Baked milk is made by slowly cooking the raw product. This process continues until the volume of raw milk is reduced by a third and the product acquires a creamy color. Our great-grandmothers cooked it in clay pots placed in a Russian oven and left to simmer for a long time. If the milk was overcooked in the oven, then a certain product was obtained, which was called Varenets. Like baked milk, it brought undoubted benefits to those who drank it regularly.
Today's Varenets is classified as a fermented milk product and is recommended for consumption in the spring, as it improves immunity. The current Varenets is prepared somewhat differently than before: cow's milk is heat treated and fermented. The result is a thick liquid with a delicate sour taste that perfectly quenches thirst and brings considerable benefits. The beneficial properties of Varenets have made it a very famous and widely used product.
The benefits of Varents. What are the benefits of Varenets?
It helps create favorable intestinal microflora. Easily absorbed by the body. It is a dietary product containing lactic acid, complete proteins, and antibiotic substances that successfully suppress decay processes. Its use can be considered a prevention of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Effectively removes waste and toxins from the human body.
Varents contains more than 200 useful components. If Varenets is consumed daily, you can improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys, as well as replenish the human body’s needs for calcium and phosphorus.
Stimulates the production of vitamin C and other vitamins that are ready to help the human body. The most useful substances of the product are considered to be carbohydrates, proteins, easily digestible fats, various amino acids, vitamins and mineral salts. Micro and macroelements help strengthen the bone skeleton and restore blood. The hormones and enzymes contained in Varents make it possible to use this product for children, diabetics and people suffering from tuberculosis, anemia, etc. This is the only product containing yeast. As a result of their vital activity, antibiotics are produced that kill pathogenic microbes. Promotes the synthesis of vitamins: B, D, A, as well as folic acid necessary for the harmonious development of the fetus in pregnant women.
606
Varenets is an ancient fermented milk drink made from baked cow's milk by combined lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation. In the Urals and Siberia, baked milk seasoned not with sour cream, but with cream, was called Varents. This kind of Varenets was served with tea. It is known that A.S. Pushkin loved Varenets very much. In the memoirs of V.A. Nashchokina, the wife of Pushkin’s closest friend P.V. Nashchokin, you can read the following: “We asked for Varents and pickled apples. These were the poet’s favorite foods.”
In the old days, Varenets was traditionally prepared from baked milk, which was simmered in a Russian oven. They poured milk into clay pots and placed them in a heated oven for the whole day. In the evening, yeast was added to the milk, which had been well simmered in a warm oven, and in the morning the Varenets was ready for consumption.
But just as today in modern cooking we find various variations in the preparation of this or that dish, so in the old days they managed to prepare Varenets in strange ways.
Varenets with a silver coin
“Dip one silver coin or a silver teaspoon into one bottle of milk, put it in a warm place for four days, then take liquid cream and put almost half a glass of this silver starter into three bottles, put the cream in a warm oven and stir as often as possible.
After four hours, the Varenets should be ready: then carefully transfer it to another bowl without whey and set it to cool on ice; Serve with sugar and finely crushed and sifted rye breadcrumbs. Silver starter can be stored on ice for two weeks."
Varenets or "Greek milk"
“Pour four bottles of whole milk into a wide jar and place in the oven in front of the coals so that it gradually boils. When the foam formed on top is browned, lower it to the bottom with a spoon and do this with several similar foams.
Then set aside, cool a little, add half or a whole glass of sour cream, put in a warm place to sour. Then cool and serve with sugar.
Today, thanks to modern technology, the preparation of this product has changed. Baked milk is prepared by slowly melting (evaporating) the milk so that it is reduced by at least a third of its volume and acquires a reddish tint. Then the baked milk is seasoned (fermented) with sour cream (at the rate of 200 g per liter) and kept covered for 3-4 hours in a warm room.
This product retains all the beneficial properties of milk, but unlike others, it is better absorbed, normalizes the intestinal microflora and stimulates the production of vitamin C. Varents contains calcium and vitamin D. People over 35 years old lose 1% of bone tissue calcium annually. If you drink 1 glass of Varents every evening, you can strengthen your bone tissue.
