Have you ever seen how village sour cream is made? The milk is poured into a jar or clay jar and allowed to stand for a day in a warm place, and then, when it sours a little, the cream is skimmed off. In a couple of days they will turn into thick sour cream. The one you want to eat with a spoon. And it’s impossible to stop.
In dairy production, time is money. No one will wait here for the milk to sour on its own. Therefore, sourdough is simply added to the cream. But cream can be different - not very fresh, not fat enough. Therefore, to make the sour cream thick and appetizing, the manufacturer has to resort to tricks - adding thickeners or starch.
Good and bad
In fact, GOST prohibits flavoring sour cream with any non-dairy ingredients. This applies to starch, thickeners (usually carrageenan), and vegetable fats. But the same GOST reports that sour cream should be a homogeneous, thick mass with a glossy surface. What if it turned out liquid or jelly-like? Don't throw it away, after all! So we have to resort to magic ingredients. They are rarely written about on the packaging. Manufacturers prefer to add drugs secretly; as a result, you can only find out about their presence through an examination; an ordinary buyer will never guess.
Good sour cream contains only two ingredients - cream and sourdough.
Sour cream should not be subjected to high-temperature treatment - pasteurization or sterilization. Because this product is good because, like decent kefir, it contains living microorganisms. If the package contains the abbreviation UHT (Ultra High Temperature), this is a sour cream product, and there will be no benefit from it.
QUESTION - ANSWER
Should I buy sour cream from normalized cream?
Yes! In production, heavy cream is diluted with milk to the desired level - this is “normalization”. This is how you get low-fat and low-fat sour cream.
Can I eat it if I'm losing weight?
Yes. Moreover, if you don’t have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you can also eat fatty foods. You'll just eat much less of it. There is an opinion that “zero” yogurt, kefir and 10% sour cream only stimulate appetite due to their acid content. A snack made from grain bread, porridge, vegetables or dried fruits helps prevent this effect.
Is this a useful product or just pampering?
Definitely useful. Any microbe from fermented milk or fermented products, cheeses, live beer and wine is, to one degree or another, a probiotic. Sour cream is no exception. Our physiology is designed to ensure that living microorganisms are constantly present in our diet. Scientists have studied this issue for a long time and are absolutely unanimous in their conclusion. We need it. That’s why the body demands it. For example, the diet of the inhabitants of the North Caucasus has always included suluguni, tan and ayran. After conducting a series of experiments, it turned out that the microflora of long-lived highlanders contains more fermented milk microbes than other peoples.
Is sour cream really useful for lubricating sunburned skin?
No, this is, to put it mildly, not useful. Milk fat blocks sweat glands and does not promote regeneration. In other words, sour cream simply pleasantly cools the skin, but does not in any way speed up its recovery.
Just the facts
The name of the product is associated with the preparation technology: previously, to obtain it, a layer of cream was swept (removed) from the settled milk, and then left to infuse for a couple of days.
Stay informed: artificial products and their effects on the body
Comment from Roskontrol expert Svetlana Dimitrieva:
“The fat content in sour cream must be no less than that indicated on the label. When calculating, a deviation of no more than 0.5% in fat in any direction is allowed.
Another important factor that proves that this is real sour cream: the presence of milk fat. Sour cream is made from cream and sourdough; the Technical Regulations do not provide for anything else. The third aspect is the presence of yeast: they can appear in sour cream if the product’s production technology is not followed. Not all contestants passed the test with honor; there are even outright fakes.
1st place
“Prostokvashino”, 350 g
JSC "DANONE RUSSIA"
Delicious sour cream with a large number of lactic acid microorganisms. It contains no antibiotics, starch or vegetable fat. The only drawback: the shelf life is too long (30 days).
2nd place 
"Brest-Litovsk", 200 g
OJSC "Savushkin Product"
A little bland, but absolutely safe sour cream. No yeast, no vegetable fats, no thickeners, no other harmful additives. Lactic acid microorganisms, however, are also not enough. And the shelf life for “live” sour cream is too long.
3rd place 
“House in the Village”, 330 g
OJSC "Wimm-Bill-Dann Food Products"
Firstly, white lumps were found in this specimen. Secondly, the shelf life raises questions: for village sour cream, 25 days is too long. Thirdly, experts had complaints about the taste (insufficiently fermented milk) and smell (slightly “herbaceous”).
4th place
“36 kopecks”, 350 g
OJSC "Ostankino Dairy Plant"
The yeast content in this sour cream exceeds the permissible limit by 20 times! Perhaps the production or storage technology was violated. One way or another, it is potentially dangerous for the consumer. But the buyer may not notice this: the presence of yeast is not so clearly reflected in the taste and smell.
