Fermented Whey Soda
Fermented whey soda is a blend of old-fashioned kitchen wisdom and simple, nourishing fun. It is endlessly customizable and we never get tired of trying new flavors!
Made from leftover whey and naturally fermented, this bubbly drink is a gentle way to enjoy something sweet & fizzy while supporting digestion, gut health, and using every part of what your from scratch kitchen gives you.
In this blog, you will find easy, approachable recipes for fermented whey soda, along with flavor ideas and simple tips to help you confidently make your own naturally fermented, probiotic-rich drinks at home.
Why we love fermented whey soda
- Naturally bubbly and refreshing without artificial carbonation
- A delicious way to use leftover whey from yogurt or cheese-making (no waste!)
- Supports gut health thanks to beneficial bacteria from lacto-fermentation
- Lower in sugar than conventional sodas, since the fermentation consumes some of it
- Easy to customize with herbs, fruit, or spices for endless flavor combinations
- Cost effective if you regularly enjoy a fizzy drink
Equipment needed
- Gallon size jar
- Wooden spoon
- Funnel
- Swing top bottle with a tight seal or mason jars with a tight seal
Ingredients (makes 1 gallon)
- 1 cup of whey (Here’s my Raw Milk Yogurt Recipe!)
- 4 cups of fruit (strawberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, etc)
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar, or honey or maple syrup (I buy in bulk from Azure!)
- Enough water to fill remainder of jar, about 2 ½ quarts
You truly never run out of flavor combos with this recipe! The general idea is you need enough fruit for flavor, and enough sugar to feed the fermentation process, and that’s it! Play around with it.
Instructions,
- In a gallon sized jar, add whey, fruit, and sugar *See notes. If you’re adding any inclusions, do it here. Like, cinnamon sticks, basil or mint.
- Fill the rest of the jar with filtered water (about 2 ½ quarts) Mix gently with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
- Let this mixture ferment on your counter for 2-3 days. Make sure to keep all ingredients fully submerged, gently mix once daily. You will start to smell the fermentation and see small bubbles by day 2-3.
- After this first fermentation period, strain the mixture into to your swing top bottles, (can also use mason jars here, if they seal well, but it can be harder to get it carbonated).
- Leave the jars on the counter to ferment for 1-4 days, or until they carbonate.
- During the carbonation period, burp and mix the jars once per day. To do this, simply open the top to release pressure. You’ll notice it getting more and more carbonated every day. Once you close the lid gently, tip the jar over 3-4 times to keep mixture combined. I find most of my batches carbonate in the 2-3 day range, but if it’s cold it may take longer.
- Check them daily because the fermentation time can vary a lot and they will explode if left too long. Once carbonated, store them in the fridge and enjoy!
Fermented whey soda is a simple reminder that some of the best things in our kitchens are both nourishing and joyful. With just a few ingredients and a little patience, you can turn something that might otherwise be discarded into a naturally bubbly, probiotic-rich drink your whole family can enjoy. Fermented whey soda is a simple and fun way to bring more intention and nourishment into everyday life.
Other recipes you might like
- Raw Milk Yogurt
- Simple Whey Lemonade
- Fresh Milled Buttermilk Biscuits
- Watermelon Mocktail
- Raw Milk Panna Cotta
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Fermented Whey Soda
Equipment
- 1 Gallon sized mason jar
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 Funnel
- 8 16 oz swing top bottles
Ingredients
- 1 cup whey (Here's my Raw Milk Yogurt Recipe!)
- 3-4 cups fruit, any kind you like Fresh or frozen
- 1 ⅓ cups sugar (or honey) *see notes
- 2-3 quarts filtered water
Instructions
- In a gallon sized jar, add whey, fruit and sugar (or honey) *See notes. If you’re adding any inclusions, do it here. Like, cinnamon sticks, basil or mint.
- Fill the rest of the jar with filtered water (about 2 ½ quarts) Mix gently with a wooden spoon until fully combined.If you don't have a gallon size jar, you could use a very large bowl to combine everything, but you need something with a lid.
- Let this mixture ferment on your counter for 2-3 days. Make sure to keep all ingredients fully submerged, gently mix once daily. You will start to smell the fermentation and see small bubbles by day 2-3.
- After this first fermentation period, use your funnel to add the mixture to your swing top bottles, strain the mixture if you added any inclusions in the first step. (can also use mason jars here, if they seal well).
- Leave jars on the counter to ferment for 1-4 days, or until they carbonate.
- During the carbonation period, burp and mix the jars once per day. To do this, simply open the top to release pressure. You’ll notice it getting more and more carbonated every day. Once you close the lid gently, tip the jar over 3-4 times to keep mixture combined. I find most of my batches carbonate in the 2-3 day range, but if it’s cold it may take longer.
- Check them daily because the fermentation time can vary a lot and they will explode if left too long. Once carbonated, store them in the fridge and enjoy!
- *If you see a white film on top of your drinks at any point, don't worry. It's kahm yeast from the fermentation process, gently tip your jars over to re-incorporate is (use caution as they start to carbonate.)
Notes
- Apple Cinnamon – Use apples for the flavor, then add 2-3 cinnamon sticks during fermentation time.
- Cherry Vanilla – Add cherries and 1-2 tbsp of vanilla extract to the mixture.
- Blueberry Lavender – Blueberries and a fresh sprig of lavender make a great combo
- Strawberry + Basil Lemonade – Strawberries, 1/2 cup of fresh basil, and the juice of 6 lemons make our favorite combo of all
- Ginger lemonade – 3 inches of ginger, grated; ¾ cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled); 1½ cups sugar or honey; 1½ teaspoons salt. Add ingredients to your gallon size jar with your whey, fill the rest with water and continue with the recipe.
- 1 quart of pre made juice, ½ cup of sugar, 1 cup of whey, and fill the rest of the jar with water.
Our family absolutely loves these sodas! Apple is our favorite flavor
Can the fruit used to make your own juice be frozen fruit?
Absolutely! That’s our favorite way to do it.
What to do if my soda never really pressurizes or gets bubbly? I’m following the recipe really closely! I’ve got them in flip top bottles on my counter and burp them daily for 5 days. They taste a bit fermented, but are in no way bubbly! Help!
Are you mixing them daily by gently flipping the bottles over? Sometimes the sugar (what is needed to fuel the fermentation) settles to the bottom.
When i make my yogurt, I sweeten it with about a cup of sugar for a gallon of milk in the process of making it. Do you think that would offset the sweetness by too much or not enough to make a difference and I should just stick to the recipe amount of sugar?
Hi Jenae! I have never used sweetened whey, but it’s possible that amount of sugar may change the taste. You could try the recipe as is, or you could try stepping back the sugar by 1/4 cup and see how that goes!
Does any kind of whey work? Yogurt whey is sour and has been fermented for a while. But when I make cheese, like mozzarella or Feta, the whey is sweet and has hardly been fermented. That’s how I get the majority of my whey.
So excited to try this!!
Yes, any whey will work!
What do you do with the fruit when you strain it?
You can snack on it! My chickens really love it.