Varenets activates the secretion of enzymes in the digestive tract. Digestion of food improves. Lactic acid helps the functioning of the kidneys, stomach and intestinal tract, and also increases appetite. The protein in Varents helps strengthen muscle tissue, including the heart.
Which Varenets is better?
The Varenets product is presented on the market by various manufacturers. Which Varenets tastes better can only be determined by trying the product.
Varenets should not be light white. It should be remembered that this product is prepared from baked milk, so a yellowish or creamy tint of the product is acceptable.
The packaging must indicate the correct name of the product - “Varenets”, nutritional and energy value, in which the protein is clearly regulated - it should not be lower than 2.6%. The composition should contain only milk and sourdough, and no preservatives or dyes. Varenets must be “live”, that is, the content of lactic acid bacteria at the end of its validity period must be no less than 1 in 10 to the 7th power. And one last thing. The shelf life of Varents does not exceed 14 days.
Opened product packaging should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours. The best option is to pour the Varenets into a glass bottle and close it tightly.
Varenets is consumed similarly to kefir - in small sips, warming the drink to room temperature. Varenets made from whole village milk can be much thicker than store-bought milk; such a product must be eaten with a spoon.
Surely many people have heard the word “Varenets” and seen such a product on store shelves, but not everyone knows what Varenets is. Let's try to figure out what products it can be prepared from, find out what benefits it brings to the body and how it differs from a similar drink - fermented baked milk.
Description
Varenets - what is it? This is a fermented milk drink, which is prepared from baked milk using cream as a starter. This product can be purchased at the store, or you can prepare it at home. The consistency of store-bought Varenets is more liquid and drinkable, while homemade Varenets is so thick that you can eat it with a spoon. The photos of Varenets presented in the article show that the high-quality finished product has a beautiful creamy tint. This color is obtained thanks to special substances - melanoidins, they are formed by the interaction of proteins and milk sugar when heated. Varenets has a pleasant aroma characteristic of fermented milk products. The consistency of the product should be uniform.
Varenets in a Russian stove
Varenets, a fermented milk drink traditional in Russian cuisine, has long been prepared in Rus'. To do this, fresh milk was poured into a clay dish and placed in a Russian oven overnight. The milk languished in the oven, decreasing in volume several times, and its color became creamy. After this, the milk should be cooled slightly (approximately to human body temperature) and cream should be added to it. The finished mixture should be left in a warm place for several hours, and then put in the refrigerator.
Beneficial features
It is believed that this fermented milk drink contains approximately two hundred substances that have a positive effect on human health. This product is perfectly absorbed by the body, unlike, for example, milk. This is possible due to partial fermentation of proteins.
Varenets can significantly improve the intestinal microflora, since it contains bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which prevent fermentation processes. Varenets is known to have beneficial properties that help the body resist infectious diseases.
What is Varenets? Firstly, this is a product with a high content of calcium and phosphorus, which have a beneficial effect on the skeletal system and teeth. In addition, calcium is found in a number of enzymes and is involved in muscle contraction. Varents contains the following microelements: magnesium, sodium, sulfur, iron, as well as saturated fatty acids.
Secondly, Varents contains vitamins necessary for the body: A, group B, PP, C. With regular consumption of the drink, health and appetite improve, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract is normalized. Varenets has a laxative effect and helps to gently combat constipation. Varenets is also useful during a fasting diet; it has an effective effect on weight loss.
Contraindications
Even such a useful product has contraindications. Drinking the fermented milk drink Varenets is not recommended for people intolerant to lactose, which is found in cow's milk. May cause symptoms of flatulence. If you are intolerant to milk, it may cause an allergic reaction.
Calorie content of the product
Varenets, produced on an industrial scale and offered for sale in stores, has a fat content of 2.5%. Its calorie content is low - about 50 kcal per 100 grams of product, so it is recommended for dietary nutrition in the fight against obesity and overweight. Varenets prepared at home has a calorie content of about 100 kcal per 100 grams of product.
