong that it didn’t “keep” longer.
my whey is yellow but not clear, sorta milky..should I strain it again?
I have made whey and cream cheese from raw milk twice. First time was with fresh milk. The whey turned out yellowish, slightly opaque, and had a little bit of whitish milk solids floating. It made perfect kim chi. This time I used 1 week old raw milk (discounted at my supplier) it looks the same and I used it for picked green tomatoes yesterday and will be making another huge batch of kim chi this week. My room temp was about 70 and I put it in quart mason jars (using the wide mouth jars made it easier to remove the curds for draining) with a paper coffee filter (with the ring screwed on) and left it on a tiled counter top. As a newbie, I can say I was put off by the smell. It does smell sour, occasionally like old socks, while it’s separating and while I am draining it. But once it’s done the smell is not as bad. I also find the taste of the cream cheese to be…well…sourish. So, I am having a hard time thinking of ways to use it. However, taking advice from J.R.R. Tolkien (Gandolf eats clotted cream and jam on toast) I tried it on toast with a fresh batch of concord grape jam I made (first time for that too!). This was MUCH better. I have not tried salting it or flavoring it yet, but I will be trying it with some honey mixed in to it as well. My other half also has a milk allergy (lactose intollerant) and I have my own issues with milk, so we have not had milk in the fridge for five years until now. We both seem to tolerate raw milk (drinking it straight) and it’s whey and cream cheese derivatives. My cream cheese was also lumpy, so I used my electric mixer with dough hooks to mix it all up and it was smoother and more speadable. Also, I carefully spooned the fat layer into a small dish off the top of each jar before draining the cheese because the first time I made it I lost a lot of the fat when it stuck to my cloth. Now I spoon out the curds into the cloth and halfway through I place the fatty part off the top into the center of the curds before adding the rest of the curds to the top. My cloth (I use white handkerchiefs) comes out cleaner and I lose less of the fat.
I tried to make whey/creme cheese using fresh raw milk, but I my house temp was only about 69 degrees so after a week it is just kind of some yogurt textured white stuff – is it safe to keep? Should I go ahead and try to strain it? Try to find a warmer spot? It doesn’t smell bad at all, but I’m not sure what to do with it since it didn’t separate properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated 🙂
I just got some raw milk today. I am wondering if I need to let the cream separate first and skim it off before I set it out to separate. Or can I just leave it all in and let it work it’s magic.
I make kefir, kefir cheese and clear straw colored whey. I believe that all the fat and carbohydrate are in the cheese and that the clear whey is 100% protein, although I can’t find any information about it on the net. I usually sweeten the cheese with a little honey and/or make dips – with french onion soup, or garlic and grated cucumber, or plain on bagels with smoked salmon. Lots of uses.
Hi, I tried separating my own cream cheese and whey so I can start fermenting foods, but it didn’t work out, but the person that I get my raw milk from makes cheeses so she saved me the whey from that, she doesn’t heat it up more than 100- 101 degrees, is that whey good to use in recipies to ferment the foods? I have my left over milk from last week (got some new milk today) and I am clabbering that, so I’m going to try again, but just wondering if I can use the other whey. (I have a half gallon that she gave me)
“Appreciate you sharing, great blog.Thanks Again. Awesome.”
I make yogurt regularly, and I had a failed batch. Silly me thought I could reheat the milk to 180 degrees, cool it down to 110, and get my lovely creamy yogurt. Of course that didn’t happen, but when I Googled “what do to with separated yogurt” your website popped up. Thanks to you I turned my failed yogurt into homemade cheese. Thanks!
I have a question hopefully someone can help me with! I set out to make the whey and cream cheese from Nourishing Traditions, and at the part I was supposed to tie up the cloth and let it drip a bit more, I fell asleep, thereby letting the whey and cream cheese set out for a total of 6 hours rather than the “several” the recipe calls for which I had been planning on keeping to three. It looked just like the photos here BEFORE I fell asleep, but now the whey looks more like yogurt. Have I truly failed the easiest recipe in the book!? I removed the cream cheese and poured the “yogurt” looking not quite whey through the cheesecloth and strainer again. Will I have any useable whey from this and possibly some sort of yogurt or other cheese like product, or is that part now unuseable? I had let the milk set out to seperate for only two days maximum prior if that makes a difference as well. Thank you!
