What to do with whey!

RECIPE FORUM Ask Cooking Questions
1

When I make ricotta from whole milk and cream the left over whey has a very pleasant taste, but I don’t know what to do with it. Any idea?

3

Thank you for the ideas.

5

Use it in breadmaking. I add homemade yogurt to bread. Any water that forms in the yogurt goes into the bread dough.

6

Ricotta from Whey

  1. Use whey directly from the cheese pot at the time of draining … The fresher the better.
  2. Heat without agitating to 160° F … at this point 5-12% of fresh milk may be added to improve the richness and yield.
  3. Continue heating to 170° F. Add 1/2 tsp. of salt per gallon of liquid and mix in quickly.
  4. Continue heating without agitation to 185° F and hold at this temp until the ricotta rises.
    Note: In the past people heated to just below boiling (200F) but this is not necessary nor will it be a problem if your whey heats well into the 190’s.
  5. Mix 1/2 tsp. of citric acid per gallon of liquid. The citric acid should be dissolved in 1/2 cup water. Add quickly the pot and stir briskly for 5-10 seconds.
    Watch the curd forming small flakes and gradually larger curd masses.
    Add a bit more more citric acid solution if necessary.
    NOTE… If too much acid is added, the curds will sink to the bottom and the cheese will not be sweet. The correct amount of acid will produce a clear separation of white curds and bright green whey.
  6. As the curds rise, use a perforated ladle to gently move them from the sides to the center of the pot. These clumps of curd will begin to consolidate floating on top of the liquid.
    Let the curds rest for 10-15 min. *** This is very important because this is the point where the final Ricotta quality is assured
  7. Ladle the curds gently into draining forms (No cheese cloth should be needed if you were patient in the previous step). Let the curds drain for 15 min up to several hours.
    For a fresh light ricotta, drain it for a short while (until the free whey drainage slows) and chill to below 50F. For a rich, dense and buttery texture allow it to drain for an extended period of time (several hours). before chilling overnight
    Move to a refrigerator or cold room. Consume within 10 days.