How to choose and store correctly
Let's look at what criteria you should use to choose this product:
- First of all, you should pay attention to the color of the product; it can only be cream or yellow.
- The word “Varenets” must be written on the packaging and the energy and nutritional value must be indicated.
- The product should not contain any other components except milk and starter culture.
- Varenets should have a pronounced sour milk taste.
- The consistency of the product is uniform, the presence of clots and bubbles is not allowed.
- The shelf life of Varents cannot exceed two weeks. After opening the package, the product must be poured into a glass container. It is recommended to warm up before use.
Varenets, prepared at home from natural cow's milk, can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days, and at room temperature - only 24 hours.
How to make Varenets at home
This tasty and healthy product is not difficult to prepare at home. You can prepare it according to an ancient recipe that was used by our ancestors, or you can use a more modern one. You should take 1 liter of milk, and use half a glass of yogurt as a starter. Boil the milk and pour into a thermos, the flask of which must be glass, and leave for 12 hours. Let's get baked milk; if desired, you can get it in the traditional way in the oven. The advantage of the first method is that the amount of milk remains the same. When it turns creamy, you can pour it into another clean container. Prepare clean jars (glass) in advance, put yogurt on the bottom and pour milk, which has a temperature of no more than 40 degrees. Mix everything well, cover with lids and wrap in a blanket. After about 3-4 hours, the Varenets will acquire a thick consistency and will be ready. It is not recommended to overexpose the product, otherwise it may turn out to be sour.
The difference between Varenets and fermented baked milk and kefir
What is Varenets, and how does it differ from other fermented milk products? The technologies for preparing fermented baked milk and Varenets are similar; milk for preparing fermented baked milk is also poured into a clay container and simmered in an oven. The temperature in the oven for fermented baked milk should not exceed 100 degrees, and for Varenets - at least 120. To obtain the first product, sour cream is added to baked milk, and for the second, cream. Ryazhenka is a fattier product, and Varenets can safely be called dietary.
The difference between Varenets and kefir is as follows: Varenets is obtained from baked milk with the addition of beneficial bacteria. Kefir is made from whole milk to which fungi are added.
Use in cooking
Varenets is widely used in cooking. It is used as a base for making pancakes, pies and other sweet pastries. It will add a delicious taste to any salad when used as a dressing.
Cosmetology
Varenets has a good effect as a moisturizing and healing face mask.
For lifting
Varenets is applied to a clean face for 10 minutes, then washed off with warm water. After this, you need to apply moisturizer to your face. It is recommended to carry out this course of treatment for 5 days.
For hydration
A clean face should be lubricated with any vegetable oil, then a thin layer of homemade Varenets should be applied and covered with a linen cloth. After 15 minutes, rinse everything off with warm water.
Traditional Russian Varenets was prepared in the oven. To begin with, you should take a clay pot, pour rich village milk into it, and simmer in an oven at medium temperature until about half of the liquid from the milk evaporates. Then the milk should be cooled, a spoonful of sour cream should be added and left to ferment. The finished product will taste like caramel, will be thick so that a spoon will “stand” in it, and... this is exactly what the dairy industry is trying to reproduce by making Varenets. A modern dairy product with this name is more reminiscent of ryazhenka, both in taste and in the method of preparation.
The content of the article:
What are the benefits of Varenets?
Varenets of the modern dairy industry almost completely replicates the beneficial properties kefir. Yes, it is prepared using acidophilus bacteria and kefir sticks. First of all, the product has a positive effect on digestion. The high content of acidophilus bacteria allows it to be a good natural remedy against inflammatory processes and putrefactive processes in the gastrointestinal tract. It literally blocks the activity of “harmful” bacteria and promotes the active reproduction of beneficial ones. Varenets is considered by many sources to be a real immunomodulator. Indeed, lactic acid bacteria of Varenets can positively influence the general condition of the human immune system, and can help in the fight against seasonal decreases in immunity.
