Useful properties of sour cream
Natural sour cream is made from pasteurized cream, which was fermented with a specially selected ferment. The composition of sour cream includes valuable vitamins B2, B12, A, E, PP, C; and also iron, calcium and phosphorus, which are so necessary for a growing organism.
The biological value of this product is due to the presence of milk protein, which contains the essential amino acids, milk sugars and digestible fats. Biological value is also due to the fact that at the stage of fermentation and maturation substances are formed which, in comparison with dairy products, are better absorbed by the human body.
Lactic acid fermentation of sour cream allows it to get a probiotic effect: sour cream contains microorganisms that help the body to fight the putrefactive environment of the intestine. These same microorganisms help useful bacteria grow and multiply.
Sour cream is very nutritious, this is due to the fact that it contains a large amount of fat, which provides its properties, useful to a malnourished and anemic patient, to those who suffer from poor digestion and appetite.
Sour cream is capable of giving muscles strength, stimulating mental activity. This dairy product is used as a healing agent for sunburn. Use sour cream is better in the morning from ten to fourteen hours. The use of sour cream in the afternoon can provoke an exacerbation of liver diseases.
However, if the sour cream is designed for a ten-day shelf life, then all its useful properties are lost. To extend the shelf life, sour cream is subjected to pasteurization, preservatives are added to it. Such sour cream is better not to use for cooking baby food.
Low-fat sour cream (preferably 10%) can be added to soups, sauces, salads, which can then be offered to 1, 5 year old children and older children.
Consumer properties of sour cream
In ordinary sour cream contains 2, 9% carbohydrates and the same protein, 30% fat.
Sour cream of high quality in appearance glossy, homogeneous, moderately dense, without foreign odors and flavors, without all kinds of grains of protein and fat.
Sour cream of the first grade may have a slight forage taste, and somewhat sour taste. The consistency of such sour cream will be less dense than sour cream of high quality.
In the composition of sour cream according to GOST (state standard of quality) must consist only of leaven and cream. Only in this case, you can write "sour cream" on the package. Well, if during the preparation process stabilizers and emulsifiers were added, then the package should have a "dairy product", and not "sour cream". Sour cream, or rather a dairy product can be dairy-vegetable, this is if the fat of animal origin is replaced with vegetable fat. And can be fat, it's when the proteins and fat are completely replaced.
As a rule, in such situations the word "sour cream" is written on the package. But why do we need substitutes? This can be explained by the fact that this significantly reduces the cost of production of sour cream.
When buying sour cream, pay attention not only to the marking, but also to the shelf life of this product (that is, for the shelf life). In a sealed package, natural sour cream at a temperature of 2 - 6 ° C with the symbol "" can be stored for 5 to 7 days. In unsealed packaging - a plastic cup with a lid, sour cream can be stored for up to 72 hours. If the product has few natural ingredients, the shelf life is increased to 2-4 weeks, the storage temperature also increases and is 2-20 ° C with a "" sign.
What is the difference between sour cream and sour cream? How to distinguish them from each other?
To determine the quality of sour cream, you can make simple experiments. The first experiment concerns the quality of low-fat sour cream. Such sour cream on density is not the same as classic, so the manufacturer to increase the consistency can add starch or other stabilizer. And to bring the manufacturer to clean water, it is enough to add a drop of iodine to the sour cream (not all of course, but in a small amount). In case the sour cream is real, it will turn yellow a little. Well, if in sour cream there are herbal supplements, then it will turn blue.
We are conducting the second experiment. To do this, you need to take a glass and pour hot water there. Then add a spoonful of sour cream to the glass and stir. If smeyana completely dissolved in water, giving it a uniform white color, this indicates the quality of sour cream. If she curled a little - this indicates the staleness of sour cream. Well, if the sour cream is completely substandard, it may precipitate.
Preparation of sour cream at home
You can prepare sour cream yourself at home. To do this, in the cream of room temperature, you need to add a special starter. Quality sour cream or curdled milk can also serve as a special ferment. As soon as the cream acquires a sour taste, they must be taken to a room with 5-8 ° C temperature and not touched, not even stirred for one or two days. This time will suffice, that the sour cream "has ripened" became dense and has got characteristic taste of sour cream.
Contraindications
To use sour cream is not recommended for gastritis, accompanied by high acidity, with an ulcer of the intestine and stomach.