Using whey from yogurt to make ricotta
My girlfriend and I make a large batch of yogurt every week, and have done so for more than a year now - we just eat a ton of the stuff. THis leaves a lot of leftover whey which we used to just throw out. This past week I took my first swing at making mozzarella, and noticed that the recipe suggested not throwing out the whey, but rather using it to make ricotta by boiling it. I ended up throwing out the whey from the mozzarella anyways because it was a tiny batch, and we had to make yogurt anyway.
So, we made the yogurt, and my girlfriend saved they whey for me. I've been simmering it for a few minutes now, and it doesn't appear to be working. Nothing is curdling. I'm wondering if its a function of not having anything acidic in it? I tried adding a quarter teaspoon of citric acid, but still nothing is curdling. At this point I'm curious to play with it, so I may try simmering it all the way down into gjetost.
So really i guess my question is, outside of being less acidic, is whey from making yogurt different from whey from cheese making?
Also as a note, we use 1% milk.
Best Answer
Yogurt whey cannot be used to make ricotta.
With most cheeses, including mozzarella, the milk isn't boiled. The casein proteins are bound up with some of the lactose and almost all the fat to make the curd. The whey for such cheeses contains the rest of the lactose, tons of vitamin B, and almost all the albumin.
The albumin proteins are water soluble when they haven't been denatured. They also denature at a higher temperature than the casein does. Therefore, they almost all wash out of the curd with the whey. Bringing mozzarella whey to a (almost) boil denatures the albumin which precipitates out and can be strained to make ricotta.
When making yogurt the milk is heated to 190 or higher and then cooled. This is precisely to denature the albumin. The extra protein gives the yogurt a lot more structure.
However it means that there is no protein left in the whey- mostly lactose, lactic acid, and vitamin B.
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What can you do with the whey from yogurt?
Awesome Uses for Whey- Substitute whey in any baking recipe that calls for water (or even milk). ...
- Use whey to lacto-ferment vegetables, condiments, sauerkraut, chutneys, jams, etc. ...
- Use whey to soak grains, Nourishing Traditions style. ...
- Freeze it for later. ...
- Use whey to cook pastas, potatoes, oatmeal, or rice.
What do you do with whey when making ricotta cheese?
Instructions:Can you use leftover whey to make yogurt?
Can I use yogurt whey to make more yogurt? YES! Add 2-3 tablespoons of whey to 2 quarts of heated and cooled milk. (More or less whey may also work\u2013this is just what I do.)Should I strain the whey from yogurt?
Whey makes yogurt tangy and loose; straining it out makes it sweet and rich.10 Uses Of Leftover Whey From Making Cheese and Yogurt - Homesteading Life
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Answer 2
The 1% milk is why it's not working for you. There's not enough fat in the whey to make cheese.
Aside from that, you should follow a recipe. The Home Cheesemaking book has a recipe for whey ricotta. Among other things, you don't simmer the whey; you only heat it to 180F.
Answer 3
I make ricotta out of yogurt whey all the time. I use some skim milk, usually add some half and half or heavy cream to make it more like whole milk. Add the whey (up to three cups), a dash of lemon juice and bring up to about 200 degrees. Let it sit undisturbed for about 15 minutes, covered, and drain the curds which will develop. You'll love the ricotta!
Answer 4
You can make ricotta with yogurt whey you use it instead of the lemon juice. Add 1 quart whey to 1/2 gallon of 2percent milk bring to 180 and watch it curdle. Strain through fine sieve or cheesecloth.
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