What the Heck Is Curds and Whey? (2024)

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What the heck are curds and whey? ›

What are curds and whey? If you answered cottage cheese, you're right. The curd is the lumps and the whey is the liquid. While it may not sound very appetizing, cottage cheese has some health benefits to consider.

Sound kinda gross? Well, it's not quite as weird as it seems. If you think about it, curds and whey are just cottage cheese in its purest form.

Milk contains a protein called casein and when you add an acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) it causes those proteins to clump together. The solid clumps are called curds, and the leftover liquid is called whey–just like in “l*ttle Miss Muffet!”

Rennin is an enzyme from a calf's stomach, and it makes some of the proteins in milk clump together. These clumping proteins are called "curd proteins," while the milk proteins that refuse to clump are called "whey proteins." These proteins are the curds and whey of Miss Muffet's lunch.

: something disgusting : rubbish. c. slang : a contemptible person.

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese.

The Healing Benefits of Curd Cheese

It is packed with protein, rich in healing fats (the best coming from properly raised grass-fed animals) and, most important, is an excellent digestive aid. Fresh, unripened cheese made from raw cultured dairy products is bursting with probiotic (pro-life) activity.

Cottage cheese may be marketed as a small-curd (<4 mm diameter) or large-curd (>8 mm diameter).

Cheese curds are made from fresh pasteurized milk to which cheese culture and rennet are added. After the milk curdles it is then cut into cubes; the result is a mixture of whey and curd. This mixture is then cooked and pressed to release the whey from the curd, creating the final product.

Cottage cheese, also called "curds and whey"

Who eats curds and whey? ›

Posted September 27, 2003. "Little Miss Muffet, sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey. Alon..." You may remember this beloved nursery rhyme, but have you ever wondered, 'what are curds and whey?"

I use the whey from Lemon Cheese in baked goods, as a cooking liquid for rice, a stock substitute in soups, and a cheese sauce replacement for soups and pasta. Whey sauce is not for the lactose intolerant. Lactose hangs out in whey when you drain your curds to make them into cheese.

“l*ttle Miss Muffet” is about a girl named Patience, who was Dr Muffet's stepdaughter. The lyrics probably tell the story of an incident when Patience ran away from her breakfast, being frightened by a spider from Dr. Muffet's collection.

So there you have it: Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating a dish consisting of the byproducts of cheesemaking. It's not quite as weird as it sounds. If you think about it, curds and whey are just cottage cheese in its purest form.

Curd is made by bacterial fermentation of milk. In this process, lactose in milk is converted into lactic acid by several probiotic microorganisms.

The curdling is the result of a chemical reaction between the vinegar (acid) and the fats and proteins. You can separate the curds out of the milk by pouring the clumpy mess through a filter like a strong paper towel or piece of cheesecloth. The liquid that passes through the paper towel or cheesecloth is called whey.

The 'curdling' separates the curds and whey, with the majority of the lactose remaining in the whey. The curd can then be consumed or processed further to make different sorts of cheese.