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Yogurt has become a staple in our house, especially with an 11-month-old. That said, I’d be lying if I claimed I wasn’t enjoying myself. A bowl of thick Greek yogurt with local honey and a handful of walnuts has become a regular part of my day. The honey actually comes from a beekeeper I’ve done some work with – one of those small perks of working locally.

But if you’ve ever made your own yogurt or cream cheese, you know the inevitable question that follows:

What do you do with all the leftover whey?

We typically buy a gallon of whole milk from a nearby dairy farm, hands down the best milk (and ice cream) around. From about six cups of milk, we get roughly a quart of Greek yogurt and around 1½ to 2 cups of whey. Cream cheese is even more dramatic: six cups of milk can yield six cups of whey.

That adds up quickly.

Common Uses (and Their Limits)

We’ve experimented with a refreshing, and perfect summer drink, whey lemonade. There’s only so much lemonade one household can drink, though.

Another option is using whey in the garden. Because it’s slightly acidic, whey can be applied to soil as a gentle acidifier. I’ve used it in our blueberry patches to help nudge the pH in the right direction, and it’s worked well. Still, even gardening has its limits when you’re producing whey consistently.

So the question remains: what else can we do with it?

Enter the Freeze Dryer

This is where our freeze dryer comes into play.

We recently picked up a Harvest Right medium freeze dryer. This past weekend alone, we collected about eight cups of whey from yogurt and cream cheese. It’s not enough to replace my usual protein powder, but enough to be genuinely useful.

Once freeze-dried and powdered, the whey becomes shelf-stable and easy to use. I can add it to smoothies, pancake batter, or baked goods. I can use it in anything I want a modest protein boost without reaching for a commercial supplement.

Why This Matters

For me, this isn’t about chasing perfection or becoming fully self-sufficient overnight. It’s about reducing waste, using what we have more intentionally, and understanding our food.

If you’re already making yogurt or cheese at home, the whey is coming whether you plan for it or not. Freeze-drying is just one answer, and probably not the right one for everyone. But it fits where we are right now — a house that’s trying to close the loop a little tighter, one batch at a time.

What do you do with your whey?