Among the huge variety of dairy products, thermostatic sour cream has recently appeared on store shelves. Not everyone knows what it is, so they are still reluctant to buy it. But those who have already tried it note that it tastes better than regular sour cream. In addition, it is also more useful.
What is sour cream
This is a fermented milk product made 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 for 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 placed in a cool place. Our great-grandmothers also used this method of producing sour cream. 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 entered mass production. In some places it is still called “Russian cream”. And now they then pasteurize and add sourdough. After reaching the desired acidity, the cream is left to mature in a cool place. After this, sour cream is produced in two ways: thermostatic and tank.
Thermostatic sour cream: what is it?
With this method of preparation, sour cream is poured into a container in which it will be sent to the store. Special starter microorganisms are also added there and sent to thermostatic chambers at a certain temperature for ripening. When made this way, the sour cream turns out thick. And the tank method of cooking disrupts the consistency, it becomes liquid.
What is it? Many people who just saw it on the shelves wondered. It looks familiar, it's probably useful. And if you read the ingredients, there’s nothing extra, just cream and sourdough.
It is this cooking method that preserves the beneficial properties, the taste is brighter, and the product itself is juicy and aromatic.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Many who understand what “thermostatic sour cream” means note its advantages over regular sour cream:
- sour cream prepared in this way is more viscous and can be consumed with a spoon;
- each batch is different from the other, since thermostatic products are prone to change due to external factors (duration of packaging, fermentation, storage temperature);
- live sourdough helps to establish the proper functioning of internal organs, improves immunity, and contains beneficial microflora of probiotic cultures.
Among the disadvantages of thermostatic sour cream, they mainly note a short shelf life and a rather high price compared to regular sour cream.
How to determine product quality
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” emanate, gradually falling. If the product contains thickeners and stabilizers, the sour cream will simply spread when transferred.
Quality can also be judged by appearance. Good sour cream, white in color, with a glossy surface. There should be no lumps or unevenness. Natural sour cream has an almost pure fermented milk taste, sometimes it can be a little sweet or with a taste of baked milk.
All these criteria are met by the best, according to the consumer, product varieties.
The best types of thermostatic sour cream
There is not yet a wide variety of this type of product on sale. The most common types are:
- Thermostatic sour cream “Prostokvashino” is considered one of the best due to the fact that it “arrives” in the jar in just a couple of hours. The jar itself is convenient and does not visually stand out from the rest. The foil is under a tight-fitting lid. The consistency is quite thick.
- Also, thermostatic sour cream “Brest-Litovsk” is in no way inferior to it. It’s very thick, they say it’s worth a spoonful.
- Temostat sour cream "Cow from Korenovka" 20%, according to reviews, is the same in density as the usual 30%. But it is very tender and tasty.
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, thickness and compares it with products from childhood. Many grandmothers fermented their homemade sour cream to the delight of their loved ones and baked pancakes to treat their grandchildren. Also, most buyers note the not very affordable price per jar. In this regard, of course, it is cheaper to buy sour cream using the tank method of preparation. But many say that you can pay extra for such a bright taste.
Among all, sour cream from the Prostokvashino company is distinguished, noting its creamy, slightly sweetish taste. This is considered an indicator of naturalness.
It turns out that thermostatic sour cream is becoming increasingly popular. More and more people are learning what it is. It is a storehouse of useful vitamins and substances that have a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole.
If there was a fashion for dairy products, then jars marked “thermostatic” would flaunt at the top of the most authoritative and high-status ratings. Kefir, yoghurt and sour cream produced using the thermostatic process are taking over the dairy market as modern technology combines with rustic traditions to create better products that provide maximum benefits.
For the sake of objectivity, we must admit that under the newfangled brand with a loud name you can see a good old friend - a village product made from fresh milk from your own 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 bought yogurt, kefir and sour cream made tank method . With this method, the starter is added to pasteurized milk, placed in stainless steel tanks with a volume of up to ten thousand liters. The ratio of this starter to milk is 1 to 20.
The starter 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, cold water is let in between the double walls of the tank. At the same time, the stirrer turns on, looking like a huge fan with one blade. It breaks the clot to a homogeneous state.
With the reservoir method, a dairy product is obtained with a fairly liquid homogeneous consistency. It can be easily poured into sterile bottles.