Varenets is a relatively easily digestible product. It does not contain as much milk fat as sour cream, so it can be included in the diet for pancreatic diseases and high cholesterol levels. Varenets is considered an acceptable product for the diet of patients with cardiovascular diseases and people with high blood pressure. Good digestion for such people is the key to the absence of disturbances in intra-abdominal pressure, and one of the auxiliary ways to maintain normal heart function.
Varenets is considered a good natural analogue constipation remedies. Fresh Varenets has a mild laxative effect, but does not cause diarrhea in a healthy person. Therefore, Varenets is often recommended to drink for anyone who wants to get rid of constipation, but does not welcome the use of laxatives.
High-quality Varenets is a good additional source of protein; it contains about 3 g of protein per 100 ml of drink. Since Varenets is usually consumed in relatively large quantities, it can be safely included in the main sources of protein in the diet.
Milk fats in Varenets are healthy in reasonable quantities. Their use contributes to the overall health of the human hormonal system, and allows you to control intake saturated fat.
Varenets can be included in the diet of patients with diabetes, provided that its quantities are adequate, and taking Varenets will not replace main meals or be combined with sweet fruits. Natural Varenets without added sugar is recommended for such people to combine with bran or fiber in your diet.
Varenets can become part of a pregnant woman's diet if she does not have lactose intolerance. The product contains everything you need, in particular milk fat, prebiotics and milk protein. It helps normalize digestion and helps provide the woman’s body with water-soluble vitamins due to this. Varenets is a good additional source of calcium. The mineral is important not only for the formation of the skeletal system of the unborn child, but also for maintaining the health of the mother’s teeth and skeletal system. In addition, calcium is involved in the synthesis vitamin D, which is important for the normal speed of metabolic processes.
Varenets in weight loss diets
In modern approaches to diet, two extremes can be seen:
- many eat only dairy products, and drink the same Varenets in liters, almost completely replacing milk and “derivatives” of absolutely all other protein sources. Various mono-diets and restrictive nutritional systems are blooming “lushly”, when instead of normal food, vegetables in huge quantities and dairy products are actively consumed, some are completely limited to a liter of Varenets and a kilogram of apples;
- others argue that fermented milk is the main reason someone can't lose weight. They say that dairy products contain aldosterones, which block fat burning, and therefore those who consume them are forced to settle for a very mediocre appearance.
To organize a regular diet for weight loss, completely different problems are relevant. Varenets for many is a product of childhood, more of an emotional food than a permanent guest on the table. That’s why many people drink 500 ml of Varenets instead of a 200 ml serving. There is also a traditional “way” to eat Varenets along with bread and honey. And now a light snack turns into a real full meal, which in its energy value may well exceed the lunch of many citizens. So you need to keep an eye on completely different things.
In particular, when creating a diet with some “special” product for you, you need to think through it so that the portion is truly satiating. The same Varenets or Ryazhenka can be eaten with crispy bread, berries, or made into smoothies with fruits and berries.
The main thing in consuming any food “for weight loss” is a moderate amount of portions so that the amount of food is not excessive. Everything else should be determined by personal preference.
Stories that dairy products can seriously make someone already thin look fat if they don't overeat are untrue. Just as the amount of dairy products in the diet does not really matter for a person whose fat percentage is above normal, in this case the most important thing is to create a calorie deficit and follow the diet for a long time, and not eat any specific foods.
Varenets cannot be the reason for stopping weight loss, at least if a person does not get excess calories from Varenets. It is also worth keeping in mind that dairy products in themselves cannot be considered a cause of overeating.
Many argue that milk sugar is not suitable for those losing weight, and Varenets and Ryazhenka are literally “teeming” with milk sugar. Yes, lactose is a source simple carbohydrates, but its amount in Varents is minimal. It is contained in the product in the amount of only 4 g per 100 ml. That is, for a standard “weight loss” portion, that is, a glass of Varenets, we will get “as much as” 8 g of lactose. This is much less than the “allowed” 10% of the total amount in the diet, and therefore should not confuse anyone.