Can I use whole cows milk pasteurized but not homogenized? There doesn’t seem to be instructions for this milk? I’m new to all this so any help would be greatly appreciated!
I make my own yogurt at home by draining the whey from fat free store bought yogurt into a quart sized glass jar filled with store bought skim milk and then puting the mixture in a yogurt maker and letting it culture for 24 hours. I get a very thick, tangy and tart yogurt which I then drain off the whey and use as fat free cream cheese. It tastes fine to me and it is fat free.
I should mention this is pasteurized skim milk, but since I add the yogurt bacteria in the form of yogurt whey, it works fine.
Oh I am thankful to find this forum.
I am not alone in my passion for homemade. 😉
I have become a bit too busy lately, and so have left my double boil process too long, returning to the pot to find that my milk is boiling..
🙁
I decided to let it cool a wee bit, then to add @ 3 tablespoons of yogurt.
After mixing the yogurt in, I separate the whey from the “cheese”.
Can anyone let me know if my whey is good for anything at this point? Or the cheese, even?
Another note: the past two “cheese-makings” I have been using sour milk from neighbors: ulltrapasteurized store bought gallons.
Can someone tell me about u.p. milk use, boiling, and the results on whey and cheese?
Thank you! 🙂
Pasteurisation occurs at 161 degrees F. for 15 seconds
or 145 degrees F. For 30 minutes
I found this on some website but I can’t remember which one
So this may be a silly question.. But this whey and cream cheese would contain casein correct? I found this recipe when I googled casein free cheesecake so now I’m a little confused.. If the answer is yes, then could you make this with say almond milk?
Hello, I m new to fermenting and I love it, except that I see a lot of recipes with whey and i m a lot lactose intolerant. Any chance there s a subsitute??I wanted to try the ginger ale . Thanks!!
Should I keep the raw milk covered? If so, with a dishtowel or lid? I just bought a 1/2 gallon of raw milk to make my first batch of whey and cream cheese and haven’t found an answer to this one detail. At the same time I have a “bug” started so I can make my first batch of ginger beer. I am new to fermenting and it makes a whole lot of good sense!
I’ve made two batches of the whey and cream cheese and I left the lid on. I did it in a quart canning jar.
Hi,
I love this recipe. I noticed this last time I did it with raw milk, some of the curds turned yellow. It was in the high 70’s in my house, could the curds have spoiled or is having a little yellow in the cream cheese normal?
I’m new to this, I want to try this, we will be using raw milk. Will it taste like store bought cream cheese? Can you add salt to it? ( we use pink salt) Will it melt?
Thanks!
From my two experiments making this with raw goat’s milk, the cream cheese does NOT taste like store-bought. It has a bit of an old socks taste, kind of like those seriously smelly European cheeses. However, you can add salt and fresh garlic and herbs, and then it tastes really good.
I left my raw milk out covered with a dishcloth and a few days later both cups had dark spots of mold on the top! What did I do wrong?
I am new to all this and I hope I did it right! I took a Gal of Raw milk (not separated) and put it in a glass container covered it and left it on my counter for 5 days now. What I have seen is that the cream came to the top (as it always does) and as the days passed it turned yellow and under it is a very thick white substance. So any 1 know if it is ready to strain and should I skim off the yellow?
Me too. Any answers?
i’m still not quite sure what to do with the whey now that i have it? recipes or ideas? thanks!
Whey! What if my whey has fat solids in it? I used raw cow’s milk. Since it was two days old, I set it out for 4.5 days before straining and separating. Used a fine dish towel, but now I have some milk fat on the top of my whey. I was going to pickle, probably will still try, but are there any issues with that? I’m guessing it could curdle?? Help, please!