This method is economically beneficial, as it allows you to produce large volumes of products with minimal investment of time and resources.
At thermostat method ripening occurs in the same container in which the product will later appear on store shelves.
An expert from the agro-industrial holding “Cheburashkin Brothers” talks about the features of this method. Family farm” Svetlana Vitkovskaya:
“The main distinguishing feature of the thermostatic method is that the milk or cream along with the starter is immediately closed, and the product is placed in a special chamber, where it is kept for some time and thickens. I’ll tell you how this happens using yogurt as an example. At the beginning, milk goes through several stages: purification, normalization by mass fraction of fat and dry substances, homogenization, pasteurization at 92-95 °C, holding for 300 seconds and cooling to fermentation temperature - 36-38 °C. Then special yoghurt cultures (sourdough) are added, which make it possible to obtain a dense consistency. The type of starter determines the final product. Immediately after mixing the starter, the yogurt is sent to a filling machine for packing into cups. Jam is poured into 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 sent for shipment. All this takes 24-36 hours. Our plant produces six types of such yogurt. Only jam made from berries with added sugar is used as additives. We also make sour cream using the same thermostat method.”
Thermostatically processed products have a thicker texture. Yogurt yogurt made by the tank method is easy to drink, and the same yogurt made by the thermostatic method can be eaten with a spoon. Thermostatic kefir is less homogeneous than tank kefir. Thermostatic sour cream has a natural thickness. The taste of thermostatic products is more intense and rich, but at the same time it is more delicate and natural.
Dairy products produced using a thermostatic method carefully convey to us all the beneficial substances for which we value natural milk so highly. Protein from thermostatic yogurt, kefir or sour cream is absorbed 30% faster than whole protein milk. The living active components of probiotic cultures using the thermostat method retain the maximum healing effect, improving the functioning of all internal organs and human systems.
Thermostatic dairy products are extremely useful for baby food. Pediatricians recommend introducing thermostatic kefir into the diet of babies starting at 7 months of age. Thermostatic yogurt can be given to children from 9 months.
From one and a half years to old age, it is very useful to take 200 g of kefir or yogurt daily.
By purchasing thermostatic dairy products, you are keeping up with the times, receiving high-quality nutrition and saving your future from health problems.
Among the huge variety of dairy products, thermostatic sour cream has recently appeared on store shelves. Not everyone knows what it is, so they are still reluctant to buy it. But those who have already tried it note that it tastes better than regular sour cream. In addition, it is also more useful. What is sour cream? It is a fermented milk product made 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 for 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 placed in a cool place. Our great-grandmothers also used this method of producing sour cream. 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 entered mass production. In some places it is still called “Russian cream”. Now the milk is separated, then pasteurized and a starter is added. After reaching the desired acidity, the cream is left to mature in a cool place. After this, sour cream is produced in two ways: thermostatic and tank.
Thermostatic sour cream: what is it?
With this method of preparation, sour cream is poured into a container in which it will be sent to the store. Special starter microorganisms are also added there and sent to thermostatic chambers at a certain temperature for ripening. When made this way, the sour cream turns out thick. And the tank method of cooking disrupts the consistency, it becomes liquid.
Thermostatic sour cream - what is it? Many people who just saw it on the shelves wondered. It looks familiar, it's probably useful. And if you read the ingredients, there’s nothing extra, just cream and sourdough. It is this cooking method that preserves the beneficial properties, the taste is brighter, and the product itself is juicy and aromatic.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Many who understand what “thermostatic sour cream” means note its advantages over regular sour cream: sour cream prepared in this way is more viscous and can be consumed with a spoon; each batch is different from the other, since thermostatic products are prone to change due to external factors (duration of packaging, fermentation, storage temperature); live sourdough helps to establish the proper functioning of internal organs, improves immunity, and contains beneficial microflora of probiotic cultures. Among the disadvantages of thermostat sour cream, they mainly note a short shelf life and a rather high price compared to regular sour cream.
How to determine product quality
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” emanate and gradually fall. If the product contains thickeners and stabilizers, the sour cream will simply spread when transferred.
Quality can also be judged by appearance. Good sour cream, white in color, with a glossy surface. There should be no lumps or unevenness. Natural sour cream has an almost pure fermented milk taste, sometimes it can be a little sweet or with a taste of baked milk. All these criteria are met by the best, according to the consumer, product varieties.
