Use your leftover whey for good and make some lacto-fermented whey vegetables! Learn how to do it just like my grandparents: no processing, just traditional pickling for the best whey vegetables.

My Grandparents' House of Pickles

If you enter my grandparents’ house, you would be hard pressed to see the back porch from all the pickles: mustard garlic scape pickles, and garlic dill pickles lining one wall, green beans pickles and Russian pickled cabbage (sauerkraut) on the other.

Lacto-fermented whey pickles and marinated red peppers line the shelves of the fridge, and their cupboards are full of bizarre candy no one dares to eat, manufactured in an unknown Middle Eastern country, or in Russia sometime between 1980 and 2010.

In a word, my grandparents can be lovingly described as thrifty; not-so-lovingly, as hoarders.

Like my grandparents, I simply cannot throw out good food.

Few things bring me as much culinary joy as finding use for leftovers. So, if you were left with some whey after making lactose-free yogurt, you know that I simply cannot, in good conscience, allow you to let all this beneficial bacteria and probiotics go to waste. And the good news is, using it up is as easy as throwing vegetables into a mixture.

Carrot sticks, quartered onion pieces, garlic cloves, and a large chef's knife are arranged neatly on a white cutting board, ready to be prepared into delicious lacto-fermented vegetables.

Best Vegetables to Make Fermented Vegetables

Like my Mexican pickled vegetables, sturdy, low-moisture vegetables make the best candidates for lacto-fermentation. Carrots, cauliflower, onions, bell peppers, and green beans all hold their shape and texture beautifully throughout the process.

Avoid soft or watery vegetables like cucumbers or zucchini in this preparation. Those are better suited for quick pickles or traditional vinegar brines, like my fermented kosher dill pickle recipe.

Whatever combination you choose, the key is using fresh, crisp produce that hasn’t gone limp in the back of your crisper.

Storage Instructions for Whey Vegetables

Once your vegetables have reached your preferred level of sourness, move the sealed jar into the refrigerator. Cold temperatures slow down the fermentation process, helping maintain flavor and texture for longer.

Properly stored, these lacto-fermented vegetables can last in the fridge for up to 2 months (though you'll likely eat them far sooner).

If you're interested in longer-term preservation or want to branch out into shelf-stable pickles, it's worth reading up on essential canning tools and the basics of water bath canning to ensure safe storage.

Top Tips for Lacto Fermented Vegetable Recipe

Weigh your vegetables down if they float above the brine.
Leave enough headspace, about 1 inch, to prevent overflow as the vegetables release gases during fermentation.
Always use fresh whey within a couple of days of making yogurt or ricotta, and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.
Avoid cross-contamination. Use a clean spoon every time you sample your pickles, and never return unused portions to the jar.

Recipe

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