Hi I bought NT and tried making my first batch of whey and cream cheese. I used raw milk and after 5 days there is no separation, though I have a cream layer. It has been a bit cool in my kitchen (it’s the end of winter in Australia now) and I saw some of the posts that said it should be 72 degrees. (had to google the celcius conversion!) My question is this – the milk I tried to separate has a cream layer which has mold growing. Is it ok to use? It smells soured but not bad. Can I just skim off the moldy bits? I put it under a tea towel with a rubber band round the rim. Should I use a lid next time? These sorts of questions arent covered in the book. Can I keep leaving it til it separates of its own accord or is this lot just gone bad? Thanks so much for some help 🙂
Hi – I’ve made several batches of cream cheese from yogurt but haven’t done anything with the whey until today. The whey is 2 months old and has grown a white “blob” that floats in the center. I can get all the whey I need by straining this out, but I’m wondering if the whey is OK to use. The blob reminded me of the “mother” I often see in vinegar — or is it a mold that should be avoided? Thanks!
Same question! My whey smells fine, but I just noticed this blob that just plopped into my 1/4 cup of whey for a recipe. I fished it out, and it also reminded me of “mother” from kombucha, just clearish, a little like cloudy whey. No idea if that’s good or bad. I wish someone had answered your question. Now I feel like I should toss the whey and start a fresh batch, even though this one is only a couple months old, maybe three.
Do I put the lid on tightly on the glass jar that is left on the bench?
I sure hope you answer me. I have access to RAW milk and I am trying to learn how to make all sorts of things from it. I am trying to get TWO questions answered. 1) progression of products and 2) good cream cheese.
I can’t seem to get the “progression” of products down in my head. In other words, what comes first when milk sets out? First sour milk, then yogurt or is it cream cheese – and where does cottage cheese come in to the equation? I want to make cream cheese that tastes like store bought because when I follow Sally’s recipe it is too sourrrrr! I know I am probably making the progression harder than it needs to be but I guess I just need milk products 101 before I can completely understand this whole process.
first is soured milk (which can happen by leaving the milk in the fridge too long). The second phase when we leave it at room temp is clabbered milk, then cream cheese, then curds and whey. its my understanding that to truly have yogurt and cottage cheese we need to add cultures and heat the milk slightly, although it seems many people refer to the curds and whey phase as cottage cheese.
I sure hope you answer me. I have access to RAW milk and I am trying to learn how to make all sorts of things from it. I am trying to get TWO questions answered. 1) progression of products and 2) good cream cheese.
I can’t seem to get the “progression” of products down in my head. In other words, what comes first when milk sets out? First sour milk, then yogurt or is it cream cheese – and where does cottage cheese come in to the equation? I want to make cream cheese that tastes like store bought because when I follow Sally’s recipe it is too sourrrrr! I know I am probably making the progression harder than it needs to be but I guess I just need milk products 101 before I can completely understand this whole process.
Elle,
It takes some time to enjoy the taste of real cream cheese. It is normal to get used to the store bought flavor, on the end we forget how real cream cheese tastes. Ah, and try to forget the taste of store bought cream cheese, it is a dead cheese, thickened with starch and filled with salt and artificial flavorings to taste like that. Just try to make up your mind into liking the true flavor of cream cheese, at some herbs to it… mix with EV Olive Oil, chives to make good dip…
Try one thing at a time. Master the cream cheese – whey first and then go after other products… good luck
hi! i just made my first batch of ‘raw milk’ whey and cream cheese. i used milk that was about 10 days old…left it on my counter for about 5-6 days.
whey looks perfect! i used cheese cloth and a fine strainer, and it worked perfect…
BUT i’m not sure if i screwed up with the cream cheese…it looks beautiful, but tastes very sour, AND has an acidic/burn kinda feel on my tongue. is that normal? is it because i didn’t do it while the milk was still fresh? i am so bummed out.
i anxiously await your reply!
Have you tried adding Celtic sea salt to the cream cheese to see if that helps? Sounds like you did everything perfectly! Maybe the cheese just sat a little too long. Although I know some stronger cheeses like bleu that have that same acidity.
Quick question : Is it possible to accidentally make yogurt from raw milk by leaving it out too long?