But mono-diets on Varents and fasting days, repeated with frightening regularity, for example, every day, should puzzle fitness lovers and supporters of a healthy lifestyle. We, of course, can do without other food altogether, but with Varents we will only get about 800 kcal, and only if we drink 1.5 liters of the drink. It is worth recalling that if a reasonable amount of prebiotics is good for the gastrointestinal tract, then their excess is a real evil. That is, diarrhea with such “fasting-cleansing” diets is usually guaranteed.
Is it possible to eat “village” Varenets on a regular diet? The question is complex, especially when you consider that village varenets made from full-fat milk can provide the body with up to 200 kcal per 200 ml serving. Of course, you can eat it if it fits into the calorie, protein, fats and carbohydrates.
How to cook Varenets at home
Before the advent of multicookers, everything depended on the process of evaporating milk. Even the most gentle oven temperature is 120 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the milk does not evaporate, but boils. Therefore, fans of this dairy product came up with the idea of evaporating at the above temperature, but with the oven lid open. To obtain Varents, milk was poured into a clay or fireproof container and simmered until the total volume of liquid dropped by half. In principle, this method works and allows you to get a creamy texture of the drink.
In a slow cooker the process is even simpler. All you have to do is find the instructions for your multicooker and select a heating mode of no more than 90 degrees. If the milk boils, you won't get the desired flavor. The milk is simmered in a slow cooker for one and a half to 2 hours to obtain a “blank”.
Then, in both versions, both from the oven and from the multicooker, the milk must be completely cooled. After this, add a spoonful of natural sour cream, the packaging of which indicates the total number of lactic acid bacteria in it.
In 12 hours the Varenets will be ready. It can be eaten immediately, or poured into glass or enamel containers and stored in the refrigerator.
Harm of Varenets
First of all, when purchasing dairy products, you should be very careful about expiration dates. Varenets, like other dairy products, can be purchased expired, which can lead to serious food poisoning. Normal dairy products can be determined by their appearance; a product with an intact shelf life will never inflate the package so that it bursts.
Varenets is not recommended for consumption only by people who are forced to limit lactose due to lactose intolerance. Although Varenets is a fairly easily digestible product even for them and can be consumed by them in reasonable quantities.
Varenets must be limited in protein-free diets patients with kidney disease; in other cases, reasonable limiting portions.
Video on the topic
Especially for – fitness trainer Elena Selivanova
Hello, Doctor! Who would know how constipation tormented me... I am already 74 years old and our local doctor, as soon as she sees me on the threshold of her office, waves her hands and quickly says: “Well, what do you want? To make your intestines work like a young one? Yes, this will never happen again, n-i-k-o-g-d!” I would agree with the doctor that I am already many years old... How can one not agree with this - after all, I look in the mirror at least once a day. But even in my youth, when I was not yet 30, I also suffered from constipation. And I’ve already told my doctor about this more than once, but for some reason she immediately forgets about it. Yes, it’s understandable - how many of us are there in her area... So she brushes me off like an annoying fly, and tells me to drink laxatives and do enemas... But I’ve already, excuse me, picked my entire butt with this enema tip...
Doctor, dear, maybe you can at least give me some useful advice? Without reference to my age... Well, why remind me of it - I already know how old I am... Otherwise, at least lie down and die!
- Lyudmila Petrovna Praskovitinova, Vladimir region
And another letter...
Doctor, hello! I have a problem - my intestines don’t work at all - I don’t have a bowel movement for 5-6 days. I walk around, do something, but I think about it all the time. And I've been doing this for almost two years now.
Maybe you have something effective in your stores of knowledge and experience?
- Mikhail Fedorovich Moskalev, Omsk
Hello! Here's what I'll tell you about constipation...
What causes constipation?
First of all, intestinal activity is worsened by an insufficient amount of liquid and plant fibers supplied with food, depression, low physical activity, pregnancy, emotional overload (stress), excessive use of laxatives, painful conditions in the anal funnel area and the ampullary part of the rectum (external and internal hemorrhoids). , crack in the rectal mucosa, polyps, etc.).
