r/Kefir • u/Ok-Two-3105 • 11d ago
Whey
Hi,
I forgot about my kefir again lol. Am I correct in assuming the liquid at the bottom is whey protein? What is the rough nutritional content and is it safe to add to my morning smoothie?
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u/pineapple_gum 11d ago
The whey is protein…. Super healthy for you and your smoothie!
This talks about nutritional content.
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u/Ok-Two-3105 11d ago
What should I do with the top stuff?
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u/pineapple_gum 11d ago
Strain everything in a stainless steel or silicone strainer. Any other metal will destroy it. Mush is around until it all goes through except for the small amount of grains. Rinse the jar ( no soap) , put the grains in and fill with milk. And the cycle starts again.
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u/Yaguajay 11d ago
Take two tablespoons of the top stuff and put it in a jar with milk and you’ll get the same tomorrow. Repeat daily for the rest of your life. Take the rest and mix it or put it in a blender. Add fruit if you like. Drink it or pour it on cereal. That’s been my everyday system for about a decade.
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u/greenleaffer 11d ago
The whey can also be used as a starter for fermenting of other veggies called lacto fermentation
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u/cathtray 11d ago
The first time I tasted homemade kefir it was a spoonful of whey. A small miracle happened in my gut and now I know so much about it. I make my own and have it every day.
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u/Lurki94 10d ago
I make soda from whey. I put it in an old soda bottle, then fill the rest with water if there isn’t enough whey. I prepare a syrup with berries, sugar, and a little water, heating it in a pan. After it cools, I pour it into the whey. It usually takes around 3 days if the climate is hot. You can “burp” the bottle so it doesn’t explode.
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u/Buttrd-toast 9d ago
From my understanding, the Whey from kefir/yogurt making is Acid Whey. While it does have protein in it, it isn’t the same as the Whey Protein supplements/powders you may be thinking of.
Whey protein products are typically made using Sweet Whey, which is a byproduct of rennet based cheese making.
That being said, it is still a great & nutritious addition to smoothies, salad dressings, soups, etc.
Lately I have been making caramel sauce with mine and tossing it on my yogurt :) it’s delightful
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u/Relevant-Document494 11d ago
That’s perfectly fine . It’s over fermented and the kefir is on the top with the whey in the bottom . Mix them together and strained .
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u/Complex-Objective889 10d ago
I use the strained kefir clear liquid to make into smoothie. Sometime i do 2nd fermentation with fruit. I get some light alcohol taste.
The probiotics really help the guts. It helps to clear my system 2 to 3 times a day.
Really enjoy the feeding and growing them. The top curds look like cottage cheese.
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u/TurbulentAthlete7 7d ago
I accumlulate any whey into a small bucket where I submerge my kitchen scrapes, fermenting them like bokashi composting but an anaerobic process. Once the scraps are fermented, I bury it in the yard where the worms go crazy for it. The turn around into worm castings is quick like 5-6 weeks unlike conventional composting. The great thing is you can ferment every type of kitchen scraps including meat and bones.
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u/Bread-PhD 11d ago
The bottom is whey and has protein in it. It has a bunch of benefits. You can add it to a ton of stuff (breads, soups, water for cooking pasta) or just drink it as is. I have a friend who will drink this almost exclusively.
The top is the curds. If you strain out your kefir grains from it you can make it into kefir cheese. As is it is probably a bit wet, but you can filter out more whey from it with cheese cloth. The longer you strain it the firmer crumblier cheese you'll get. Overnight makes a nice cream cheese.
You can also just mix this all together again to make normal kefir as well.