Basically, Ive made whey and cream cheese a few times, and it always turned out fine (I use raw milk). This last time I had some raw milk in the fridge that had been souring for a few days (didn’t use it up fast enough). Unsure what else to do with it, I decided to make some more whey and cream cheese. I poured it in a mason jar like usual with a paper towel lid, and left it sit on top of the fridge for a few days. This is my usual method. After 3 or 4 days though, there did not appear to be any separation, though there was a cream on top. Ismelled it a few times and smelled ok (yeasty). After 5 days I decided to see what was going on and it really looks like store yogurt. It is thick and creamy. There was a white dusting of mold on top which i removed with a spoon. The taste of the ‘yogurt’ was very sour, though not foul. Feeling brave, I put some in a smoothie and lived to tell the tale the next day.
I am confused though, as I know you need special cultures to make yogurt, and this is not cream cheese and whey. Does anyone know what happened to my milk? Its in the fridge now, waiting for me to decide what the heck to do with it.
I use raw milk and make whey from dairy kefir. However, each time I strain it it looks as if some of the kefir itself has strained through and is just visible as a white film floating on the top. I have used various cloths but it always happens. My question is, does this matter? I have a feeling it may then spoil faster as it doesn’t seem like the perfectly clear whey I’d like to see. What do you think? Thank-you!
When I make whey from dairy kefir (using raw milk) no matter what type of cloth I use there’s a white film floating on the top which seems to me is some of the kefir itself that has strained through. Does this matter? Would it spoil faster?
Thanks, Elsha.
My house is never kept at 73 degrees Fahrenheit… more like 62-68 degrees and it’s always changing so I have to let my raw milk sit in the refrigerator to separate which takes a lot longer… How do I know how long I should let it sit for??
Very good info. Lucky me I ran across your website by accident (stumbleupon).
I have book marked it for later!
I live in an area that outlaws raw dairy products aside from imported cheese, and was wondering if it’s possible to coax whey out of high/ultra pasteurised milk in some form other than from kefir?
Even including the local health store fare, anything that’s whole fat is still pasteurised (usually ultra) and every brand of buttermilk I’ve looked at includes carageenan and at least two other homogenising ingredients, which I assume would prohibit the whey from separating. The only yogurt brand I could find without emulsifiers was dairy-free, made from coconut.
I’m especially anxious to know what can be used in this situation because my I’ll soon be moving, out of dire necessity, into a “grocery desert” where the nearest conventional grocer is at least ten miles away and the better stores are almost twice as far.
Hi. I have some raw cow’s milk that has been sitting at the back of my fridge for a month or so. It seems to have separated into curds and whey. Is this the same stuff as what you get leaving it at room temperature?
I have some raw cow’s milk that has been sitting at the back of my fridge for a month or so. It seems to have separated into curds and whey. Is this the same stuff as what you get leaving it at room temperature?
so I want to make cream cheese and use the whey from it. I have raw goats milk in a jar. My question is do I put a lid on it while I wait for it to separate? And does it need to be kept in the dark?
Couple Questions: Can you use Greek yogurt? and what should you cover with? Plastic wrap or more cloth? Thanks! Love the site and all the healthy ideas!
mine turned mostly white, but I looked closer and there was what looked like a denser pinkish clump, I have no idea what it is, and I’m probably going to throw it away. Any tips on what I could be doing wrong? I used a glass jar, and raw organic milk.
I first began making my whey with homemade yogurt from which I made cream cheese and I used to have an abundance. Then I switched to milk kefir because it is easier to make and has more beneficial nutrients. Then when I made cream cheese I didn’t produce sufficient whey as I use it for so many soaks and ferments.
I have finally found a source for raw milk, not easy in Canada, especially where i live. Now I shake the abundant cream in a mason jar to drop out the butter and use the butter milk to also make cream cheese and whey. I can’t wait to tell the young couple who own the Jersey, they think the buttermilk is a waste product and feed it to their chickens. Although, I don’t mind as they lay the best eggs that I have ever eaten!
What does whey liok like? I set 8day old raw milk out in a jar for 4-5 days it had fully separated then I strained it. I have a yellowish slight ly thicker than water liquid that is a little tangy to the taste. Is that right? Can I use this now?
