How to check the quality of thermostatic fermented milk products in the store and what does it take to make delicious yogurt at home? Expert Natalya Vorontsova, head of the laboratory of the Samaralakto dairy plant of the Danone group of companies in Russia, conducts a fermented milk educational program using the example of thermostatic yogurt, sour cream and yogurt of the Prostokvashino brand.
1. What is the essence and main advantages of the thermostatic production method?
The essence of the thermostatic method is that fermentation does not occur immediately: the product is poured into jars, and only then “ripens” in each jar separately. For example, Prostokvashino thermostatic sour cream “ripens” in a jar for several hours. Thanks to this, she acquires a very gentle creamy taste, and the texture of sour cream is so thick that a spoon stands in it. It was such thick sour cream and yogurt that our grandmothers prepared in the old days.
Thermostat technology is complex and gentle, it requires special attention from each participant in the process so that the product in each jar ferments the way it should. We can say that each jar is prepared personally for each customer.
2. How to choose high-quality thermostatic yogurt, sour cream or yogurt in the store?
First of all, check the expiration date, it should not be expired. Carefully inspect the packaging: the jar / glass must be intact, without cracks, dents - this allows you to guarantee a dense texture and purity of the product. The foil should fit completely to the neck of the glass - this guarantees the microbiological purity of the product.
Tip: to check the tightness of the seal of the can, gently press on the walls of the can, the foil should inflate and not let air through.
The label must be clean and contain all the necessary information (brand, product name, fat content, composition, nutritional value, manufacturer's address, etc.)
Read the composition: a natural fermented milk product must contain milk and products of its processing (normalized cream, normalized milk, it can also be skimmed milk powder) and sourdough milk cultures. If thermostatic fermented milk products have transparent packaging, such as in the Danone range, there is an opportunity to properly consider the texture and color. For example, if we are talking about yogurt and sour cream "Prostokvashino", then the products should be with a smooth surface, without cracks, there may be a slight foam on the surface. The color is white, characteristic of cream and milk.
RECIPE
3. How to make delicious and healthy yogurt at home?
The most important thing is to use milk that you are sure of. If the milk contains antibiotics and inhibitors, then the starter will not work. Secondly, it is necessary not only to heat the milk, but to boil it for a short time. It is also important to observe and maintain the maturation temperature in order for the starter to work effectively.
Stop ripening in time so that the product does not ripen or overripe. In immature fermented milk products, the texture is not formed, the taste is unexpressed, there is no milky aroma. overripe dairy products characterized by a very sour taste. At the right product dense texture, pronounced milky taste and aroma, and optimal acidity.
Recently, a new product has appeared on the store shelves of the dairy departments - kefir, yogurt, yogurt and even cottage cheese marked “thermostat”. What are the features of the thermostatic method? How does it differ from traditional way? What are its merits?
The usual way
The technology for the manufacture of fermented milk products has not changed for many decades in a row. Dairies have long and successfully used reservoir method of production when sourdough is added to large-capacity tanks. In these vats, both fermentation and maturation of the future kefir, yogurt or yogurt takes place.
These vats for fermenting fermented milk products are called tanks. Their dimensions are amazing - they include from 5,000 to 10,000 liters of liquid product at the same time!
Starter in an amount of up to 5% of the total volume is added to the tank with pasteurized milk, which maintains a certain temperature required for fermentation.
The tanks have double walls to start the cooling process at the right time. When the acidity of the product reaches the desired level, cold water is supplied between the walls, and the automatic mixer starts to work. It breaks the formed clot to a uniform homogeneous structure.
It is very important to start cooling in time! If you do this earlier, then the future kefir will delaminate, and unwanted whey will form. The technology will be broken, and several thousand liters of natural milk will be spoiled.
Here, in tanks, the product matures, and a few hours later it is poured into sterile bottles.
Mixing starter culture with pasteurized milk in a tank -> fermentation at a certain t° -> when the desired level of acidity is reached, cooling begins -> mixing until a homogeneous structure -> ripening of the product -> bottling into sterile bottles
All kefir, curdled milk and yogurt made using this technology have a fairly liquid consistency.
thermostatic method
Thermostatic production method was conceived to revive the old Russian technology, when spoiled milk in clay pots, it was placed in the oven and languished for a long time at a slowly changing temperature, ripening for several hours.