Disturbs the functioning of the intestines: atherosclerotic damage to the arteries supplying blood to the small and large intestines, painful changes in the pubococcygeus muscle (sagging of the pelvic diaphragm - a muscular hammock for the pelvic organs: the bladder, the uterus with appendages in women, the final part of the rectum and its sphincter) , prolapse of the internal organs of the abdominal cavity (most often, sagging of the pelvic diaphragm with prolapse of the uterus in women and prolapse of the internal organs of the abdomen - when every step without orthopedic insoles is a huge blow and the shock wave rushes upward, causing irreparable damage to the entire body and internal organs of the abdomen and small pelvis - in particular leads to sagging of the transverse colon and to).
Ryazhenka has a high content of calcium and phosphorus. During simmering in the oven, milk proteins interact with milk sugars, forming completely new substances - melanoidins, which give this fermented milk product its characteristic color, a sort of dark creamy tint and an unusual, very pleasant taste.
Is it possible to prepare Varenets at home?
After all, not even every rural house has a Russian stove... And what can we say about a city apartment... It turns out that Varenets can be cooked without a stove. If you have such a good desire to cook Varenets at home...
You can use a regular oven. You just need to remember that the milk should not be allowed to boil. To prevent this from happening, you can lower the temperature in the oven by opening the oven door slightly. When simmering in an open container, a thick foam forms on the surface of the milk, which is especially valued by Varenets connoisseurs.
The open method of cooking (that is, in an open container) has a remarkable effect on the taste and aroma and is even revered by connoisseurs of Varenets as the best method. Many people (and technologists) consider the foam to be the main distinguishing feature of Varents from ryazhenka. In addition, fermented baked milk is characterized by the addition of cream and higher fat content.
If there is not only a stove, but even an oven in the house, then to prepare Varents you can use a thermos with a glass flask (many people still have such thermoses).
You need to heat the milk to a temperature of 92–95 ° C (remember that you should not allow the milk to boil), then immediately pour it into a glass thermos flask and close it. Leave for 7–8 hours (the guideline is the change in color of the milk - it takes on a creamy tint. As soon as you see this creamy tint, this is a change in the color of the milk - immediately pour into another container and leave to cool to 38-40 ° C. As soon as the stewed milk cooled to this temperature - add the starter and pour it back into the glass thermos flask. And after 3-4 hours your wonderful and healthy Varenets will be ready.
Varenets is consumed in small sips, after warming this wonderful drink to room temperature. Homemade varenets made from natural village milk is most often much thicker in consistency than what you buy in supermarkets. And you don’t have to drink it, you eat it with a spoon. Black bread with honey and fresh pastries go perfectly with thick varents.
I have already said that the Russian Varenets is very similar to the Tatar katyk. It should also be said that different peoples on Earth have national fermented milk drinks prepared on the basis of baked milk, similar in their recipes. For example, Georgian matsoni or Armenian matsun.
The beneficial properties of Varents cannot be overestimated... It is known that Varents contains about two hundred different substances that have a positive effect on human health. This fermented milk product is absorbed by the human body much better and much more completely than regular milk... And this is all due to the partial fermentation of the proteins included in its composition.
I repeat - this amazing drink normalizes the microflora of the large intestine, since it itself is a source of beneficial lacto- and bifidum bacteria, which prevent the process of putrefactive fermentation. In addition, Varenets contains lactic acid and other natural antibacterial substances that prevent the proliferation of putrefactive bacteria. Nutritional scientists have identified the ability of Varenets to improve the functioning of the immune system and increase resistance to infectious diseases.
It should be remembered that if there is a lack of lactase (there is such a digestive enzyme) in the intestines, when consuming Varents, bloating, rumbling and other symptoms of excess gas formation may be observed. This occurs due to the fact that the digestion of milk sugar - lactose - is disrupted, and it begins to ferment in the intestines. People with lactase deficiency should exclude Varenets from their diet.
And please, Lyudmila Petrovna and Mikhail Fedorovich, remember that sluggish digestion is not even a death sentence, that constipation is completely removable, if, of course, you act correctly...