I used a half gallon of low-fat milk to see if it could work. I had read that it will take longer if you use store-bought milk. I poured the milk into a “sun tea container with the spigot” and it works wonderfully. I left it out for about 14 days. I end up with 2 qts of whey and what tastes like ricotta cheese. It smelled like cheese. The spigot was easy to use as it drained the whey out first. I only had to drain the cheese a few minutes. I would not call what I ended up with as cream cheese as it is hard like a block of cheese, but I am living from eating it.
Since I’m new to fermenting, I have a very basic question which may sound very ignorant to some of you – – sorry about that in advance!
I had several quarts of raw milk in glass bottles. They went past the date, and began separating into ‘curds and whey’ while still in our refrigerator. Months later, I haven’t had the heart to either throw this out OR to try it since I’m afraid of too much bacteria. Is this possible? Do I have wonderful, usable curds and whey that I just need to strain and separate? Can it ever get too old? Harmful? Help please. I don’t want to get food poisoning from this, but also don’t want to discard what could be a very nutritious and probiotic food that I’m afraid of due to inexperience.
Sandy,
I also have had this happen. i have several jars of raw milk with various dates on them that have separated in the fridge on their own. Have you found an answer for this?
I’m pretty sure Sarah (thehealthyhomeeconomist.com) said on one of her blog posts about making cream cheese and whey from raw milk that raw milk does not spoil. Surely it will eventually, but you might want to search her website to read about it for yourself.
Hi Kim,
I’ve just made my first batch of whey and cream cheese using the NT recipe. I used raw milk and let it stand for 4 days. They result looks excellent – and the whey is great. Only the cream cheese doesn’t taste great to me. It is very sour but also tastes a little ‘soapy’ a bit like a very strong goat cheese.
I was just wondering if you’ve ever had this result and know what might cause it? Or does this mean it is bad and shouldn’t be eaten?
Thanks!
This is my first time making whey and cream cheese. I need whey for beet kvass. There is a thick layer of white at the bottom of the whey. It’s this okay to put in my beet kvass? Its difficult to get just the clear liquid completely separated.
Emmy… yes but try and just get the clearish liquid off the top for your beet kvass… let us know how it goes! Great job!
Hi there!
I have kept the whole buttermilk out for 2 days now, and there is no separation. Just to see if I was doing things right, another website, said there should be not separation. I’m confused,and don’t want to waste what I have. Should I start straining it?
Sam
Ok so I had some milk that had started souring and I decided to try this. The first batch I did the milk was already very sour and I just left it in the glass milk bottle for a couple more days and strained it. What I got was very crumbly but tasty. For the second batch the milk didn’t start as sour, and I had (mistakenly) thought I had read something to put in a sealed clean container. So I left it in a closed mason jar for probably 4 days and then strained it. The resulting cheese is FUNKY. I don’t know if I am not appreciating real cream cheese, or did I ruin it by having the sealed jar?
Megan… the first jar it sounds like you made cottage cheese, yum! The second jar… yeah you need to trust your nose and tongue (if you so dare)… possibly something got in it that didn’t belong or the closed environment allowed something bad to grow more than the good…
I have a goat in milk and will be trying this with tomorrow’s milk. I am glad I can do something with all this milk (other than freeze it) until I get my cultures and rennet ordered. Usually I put milk in the freezer for an hour to achieve the quick cool down after straining it. Do you think I need to do that or just leave it on the counter directly after straining?
My question is, Can I use whey from making butter from organic cow milk, and set that in the cupboard?
You can use whey from making butter if it was raw milk, but pasteurized milk’s whey won’t have the good bacteria that will start lacto fermentation. Since raw milk is tough for me to get, I use yogurt to get whey. That way I’m left with some wonderful ‘greek’ yogurt / thick yogurt cheese and whey…
I just attempted to make whey/cream cheese for the first time and I need your help if you wouldn’t mind. I let the milk sit out on the counter for four days. I didn’t have time to strain it right away so I put it back in the fridge for 2 days. I just strained it and it looks like milk and cream. It smells like cows. Hmmm. Any suggestions? I read from the comments that fresher milk might need 5 days. Is it safe to set it out for one more day after I’ve already refrigerated it?