The gentle mode of the thermostatic method made it possible to recreate conditions close to the production of natural fermented milk products in a rustic stove, only the clay oven was replaced by modern thermostatic installations.
In such thermostatic chambers, it is possible to maintain the required temperature for a long time, adjusting it with an accuracy of tenths of a degree.
The peculiarity of the thermostatic method is that milk or cream together with the starter is immediately closed, and the product is placed in a special chamber, where it is aged for some time and thickens.
For example, how is thermostatic sour cream made?
First you need to get cream by separating fresh cow's milk. It happens like this: the milk is cleaned, heated and sent to the cream separator, where, under the action of centrifugal force, the milk is separated into skimmed milk and cream.
After that, the cream is pasteurized in a special cream pasteurizing and cooling unit at a temperature of 92-95°C with a holding time of 180 seconds. Then they are cooled to a fermentation temperature of 32-36°C and sent to a container for sour cream.
The sourdough is poured into the cream, everything is thoroughly mixed and sent for bottling into glasses. After packaging, the glasses are transported to a thermostatic chamber, where the cream thickens during fermentation (6-8 hours), acquires the taste and aroma of sour cream. The process of cooling and ripening of sour cream lasts from 24 to 48 hours.
So the process looks like this:
Mixing prepared cream with sour cream starter -> mixing -> pouring into glasses -> fermentation in a thermostatic chamber
In addition to thermostatic sour cream, yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese can be produced.
The thermostatic method made it possible to return to the recipe of the last century. Thanks to this technology, today we can buy the same products that our great-grandparents ate a hundred years ago.
What is the fundamental difference?
Thermostatic products are difficult to manufacture and more susceptible to changes in external factors: in sourdough, temperature conditions, characteristics of milk from different farms, the duration of the packaging process. With this method, naturalness is guaranteed, and products may differ from batch to batch, which is considered quite normal.
Unlike the reservoir method, where the clot is broken with a stirrer, and the product itself acquires a drinking consistency, with the thermostatic method, the clot retains its integrity, and the product itself remains so thick that it can be eaten with a spoon.
Both methods use heating and cooling. Heating is necessary in order to create a favorable environment for the propagation of cultures of live sourdough. Moreover, each type of sourdough has its own temperature (in the range from 32 to 42°C).
Cooling is necessary for the maturation of the clot, when the milk protein begins to swell and thicken. At the same time, the product acquires a pleasant sour taste and characteristic aroma. The fact is that low temperature provides favorable conditions for slowly developing microflora - yeast, acetic acid and aroma-forming bacteria.
tank method allows you to produce more product at the same time than with the thermostatic method, but the quality traditional product somewhat loses to thermostatic kefir, curdled milk or yogurt.
Thermostatic fermented milk products are distinguished by their special tenderness and taste.
Drink, children, not only milk!
Components of a Whole fresh milk in fermented milk products they retain all their beneficial qualities, but are absorbed many times better. The protein in them is processed by the body three times faster than milk protein.
Lactic acid of live sourdough improves the functioning of internal organs, improves immunity, enriches the body with vitamins. Such a product contains the beneficial microflora of live probiotic cultures in the highest concentration.
Advice from the site
Among the huge variety of dairy products on store shelves, thermostatic sour cream has recently appeared. Not everyone knows what it is, so they are reluctant to buy it yet. But those who have already tried it note that it is tastier than regular sour cream. In addition, it is even more useful. What is sour cream This is a fermented milk product that is obtained from cream and sourdough. Its fat content varies from 10 to 58%. Nowadays, it has become so easy to get sour cream that it is quite widespread in many countries. Sour cream can be used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetic purposes.
Previously, before the advent of the separator, sour cream was obtained in this way: the milk was left to sour, and after a couple of days the settled top layer was removed and put in a cool place. Even our great-grandmothers used this method of sour cream production. Of course, such a product did not have a long shelf life. But such production did not cause any problems. Over time, this method faded into the background. Sour cream began to gain popularity and went into mass production. In some places it is still called "Russian cream". And now the milk is separated, then pasteurized and leaven is added. After gaining the desired acidity, the cream is left to ripen in a cool place. After that, sour cream is obtained in two ways: thermostatic and reservoir.