The best types of thermostatic sour cream
There is not yet a wide variety of this type of product on sale. Most often, there are several varieties: Thermostatic sour cream “Prostokvashino” is considered one of the best due to the fact that it “reaches” the jar in just a couple of hours. The jar itself is convenient and does not visually stand out from the rest. The foil is under a tight-fitting lid. The consistency is quite thick. Also, thermostatic sour cream “Brest-Litovsk” is in no way inferior to it. It’s very thick, they say it’s worth a spoonful. Temostat sour cream "Cow from Korenovka" 20%, according to reviews, is the same in density as the usual 30%. But it is very tender and tasty. 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, thickness and compares it with products from childhood. Many grandmothers fermented their homemade sour cream to the delight of their loved ones and baked pancakes to treat their grandchildren. Also, most buyers note the not very affordable price per jar. In this regard, of course, it is cheaper to buy sour cream using the tank method of preparation. But many say that you can pay extra for such a bright taste. - Read more on FB.ru.
Recently, a new product has appeared on store shelves in dairy departments - kefir, yogurt, yogurt and even cottage cheese labeled “thermostatic”. What are the features of the thermostat method? How is it different from the traditional method? What are its advantages?
The usual way
The technology for making fermented milk products has not changed for many decades in a row. It has been successfully used in dairies for a long time tank production method, when the starter is added to large tanks. In these vats, both the fermentation and maturation of future kefir, yogurt or curdled milk takes place.
These vats for fermenting fermented milk products are called tanks. Their sizes are amazing - they contain from 5,000 to 10,000 liters of liquid product at a time!
Ferment in an amount of up to 5% of the total volume is added to a tank with pasteurized milk, in which a certain temperature necessary for fermentation is maintained.
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 stirrer begins to work. It breaks the formed clot to a uniform homogeneous structure.
It is very important to start cooling on time! If you do this earlier, the future kefir will separate 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 bottled into sterile bottles.
Mixing the starter with pasteurized milk in a tank -> ripening at a certain t° -> upon reaching the desired acidity level, cooling begins -> mixing until a homogeneous structure -> ripening the product -> filling 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 ancient Russian technology, when sour milk in clay pots was placed in an oven and simmered for a long time at a slowly changing temperature, maturing for several hours.
The gentle regime of the thermostatic method made it possible to recreate conditions close to the production of natural fermented milk products in a village stove, only the clay stove was replaced by modern thermostatic installations.
In such thermostatic chambers it is possible to maintain the required temperature for a long time, regulating it with an accuracy of tenths of a degree.
The peculiarity of the thermostatic method is that the milk or cream along with the starter is immediately closed, and the product is placed in a special chamber, where it is aged and thickened for some time.
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 influence of centrifugal force, the milk is separated into skim milk and cream.
After this, the cream is pasteurized in a special cream pasteurization 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.
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), acquiring 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 -> stirring -> pouring into glasses -> fermenting in a thermostatic chamber
In addition to thermostatic sour cream, you can produce yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese.
The thermostat method allowed us to return to the recipe of the last century. Thanks to this technology, today we can buy the same products that our great-grandparents enjoyed a hundred years ago.
What is the fundamental difference?
Thermostatic products are difficult to manufacture and are more susceptible to changes in external factors: in sourdough, temperature conditions, characteristics of milk from different farms, duration of the packaging process. With this method, naturalness is guaranteed, and the products may differ from batch to batch, which is considered quite normal.
Unlike the reservoir method, where the curd is broken with a stirrer and the product itself acquires a drinkable consistency, with the thermostatic method the curd 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 live starter cultures. Moreover, each type of starter has its own temperature (in the range from 32 to 42°C).
Cooling is necessary for the curd to ripen, 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 temperatures provide 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 of the traditional product is somewhat inferior to thermostatic kefir, curdled milk or yogurt.
Thermostatic fermented milk products are particularly tender and tasty.
Drink, children, not just milk!
The components of whole fresh milk in fermented milk products 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 from live sourdough improves the functioning of internal organs, improves immunity, and enriches the body with vitamins. This product contains the beneficial microflora of living probiotic cultures in the highest concentration.
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