If you seal the bottom of a new clay flower-pot, and then ferment your milk, or yogurt in that, (take care to protect from flies), a bacterial will grow on the outside of the pot where the liquid fraction of the milk has collected.
Scrape off and use this bacteria to ferment fresh, whole milk. The result will be a clear whey and curds. That’s because these lacto-bacteria are ones that pull the clear liquid away from the milk solids. Works every time.
By the way, why not make “French” cheese (Camembert-type cheeses) from sour cream using flower-pots?
Definitely gonna give this recipe a try this weekend, looks delicious. Although it appears that some people are having problems with the recipe according to the comments on this post. I will give it a try because it seems interesting but I don’t want to mess up and have spoiled food in my house lol.
My apologies if this question has already been asked in a previous comment but it’s such a long thread that I gave up looking for it after ten minutes! I made cream cheese and whey from raw milk for the first time this week. The whey looks as it should, but after opening the dish towel to collect the curds for my cream cheese I found that there were two distinct solids in the towel. One was a greasy, yellow, buttery-looking layer of fat and then there were the white curds that resemble cream cheese. I just assumed its all part of the cream cheese so I mixed it all together but quickly realized that the fat and curds weren’t mixing well together. Was I supposed to separate the fat from the curds before using the curds for cream cheese, and if so can I use the fat for anything?
Does whey made from farmers cheese (entirely buttermilk) contain any probiotics?
I have been making whey to ferment my vegetables but I am not a fan of the cream cheese left over, it is to tart for me. Do you have any recipe suggestion for using the left over cheese?
I need some help. I just went to use some whey that I had in the fridge and it was moldy. It has happened once before after 5 months or so. This time it was after 6 weeks. I have read it should last quite awhile.
The whey was made the same way I have always done. I make homemade yogurt from raw milk, strain it through a flour sack towel or coffee filter and put in a mason jar in my fridge.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Laura
REPLY
Hi Laura… this has happened to me too. Something probably got in the whey either from the container or a utensil. Sometimes it lasts for 5 months and sometimes I have bad luck and it doesn’t last, I never know exactly why… but you’re not alone!
Not sure if u have answered this…but is there anything I can add to cream cheese to give it more flavor? Not sweet, but not so bland. I thot about a little salt?? This is first time I have made it and it turned out pretty. Not too sour either. Like it on bagels, which I can add brown sugar but to dip veggies or chips in, it isn’t flavorful enough. Thanks.
I definitely add salt to bring out the flavors, and sometimes herbs that I have on hand. It’s yummy!
Can anyone tell me whether milk kefir could be substituted in recipes where whey is called for? For e.g. soaking grains, lacto fermenting veggies, making mayonnaise? Thanks heaps.
Yes I believe it can be. Although I haven’t tried it myself. Please note though that whey is more clear and kefir is milky, so it could change the way the brine looks.
I made my own whey from raw milk for the first time before reading this recipe, just following what my friend said which was similar to leave the milk on the counter for 4 days.
I see here it says until it separates. Is it possible that if it separated after 2 days and I left it there for 4 that it has now gone bad?
The whey has a funky smell.
I’ve had it separate quickly too and I continued to leave it out. If the whey has a bad smell, I probably wouldn’t use it. It may have become contaminated with something. My whey usually has no scent.
Quick question. Probably the same as many already on here. I had half of a gallon of raw milk that was a week old Friday. I poured half of a quart jar of the milk, set it on it’s side on the kitchen counter Friday afternoon (around 2:00pm). Saturday came and went and it hadn’t clobbered. I opened it to check and smell Saturday afternoon. Sunday morning, before church, around 9:00am, it had obviously clabbered and separated. At this time, I put it in a new, clean ( only washed with Original tide, no bleach, no softener, two rinses) white kitchen towel and hung it from a wooden spoon from my kitchen cabinet handles. It drained from 9:30am to 2:00pm. Everything looked great, but when I tasted the cream and whey and they had a bit of an off-putting taste. Maybe like others explained – bitter? I was SO excited to smear it on a bagel, but now I’m not sure i want to eat it. I’m afraid the whey won’t be good, either or will mold when I ferment veggies. Did I do something wrong? Thanks in advance!