Thermostatic sour cream: what is it
With this method of preparation, sour cream is poured into a container in which it will go to the store. Special starter microorganisms are also added there and sent to thermostatic chambers with a certain temperature for fermentation. With this manufacture, sour cream is thick. And the reservoir cooking method violates the consistency, it becomes liquid.
Thermostatic sour cream - what is it? Many people who only saw it on the shelves wondered. It looks like something familiar, for sure it is useful. And if you read the composition, nothing more, cream and sourdough. It is this method of preparation that saves beneficial features, the taste is brighter, and the product itself is juicy and fragrant.
Advantages and disadvantages
Many who understand what “thermostatic sour cream” means note its advantages over the usual one: sour cream prepared in this way is more viscous, it can be consumed with a spoon; each batch is not similar to the other, because thermostatic products are prone to change due to external factors (packing time, sourdough, temperature regime storage); live sourdough helps to establish the proper functioning of internal organs, improves immunity, contains beneficial microflora of probiotic cultures. Among the shortcomings of thermostatic sour cream, they mainly note a short shelf life and a rather high price compared to the usual one.
How to determine the quality of a product
There is a folk way to check the quality of sour cream. When pouring it from one jar to another, a "slide" should form, from which "waves" diverge, gradually falling off. If the product contains thickeners and stabilizers, the sour cream will simply blur when shifting.
The quality can also be judged by appearance. good sour cream white, glossy finish. There should be no lumps or bumps. Natural sour cream has an almost pure sour-milk taste, sometimes it can be slightly sweet or with a taste of baked milk. All these criteria are met by the best, according to the consumer, varieties of the product.
Best Views thermostatic sour cream
There is not yet a wide variety of this type of product on sale. Most often, there are several varieties: Sour cream "Prostokvashino" thermostatic is considered one of the best due to the fact that it "reaches" in a jar in just a couple of hours. The bank itself is convenient, it does not visually stand out from the rest. The foil is under a tight-fitting lid. It is quite thick in texture. Also, the Brest-Litovsk thermostatic sour cream is in no way inferior to it. Very thick, they say about such "a spoon is worth it." Temostatic sour cream "Korovka from Korenovka" 20% according to reviews is the same in terms of density as the usual 30%. But it is very soft and delicious. These manufacturers are considered the most famous. There is also "Pershinskaya sour cream", "Azov product" and some others. Thermostatic sour cream: reviews Everyone praises its excellent taste, density and compares it with products from childhood. Many grandmothers fermented their homemade sour cream to the delight of relatives and baked pancakes, treating grandchildren. Also, most buyers note a not very affordable price per can. In this regard, of course, it is cheaper to buy sour cream of the reservoir preparation method. But many say that you can pay extra for such a bright taste. - Read more on FB.ru.
Sour cream is a fermented milk product produced by fermenting normalized pasteurized cream with pure cultures of lactic acid streptococci.
Sour cream has a high nutritional value due to a significant amount of milk fat (from 10 to 40%), protein content (about 3%), lactose (3%), organic acids (0.7-0.8%) and other components.
Recently, for the purpose of rational nutrition of the population, sour cream with 15, 20 and 25% fat content has been produced in large quantities.
Currently, for the production of sour cream, not only fresh cream but also cream powder, whole and skimmed milk powder, frozen and plastic cream. Therefore, the consistency, taste and smell of sour cream differ from those of 30% fat sour cream.
The consistency of sour cream largely depends on the content of fat and SOMO, with an increase in which it becomes thicker, the separation of whey from the clot slows down.
Sour cream is produced in two ways: thermostatic and reservoir using cream homogenization or using low-temperature processing (physical maturation) before fermentation.
The technological cycle of sour cream production consists of the following main operations: acceptance and separation of milk, normalization of cream, pasteurization, homogenization, cooling, fermentation and fermentation of cream, packaging, cooling and ripening of sour cream, storage and transportation.
