Making Whey & Cream Cheese

Hey!  Did I get a little ahead of myself yesterday with the recipe for Cortido / Curtido?  If you read it and thought it sounded like a good thing to try and then saw that it had whey in it, you may have gotten a glazed over look in your eyes and shut down your computer.  Of course, you can make it without whey by using extra sea salt, but I thought I'd share with you just how easy it is to make whey.

First of all, whey is the watery stuff that separates from your sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurt and the like.

One way to make whey is from plain yogurt.  I make mine from my homemade yogurt.  The neat thing about using plain yogurt is that when you have drained the whey from it, you end up with a soft, cream cheese.

1. Line a strainer with a tea towel. 
2. Pour yogurt into tea towel.
3. Tie towel or close ends up with a rubberband.
4. Allow yogurt-filled towel to hang above bowl for 7-10 hours, allowing the whey to drip off.
5. Place cream cheese and whey into separate jars.  Cover.  

You'll want to use the cream cheese within a few days.  The whey can be stored for several weeks.  In addition to using the whey in lacto-fermented foods, you can also use a tablespoon or two in your favorite bread recipe or homemade mayonnaise to extend their freshness.

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