Whenever I’ve made cheese from raw goat milk it’s never had an off-putting taste (or smell). I try to make it immediately though from the raw milk. I think the fresher it is the better. As soon as I bring it into the house, I set it up to separate. I would try it again. When you do, let us all know how it goes and good luck!
Do you remove the cream in raw milk before making cheese or do you leave it in?
Leave it in! It’s what makes it delicious!
I want to try this. I have a gallon of raw milk in the frig right now that has been there mostly unused for 2 weeks. Questions: It is already separated since no one has used it for several days. It is in a plastic gallon jug (that is how it comes from our herd share). Should i move it over to glass for some reason? Or can i just get it to room temp then go ahead and start process since it is already separated and about 2 weeks old at this point? THANKS!
Hello,
i’ve made whey months ago, and i haven’t finished using it.I stored it in a glass jar in the fridge. Today, i looked at the lid, and there is a lot of blue,white mold growing. I wonder why, it scared me so much. it is only on the lid.Should I continue on using the whey? I smelled it and it doesn/t seem to have a big yogourt smell, as i used to get when the last time i opened it though.Should I continue to use it? I dont understand why though. Should i discard the lid or wash it?
i dont know what to do. Please HELP!
I would throw it out. If the lid is the problem, just be sure that the container is really clean next time. It was likely contaminated by something. Whey only lasts a few months anyway. Time to make some more.
Wow just what i was looking for; making curds and whey a la WAPF.
Yes it took a full 4 days to get the separation (room temp 75 to 85) and then the whey came out a bit cloudy and the cheese was oooh… not so good. There was yellow color at the top and white at the lower portions. I’ll try adding salt next time.
But my purpose was to get the whey for soaking grains. The cheese should be the bonus. Raw milk is expensive but preparing grains to get the full nutrition is worth it.
Two others asked about the white glutinous blobs in their stored whey (said they look like a mother)–and that’s why I’m here. Nobody answered if the whey is OK. I strained the blobs out; the whey smells fine.
Hi,
I saw on a different site that you can use sour raw milk to make cream cheese also. I was wondering if there is a difference in the time that you are suppose to let it sit compared to the 1-4 days. I’m asking cause its been 28 hrs. and the milk I’m using is slightly souring and its barely clobbered at all. I any of you wouldn’t mind I would love some guidance on this.
Really useful information here and as with all good articles, in the comment section too. I have been meaning to start making cheese for ages and can easily get raw organic milk, here in Normandie, we also have an organic goat farm just down the road. The only excuse I have is that I was wondering what to do with the whey and didn’t want to waste precious milk. However, all is now clear and I will get on with it. We also have some great ideas for decorated goat’s cheese here in France, so shall enjoy experimenting. All the very best and bonne continuation, Sue
I left cultured buttermilk on the kitchen counter for 2 days, and it never separated! So I had to heat it on low on the stovetop for it to separate. Will the whey still be useful for vegetable fermentation?
why cant i read the comments on here? I was hoping for some insight into how this compares to commercial cream cheese.. i thought this was just clabber? I have many cream cheese concoctions that make life on a low carb diet joyful, and i want to continue enjoying them when my cow gets here this spring, so i need to know how to make my own and this sounds absolutely as simple as it gets, so im celebrating if its at all similar hehe. Thank you!!
Hi there,
I recently attempted to make cream cheese and whey. I squeezed some of the whey out of the towel. My cheese sort of resembles cottage cheese. Can I fix it? Is there something else I can make with it?
Thank you!
Hi! I tried to make whey from raw milk a few months ago, and I think I opened it too early. You say 73 degrees…my house is about that during the day but at night gets to about 65. Do you think that will mess it up? Or will it just need to sit longer? How do I know for sure it’s ready? Last time I ended up with cloudy white liquid. It wasn’t the yellowish clear stuff everyone talks about. I would love some advice! Thanks 🙂
hi – I’m new to this – I have a question ? I thought yogurt and milk has to be kept cold – but to make whey it says to leave out – it doesn’t make u sick ?