With the thermostatic method of producing sour cream, the cream after fermentation is packed in glass containers and fermented in a thermostatic chamber, after which it is cooled. This method produces low-fat types of sour cream, it is also used when using raw materials with a low SOMO content.
One of the conditions for obtaining high quality sour cream is pasteurization at high temperatures. The pasteurization temperature, depending on the fat content of the cream, is 92-96 ° C with a holding time of 15-20 s. This mode provides a more stable sour cream with a thick consistency during storage and with a pronounced taste of pasteurized cream, which is imparted by the resulting free sulfhydryl groups, volatile carbonyl compounds, lactones, etc.
On the quality cream has a significant effect on the homogenization of cream, which contributes to a significant improvement in its consistency.
Sour cream is packaged at fermentation temperatures or after partial cooling and left to ripen in refrigerators at 1-7 "C.
The main ways to improve the quality of low-fat sour cream with a traditional consistency are: high pasteurization temperature; homogenization and physical ripening of cream; packing by gravity with compressed air; adding food fillers, protein stabilizers to the cream.
Along with organoleptic indicators, when assessing the quality of sour cream, its acidity is taken into account, which should not exceed the values
Packed up sour cream in large (transport) and small containers. Sour cream intended for transportation and long-term storage, packed in wide-mouth flasks with a net weight of 35 kg, wooden barrels with a net weight of 50 kg and in small containers: glass jars, cardboard or polystyrene cups with a net weight of 50, 100, 200, 250 and 500 g.
Small-packed sour cream of 20, 25, 30 and 40% fat content is stored at a temperature not exceeding 6 ° C in a store for no more than 3 days, without refrigeration - no more than 24 hours. Dietary sour cream should be sold immediately after receipt.
To ensure a uniform supply of the population with sour cream, it is reserved and stored in large containers at temperatures from 0 to -2 "FROM and relative air humidity not more than 85% up to 3-4 months, depending on the quality.
When transporting sour cream, freezing, strong shaking should not be allowed, as this can lead to the release of whey, the appearance of a grainy consistency.
Sour cream- a fermented milk product produced by fermenting normalized pasteurized cream with pure cultures of lactic acid streptococci.
Sour cream has a high nutritional value due to the content of a significant amount of milk fat (10-40%), about 30% proteins and 3% lactose, 0.7-0.8% organic acids and other components.
The range of sour cream varies depending on the mass fraction of milk fat, the use of various food fillers (SOM - skimmed milk powder, sodium caseinate, condensed milk, soft diet low-fat cottage cheese, MBC - milk protein concentrate, soy protein, vegetable fats). In the production of new types of sour cream can be used nutritional supplements(dyes, flavors, etc.).
More than 30 types of sour cream are produced in the country. The main types of sour cream include sour cream, which differs mainly in fat content.
Recently, for the purpose of rational nutrition, sour cream of 15.20 and 25% fat content has been produced in large quantities.
Sour cream of 15% fat content, sour cream with fillers (student 10% fat content, canteen 15% fat content, homemade 20% fat content, Special sour cream of 10 and 20% fat content, sour cream acidophilic, sour cream enriched with milk protein, "Moscow", sour cream "Protein"), etc.
Sour cream is a Russian national product, has a high calorie content.
Sour cream is obtained by fermentation from pasteurized cream for several hours at a temperature of 18-20°C.
Sour cream is subdivided depending on the mass fraction of fat (in%):
- low-fat - 10, 12, 14;
- low-fat - 15, 17, 19;
- classic - 20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34;
- oily - 35, 37, 40, 42, 45, 48;
- high-fat - 50, 52, 55, 58.
Assortment of sour cream: dietary sour cream 10% fat; sour cream 20 and 25% fat; ordinary sour cream 30% fat, it is divided into the highest grade (acidity 65-90°T) and the first grade (acidity 65-110°T).
Sour cream is produced with fruit and berry, coffee, chocolate, protein fillers.
The quality of sour cream is of great importance. High-quality sour cream has a pure sour-milk taste and smell with a pronounced taste and aroma characteristic of a pasteurized product, a uniform consistency, moderately thick, glossy appearance. Sour cream of 20-, 25- and 30% fat content may not be thick enough, slightly viscous; for sour cream of 20% fat content, the presence of single air bubbles is acceptable.
