Uses for the whey leftover from making ricotta?

Whey to go! Sorry, I couldn't resist. Now I need to make some more cheese so I have an abundant supply of whey.

Just used some ricotta whey the other night to cook potatoes in, for mashing. Really outstanding! I kept the liquid at a simmer, and had cut the potatoes into smaller than usual pieces. The whey gave the mashed potatoes a marvelous flavor. I also added a couple tablespoons of heavy cream and about a tablespoon of butter. I used 1 1/2 cups of whey per 1 large russet. And best of all, I saved the potato starch-enriched cooking liquid to use in making a loaf of white sandwich bread. Not surprisingly, it turned out spectacularly. ;o)

I've used it in pancakes instead of water.

At my daughter's old Waldorf nursery school they used to soak oatmeal in it overnight before cooking in the classroom for a midmorning snack. Yum.

Thanks everyone! Never again will I toss out my precious whey!

you can also add to smoothies..it has some good protein in it :) I use mine for bagels. And whey is the correct term. The ricotta is the "curds" in curds and whey of Miss Muffet fame :)

Hi!

In addition to the ideas already suggested, I hope you will check out the infused whey link I have posted here on Food52:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/6791_infused_ricotta_whey

As well this second link below, lists a few recipes (of many) I have made with whey :)

http://lapadia.wordpress.com/2010/09/19/curds-whey-uses-for-whey/

I have used whey to aid in the fermentation process when making cultured vegetables (similar to sauerkraut)! Using whey allows me to add less salt...

Whey is a biproduct of mozzarella...then it is used to make ricotta. Whey is not a biproduct of ricotta. What you think is ricotta is farmer's cheese

I use the liquid to make dough for Indian Paratha & Roti.

I think that ricotta is made from whey. The cheese that you are referring to is called farmer's cheese (delicious). Ricotta means twice cooked.

I typically keep it for up to a week in the fridge (back, in the coldest part, like you do). If I don't use it by then, I put it in the freezer. I use wide mouth canning jars (pint and quart) leaving about an inch of head space. Do not use any type of glass jar other than a wide mouth jar, or the expansion will break it. I defrost on medium power in the microwave. Shake it well before using, as it tends to separate a bit. ;o)

I use it all the time to replace water or milk in any yeast bread recipe. It's wonderful in soups as well, where a creamy note would be nice, e.g., butternut squash soup, and creamy spinach soup (which I make using leftovers of Merrill's Saag Paneer and equal amounts of chicken stock and whey, to get the desired consistency). My favorite use however is for making polenta. Here is a recipe I posted on Food52 that describes the method: http://www.food52.com/recipes/15115_herbed_and_roasted_ricotta_whey_polenta_with_fresh_ricotta_and_apples You can use this technique with or without herbs, with sweet or savory toppings, etc. and even use it for soft, not baked polenta. (Do, however, allow the soft polenta to sit over the hot water, covered, for at least 30 minutes for the best texture.) Here is a great recipe for bread made using whey: http://www.food52.com/recipes/10040_ricotta_whey_and_barley_bread I must confess. The rest of the world looks for ways to use the whey left over from making ricotta. I make ricotta to get the whey, then look for recipes for using the ricotta! Have fun. ;o)