Hi Kim,
I just tried to make my first batch of whey and cream cheese using the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.
I used raw milk. Everything seemed to go as it is supposed to however the cheese is extremely strong and does not remind me of cream cheese it is super sour. I am looking for someone who can tell me if this is normal for it to be so stong/sour?
Thanks for your help!
Hi. First time trying cream cheese from raw milk. Guess I’m having similar problem others are having… It took 5 days and even then I’m not sure the milk was ready, but I poured it into the bowl but the whey is very opaque. Think I messed up. Hope someone can tell me what the whey should look like and if it doesn’t, is it worth saving? I wish the recipe was a bit more detailed.
I followed the recipe from the Nourishing Traditions book (same as this one). I made my buttermilk from a culture. After I had buttermilk, I left it in the fridge for a few days and then put it on the counter to separate. Only, it never separated. It turned thick like yogurt, and I waited longer for it to separate. After about a week I noticed mold growing on the milk. I’ve made cream cheese and whey from this recipe using yogurt, so I’m not a newbie. Just a newbie with using buttermilk. Any ideas why this happened? Should I just have used it after it turned yogurt-like?
First try at making cheese and whey from my soured raw full cream milk. After 3 days had separated into a solid ish creamy top layer and a whiter thick almost jelly ish bottom layer. I have put both into 2 cheese cloths and stuff is dripping out of the whiter one. Have i got sour cream and cream cheese and whey, or just solidified cream cheese and whey. Very confused.
So I noticed you said the air needs to be at 73 degrees for the milk to separate. It’s winter by me, pretty cold and my place is poorly insulated. Even with my electric heaters running, it doesn’t get any warmer than 65 degrees. So my milk has been sitting out for over a week now, it started to separate a little bit and seems to have stopped. There is still a large layer of milk sitting under the little bit of whey. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do? Will it just take longer? Is it even still good at this point?
I have some raw cow milk that has been sitting out for 2 weeks now and still has barley separated. Is it still ok? or should I toss it?
Hi Kim,
I am only new to the world of fermentation & the other healthy stuff, a new interest after receiving Sarah Wilson’s new book. I am just wondering why you say it is important not to squeeze the bag when hanging the yoghurt? I actually did do this on my first batch as I was eager to yeild as much whey as possible.
I have a question concerning what I actually have. Made some paneer cheese couple weeks back using organic raw milk. It was very fresh. Strained the curds for the cheese but the liquid was not clear at all. It was white and there was still some of the cream in it. I did get about 3.5 oz of cheese out of a quart of the milk so the amount seemed typical. I do not know if the liquid I saved is safe or effective to use as whey for fermenting.
When I made yogurt with the same milk, it did not form solidly but got a lot of whey separation and liquidy yogurt. It tasted great but was very loose, except for the last little jar which is now 2 weeks old. This jar seems to have gotten very solid and shows little signs of dripping out the whey. Have no idea what I am dealing with here either.
Any responses will be appreciated
How can you use kefir?
Hello, I tied up the curds and whey in cheesecloth to let the whey drip in the bucket and forgot about it for a few days because of busyness and appointments. Do you think the cheese is okay to eat?
I am searching for an answer… I have made cheese and left the whey to ripen, but this time, there are small patches of white mold and a “skin” (Isuppose) growing on the surface of the whey. It is in a stainless steel pot with a good fitting lid covering it. This has never happened before and I am cautious as to the safe use of the whey. Should I just feed it to the chickens and not worry about it? Or, is it safe? the patches are white, slightly raised, and several look to be maturing in the center because they look darker there.
thanks ever so much,
carol
Hi – I have read every comment in hopes of getting the answer I need. Several other people have asked this question in the comments but I haven’t seen it answered yet — does the cream need to be removed before separating the raw milk into whey on the counter? Or do you keep the cream in there with the cream cheese? My first batch it seemed the yellow fat cream wasn’t mixing with the white milk solids left on the dish towel. Please anyone have that answer?
Abi… thanks for sharing your experience here! This is great, congrats on your results with the raw milk. I am having trouble getting raw milk right now in my area so I’m unable to practice and share, so I really appreciate it…
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