According to the standard, fat content, acidity, mass fraction of solids for sour cream with protein fillers are normalized.
Pathogenic microorganisms are not allowed in sour cream.
If there was a fashion for dairy products, then jars marked "thermostat" would flaunt in the top lines of the most authoritative and high-status ratings. Kefir, yogurt and sour cream made in the thermostatic process are taking over the dairy market due to the fact that modern technologies in combination with rural traditions, they allow you to create more advanced products that bring maximum benefit.
For the sake of objectivity, it must be admitted that under the newfangled brand with a loud name, you can see a good old friend - a rural product from fresh milk from his cow, fermented at home and stewed in clay pots in the warmth of a Russian stove. The thermostatic production method made it possible to revive ancient traditions at a new high-tech level, returning to the origins of the production of natural dairy products.
Until today, we have been buying yogurt, kefir and sour cream made tank method . With this method, the starter is introduced into pasteurized milk, placed in stainless steel tanks with a volume of up to ten thousand liters. The ratio of such a starter to milk is 1 to 20.
Sourdough acts on milk at a certain temperature. The most important thing in this process is to accurately record the time when the acidity of the product reaches the required level. At this very moment, not earlier and not later, you need to start cooling. To do this, between the double walls of the tank they let cold water. At the same time, the agitator, which looks like a huge fan with one blade, turns on. It breaks the clot to a homogeneous state.
With the reservoir method, a dairy product of a sufficiently liquid homogeneous consistency is obtained. It can be easily poured into sterile bottles.
This method is economically viable, as it allows the production of large volumes of products with minimal cost time and resources.
At thermostatic method fermentation takes place in the same container, in which the product will arrive on store shelves a little later.
The expert of the agro-industrial holding “Brothers Cheburashkins. Family farm” Svetlana Vitkovskaya:
“The main distinguishing feature of the thermostatic method is that milk or cream, together with the starter, is immediately closed, and the product is placed in a special chamber, where it is aged for some time and thickens. How this happens, I'll tell you on the example of yogurt. At the beginning, milk goes through several stages: purification, normalization by mass fraction of fat and dry matter, homogenization, pasteurization at 92-95 ° C, holding for 300 seconds and cooling to a fermentation temperature of 36-38 ° C. Then special yoghurt cultures (sourdough) are introduced, which allow you to get a dense consistency. The starter type determines the final product. Immediately after mixing the starter, the yogurt is sent to the filling machine for filling into cups. Jam is poured at the bottom of the glass, and fermented milk is added on top. The cups are transported to a thermostatic chamber with an automatically maintained temperature of 38-40 °C, where the fermentation process takes place within 4-5 hours - a dense, undisturbed clot is formed. Then the cups with thermostatic yogurt are cooled to 2-6 °C and delivered for shipment. All this takes 24-36 hours. Our factory produces six types of this yoghurt. As additives, only jam made from berries with added sugar is used. By the same method - thermostatic - we make sour cream.”
Products made in the oven process have a thicker texture. Yogurt yogurt made by the tank method is easy to drink, and the same yogurt made by the thermostat method can be eaten with a spoon. Thermostatic kefir is less homogeneous than tank kefir. Thermostatic sour cream is distinguished by its natural density. The taste of thermostatic products is more intense and rich, at the same time it is more delicate and natural.
Dairy products made by the thermostatic method carefully convey everything to us useful material for which we value natural milk so highly. The protein of thermostatic yogurt, kefir or sour cream is absorbed 30% faster than whole protein milk. Live active components of probiotic cultures with the thermostatic method retain the maximum healing effect, improving the functioning of all internal organs and human systems.
Thermostatic dairy products are extremely beneficial for baby food. Pediatricians recommend introducing thermostatic kefir into the diet of babies, starting from the age of 7 months. Thermostatic yogurt can be given to children from 9 months.
From a year and a half to extreme old age, it is very useful to take 200 g of kefir or yogurt daily.
When you buy thermostatic dairy products, you keep up with the times, get high-quality nutrition and save your future from health problems.
