What is the difference between curds and whey

Save Pin FB More. Curds are a byproduct of coagulating milk, a process also known as curdling. Coagulation happens when you add an acid, like lemon juice or vinegar, to dairy. The increase in acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle together into solid masses. This process will also occur naturally if you leave milk out to sour. Coagulation is one of the first steps in cheese production. The liquid that is leftover after the curds are drained is called whey. All rights reserved.

We only let ours sit for a few minutes, as Bumble Bee was a tad impatient to try it. And it was… quite nice! A drizzle of honey helped win Bumble Bee over. And by the time each of us had a taste or two, or three , this is all we had left!

I popped it in the fridge for Jewel to try when she got home from school that afternoon. It took less than half an hour from start to taste, and used just everyday ingredients that we already had at home. Milk is made up of water, sugar, proteins casein and whey proteins , fats and minerals, all held together in a type of mixture called a colloid. Normally the protein molecules repel each other, but if the pH of their solution drops, the casein proteins suddenly attract each other, which causes them to clump together and form a new substance called curds, in a process called curdling.

The pH of milk can drop in a number of ways. Heat also speeds up the reaction. You can find more food science projects for kids here , including:. Edible Science Activities on Pinterest. An affiliate link means I may earn a commission, referral fees or advertising fees if you make a purchase through my link, without any extra cost to you. It helps to keep this little project afloat. Thank you for your support. Ooh let me know if you do!

Then the milk is used to make curds and whey by adding a curdling agent like rennet. The curds form and the clear liquid they float in is whey. Then you can strain the curds from the whey by pouring them through cheese cloth. Eating her curds and whey. No way! She would most likely make cottage cheese. Curds and whey are the primary ingredients of cottage cheese. If you leave milk to go off and separate, the chunky bit at the bottom is the curds and the watery liquid at the top is the whey.

If you strain out most of the whey, leaving the curds moist and add salt and pepper, you would have cottage cheese. Rennet gets added to milk to form curds and whey. It is the curds that go on to form the cheese. Rennet is added to milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds solids are then processed to make cheese.

Basically, milk is composed of curds and whey. Adding rennet to milk will separate the milk into liquid whey which is waste, and a solid curds which goes on to be processed to produce cheese. Milk is split into curds and whey by the addition of rennet and starter culture. The curds are then separated and matured to make the cheese. Log in. History and Origins of Foods. The Difference Between. Dairy Products. Study now.

See Answer. Best Answer. Study guides. Q: What is the difference between curds and whey?