5th place 
“Blagoda”, 450 g
LLC "Molochnoe delo-Ivnya"
Our experts recognized this sour cream as counterfeit: phytosterols were found in it during laboratory research. This means that vegetable fat has been added to the product. Fortunately, it does not contain antibiotics, mold or yeast - and thank you for that.
6th place 
"Rostagroexport", 500 g
LLC "RostAgroComplex"
There are a lot of lactic acid microorganisms in sour cream, but this is perhaps the only advantage. The manufacturer added vegetable fats and starch to it (and “forgot” to indicate this on the packaging). And the fat content of the product is significantly less than stated: 17.5% versus 20%.
Experts from Roskachestvo examined sour cream with 20 percent fat content. Products from 50 brands were tested. Of all the studies by Roskachestvo on dairy products, this was the most positive! There are 42 high-quality and safe products. Of these, 36 are high-quality products! However, there were some violations - mold and counterfeit.
As part of a fan study by Roskachestvo, sour cream (20 percent fat content) of the 50 most popular brands among Russians was studied according to 75 quality and safety indicators. Most of the products are produced in the Russian Federation (in Belgorod, Vladimir, Vologda, Voronezh, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Leningrad, Moscow, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Pskov, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Sverdlovsk, Tver, Tomsk and Tula regions, Republics of Bashkortostan and Chuvashia, Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories, as well as in Moscow and St. Petersburg). In addition, the study included sour cream of Belarusian brands. The cost of one package of sour cream ranged from 32.9 to 106 rubles at the time of purchase (the study included products in packages ranging from 180 to 500 grams).
According to the research results:
Sour cream 36 brands are recognized as high quality goods.
Sour cream 6 brands - high quality and safe.
Sour cream 8 trademarks are products with violations.
There are several ways to adulterate sour cream. The most popular are replacing animal fat with vegetable fat and animal protein with soy.
1. To recognize counterfeit protein, experts looked for soybean DNA in sour cream. They searched but did not find. There is no soy protein in any of the tested samples.
2. The standard test for recognizing vegetable fats in a product is the test for the presence of phytosterols. Only one brand of sour cream failed the test - "Davlekanovo"(Bashkiria). Analysis of the fatty acid composition of the product confirmed this result: Davlekanovo sour cream does not contain enough acids.
Thus, explored The Davlekanovo product is not sour cream. The presence of phytosterols in a product indicates its falsification. According to the executive secretary of the technical committee for standards for dairy products TK 470/MTK 532, head of the standardization group of the Dairy Union of Russia, candidate of technical sciences Larisa Abdullaeva, from January 2019, such a product will be called “a milk-containing product with a milk fat substitute, produced using sour cream technology.” The regulatory authorities have been notified of this discrepancy.
However, one case out of 50 still refutes the myth about the widespread adulteration of sour cream.
Don't buy sour cream with mold
Great news: no heavy metals, radionuclides, GMI, or pesticides were found in sour cream And insecticides.
Also experts no pathogenic microorganisms (including salmonella) were found in sour cream, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria And coli*.
However, the rosy picture was spoiled by a few exceptions:
Increased yeast content was recorded in sour cream brands "Vologda summer"(Vologda region), (Pskov region) and "Yuryevskaya Burenka"(Vladimir region).
Mold- in sour cream "Green Coast"(Saint Petersburg).
However, it is worth making a reservation here. Perhaps the product deteriorated not at the stage of release from production, but already during transportation, storage and sale. Then questions arise not to the manufacturer, but to transport organizations, distributors and retail chains. Despite this, these goods are recognized as goods with violations. Information about them will be transferred to the control and supervisory authorities.
What else is included?
Preservatives
Milk and cottage cheese should not contain preservatives. This requirement is established by law for these products. However, there is no such requirement at the legislative level for sour cream. Roskachestvo experts took this injustice into account and reflected the requirement in the advanced Roskachestvo standard. According to him, sour cream should not contain preservatives (sorbic and benzoic acids).
Based on test results in sour cream of three brands sorbic acid detected. This is sour cream "Good Burenka"(Saratov region), "Pestravka"(Samara region) and "SPHERM"(Kaluga region). And since manufacturers did not reflect its presence in product labeling, they violated the rights of consumers to reliable labeling and are recognized as violators.
Starch
The presence of starch in sour cream is also not regulated by Russian legislation. At the same time, the manufacturer can reduce the cost of its products by including this “foreign ingredient” in the composition of dairy products.
According to test results starch was found in one brand of sour cream. And although this is not a violation, the product is deprived of the opportunity to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.
