I regularly make my own yogurt. Where I live, you can only buy individually packaged small containers of yogurt at the store. While I use this yogurt every now and then, especially when I'm short on time, I don't really like all the extra waste it creates. This yogurt, by far, doesn't taste like the yogurt I was used to when we lived in Europe.
So that's some of the reasons I make my own yogurt. The "problem" is, though, that making my own yogurt leaves me with so many whey! I purposely put problem in quotations because as a frugal cook, this should never be a problem. :) I must admit, however, that in the past I've thrown away too many whey than I'm willing to admit. Despite feeling a bit shameful for that, I also realise that we can't change the past and that it's also part of a learning process. So I'll just stay positive and try to discover ways to use it instead of being sad for what I've thrown away in my more "ignorant" times. Making one batch of yogurt usually leaves me with 3/4 litres to one litre of whey. That's quite a lot! So, here are some ways I tend to use up this lovely liquid.
•Instead of lemons, when making hummus. We do have a lemon tree in our garden, but when it's not lemon season I usually substitute lemon for whey. This is also a terrific way for people that have citrus fruits allergies.
•Adding whey to salads. No more explanation needed I guess.
•When making soup, just substitute the water partially for whey. Since soup is already a very nutritious kind of food, adding whey will only increase the health benefits.
•Drinking it as is, or as my children like to call it "yogurt lemonade". We add some honey to taste.
•Using instead of milk in my pancake or waffle batter. According to my husband, it even tastes better than milk based batter!
Probably there are so many more uses for whey, which I'm yet to discover. If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment! ♥️
