25 Ways to use the second whey
1. Make lemonade/ginger ale or whey soda. Simply add a powdered drink mix to your whey then chill and enjoy over ice. Or there’s a fermented Swiss drink called Rivella that’s 10% whey. Super easy to make and whey cool! Or google whey soda to make your own fermented sparkling beverage.
2. Culture foods. Using the methods in Nourishing Traditions, you can use whey to ferment all sorts of foods… beets, cabbage, carrots – you name it!
3. Soak grains. soak oatmeal or other grains prior to cooking or using in a recipe.
4. Soak beans. Just like grains, your digestive system benefits from beans being soaked before cooking. Swap your acid medium and use whey, or feel free to add more!
5. Soak nuts. For the same reasons above.
6. Make bread/pizza dough. We use 100% whey as the liquid in your recipe. Adds a sourdough-ish tang to your dough
7. Add to your daily smoothie. Whey is naturally high in protein (almost 2g in one cup!).
8. Condition your face/body. The cultures in whey are acidic, so toss some on a cotton ball and use it as a toner or up the ante and add one cup of whey to your bath for an all-over-the-body skin toner.
9. Make a face mask. Use whey combined with soothing raw honey for an easy face mask. Your skin will be loving you!
10. Condition hair. If you’re washing with baking soda, a diluted whey rinse will work just as well as the diluted vinegar rinse!
11. Pet food. Instead of throwing the extra nutrients down the drain, add them to pet food for some extra vitamins!
12. Water your acid loving plants. Such as hydrangeas and azaleas, blueberries, roses and tomatoes like acidic soil and whey will help you achieve just that or add a bit of to your watering can for your other plants.
13. Balance the garden’s pH. If watering the plants is out of the question, consider balancing the pH levels of peas, cucumbers and squash by spraying some on just the leaves – the whey will kill the mold that grows! (Again, sweet whey only.)
14. Lower the garden’s pH. Add it to compost. A great outdoors spot if you don’t feel comfortable adding it to your garden, or don’t have one to add it to!
15. Substitute for buttermilk. Biscuits, dressings or pancakes? Yep, use whey!
16. Substitute for milk. Instead of milk, use whey to make creamy cheese sauce that will get baked and cheese-ified.
17. Make rice. Although the heat will kill some of the live enzymes, you’ll still retain the nutrients since rice absorbs all the liquid.
18. Make risotto. A combination between the previous two, you’re cooking rice and making it creamy at the same time. Might as well add some nutrition too!
19. Make Stock. Substitute not just for the apple cider vinegar, but for some of the water too when cooking down your bones and veggies! Trade up to half of the water (or more, depending on your taste preference) for whey and come out the other side with a richer, more flavorful stock.
20. Thicken gravy. Chances are if you’re making gravy, it’s topping something unhealthy. Boost the nutrition by using whey.
21. Substitute for orange or lemon juice. Whey is about as acidic as orange juice, so if you’re using the juice in smoothies or in baking (like yummy scones or in a quick bread), try swapping for whey instead. Whey tastes much like lemon juice, so it makes a great substitution in recipes or cocktails…
22. Make a cocktail. Half whey and half juice, plus sweeten to taste with honey or stevia and you’ve got yourself a deliciously healthy drink!
23. Use in salad dressing. Instead of a vinaigrette with lemon juice, how about a vinaigrette with whey?
24. Tenderize meat. Swap whey for any vinegar in a traditional meat marinade. Mind that whey will add tang, so adjust seasonings accordingly.
25. Use it as a brine. Feta cheese will keep longer in whey, and you can use it when brining your Turkey in November too!