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whey hey!
Ive started making my own cheese and wondered if i could use the whey for anything! im using lemon juice as a starter. Any ideas?
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Sure! We use it in any white sauce recipes as well as in soups and stock for stews. It adds a nice texture and flavor... but the best use is making ricotta (Italian for twice cooked). Here's a sample recipe close to what we've used for a long time...
Making Ricotta is very simple. Over direct heat, heat the hard cheese whey to 200� (Not much more, though!). By the time it has reached this temperature you will see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey. The heat and acid from the ripe whey has precipitated the protein. You can add a little vinegar at this point if you really think it necessary (one "glug" or 1/4 C. per 2 gallons of whey), it's up to you, and it won't hurt the Ricotta.
Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth, called "butter muslin". You must use a very fine cloth here, or your cheese will pass through the regular cloth. If you do not have fine cheesecloth, use a clean cotton cloth (like a pillow case). Place the colander over a big pot so you can save the whey and carefully pour the whey into the colander. Be very careful because the liquid is hot. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for a couple hours.
When it has drained, place the ricotta in a bowl and add salt to taste. You will find that the Ricotta made from the whey of different cheeses has different tastes and textures. I think Mozzarella makes the best. Feta makes the strongest tasting (the taste increases as it ages in the fridge). Ricotta will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. (his recipe is from The Gourmet Sleuth)
Making Ricotta is very simple. Over direct heat, heat the hard cheese whey to 200� (Not much more, though!). By the time it has reached this temperature you will see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey. The heat and acid from the ripe whey has precipitated the protein. You can add a little vinegar at this point if you really think it necessary (one "glug" or 1/4 C. per 2 gallons of whey), it's up to you, and it won't hurt the Ricotta.
Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth, called "butter muslin". You must use a very fine cloth here, or your cheese will pass through the regular cloth. If you do not have fine cheesecloth, use a clean cotton cloth (like a pillow case). Place the colander over a big pot so you can save the whey and carefully pour the whey into the colander. Be very careful because the liquid is hot. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for a couple hours.
When it has drained, place the ricotta in a bowl and add salt to taste. You will find that the Ricotta made from the whey of different cheeses has different tastes and textures. I think Mozzarella makes the best. Feta makes the strongest tasting (the taste increases as it ages in the fridge). Ricotta will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. (his recipe is from The Gourmet Sleuth)
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