A little more about quality
In sour cream of two brands fat content is not 20, but 18.5%. But, despite the fact that the difference of 1.5% fits into the error, these products will not be able to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.
In the sour cream studied the amount of protein is not underestimated And good acidity.
To find out everything about the quality of milk that was used to produce sour cream, experts assessed mass fraction of SOMO. There were no shortcomings in this indicator.
Who is underweight?
Often, research results reveal manufacturers who deceive consumers based on the weight of the product. It’s gratifying when it’s just one manufacturer, but it can spoil the overall picture. For example, a study of kefir revealed only one brand of kefir, in which the declared net weight did not correspond to the actual one.
In the sour cream study, only two cases of consumer deception regarding the weight of the product were recorded. The actual net weight of Davlekanovo sour cream is 395.5 with a declared 420 grams, the net weight of Yuryevskaya Burenka sour cream is 338.4 with a declared 350 grams. Thus, the “Davlekanovo” package lacks 6% of the declared volume of sour cream, while the “Yuryevskaya Burenka” sour cream lacks 3.3%. Not very much, but the fact itself is unpleasant.
Sour cream with a “healing” effect
Many farmers or producers themselves resort to antibiotics to combat animal diseases. In some cases, drugs end up in finished products (see quality study broiler chickens And honey). This also applies to dairy products. Roskachestvo experts have already encountered the presence of antibiotics during research cheese, cottage cheese, kefir.
Now experts are faced with the presence of antibiotics in sour cream. Please note that there are no violators for this indicator. And in general, the situation with antibiotics in this category of dairy products is not at all aggravated.
Trace amounts of tetracycline antibiotics were found in products of only four brands, but all these quantities do not exceed the norms established by law. The presence of penicillin was also recorded in the sour cream of one of these brands, but - similarly - in quantities not exceeding the norm.
Since the amount of antibiotics in the sour cream of these brands does not exceed the standards established by technical regulations, formally the manufacturers of these products will not be considered violators. However, sour cream of these brands will not be able to qualify for the Russian Quality Mark.
Research results
In addition, Roskachestvo experts debunked the myth of widespread adulteration of dairy products. Thus, the presence of vegetable fats was recorded:
in sour cream 1 out of 50 brands studied;
in cheese - 2 out of 30;
in cottage cheese - 3 out of 44;
in kefir - 4 out of 36;
in butter - 6 out of 64.
On average, all currently studied dairy products (butter, cheese, cottage cheese, kefir, sour cream) account for 7% counterfeit products. Such figures indicate isolated discrepancies rather than a trend.
But let's get back to sour cream. Violations were found only in products of eight brands. Among them:
replacing animal fat with vegetable fat ( "Davlekanovo");
the use of a preservative - sorbic acid ( "Good Burenka", "Pestravka" And "SPHERM");
increased yeast content ( "Vologda summer", "Dairy products of Pushkinogorye" And "Yuryevskaya Burenka") and the presence of mold ( "Green Coast");
difference between declared and actual net weight ( "Davlekanovo" And "Yuryevskaya Burenka").
Sour cream is a fermented milk product obtained through fermented milk fermentation from sourdough and cream. It got its name from its original production at home. First, the settled milk (top layer) was poured off, and then the layer that was under the cream was swept away (collected) with a spoon or whisk. This is exactly what sour cream is – a delicious, highly nutritious product.
Types of sour cream
Sour cream can be divided according to various criteria, for example, according to the production method:
- smooth – this is the top layer removed from sour milk;
- separator - for its production a special apparatus is used, which allows ordinary milk to be divided into skim milk and cream; the cream is subsequently cooled, pasteurized, sourdough is added to it and after some time the sour cream is ready.
This product can also be divided by fat percentage: 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, 35%, 40%. And the higher the fat content, the higher the calorie content.
Composition of sour cream and beneficial properties
Natural sour cream is made from a special starter and pasteurized cream. In the process of fermentation and ripening of this product, it is possible to obtain substances that the body can absorb better than from ordinary milk. Sour cream contains complete milk protein, easily digestible fats, amino acids necessary for the body, and milk sugars. It contains a lot of vitamins (A, C, E, PP) and microelements (iron, phosphorus, calcium, etc.).
The process of lactic acid fermentation provides a probiotic effect, since the microorganisms present in it promote the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora and its development, and influence bacteria that provoke rotting.
For people with digestive problems and poor appetite, sour cream is a great option because it is very nutritious and contains a lot of fat. Used in special nutrition for anemia and exhaustion of the body.
The use of this product has an excellent effect on muscle function and mental activity. It is necessary to eat it in the first half of the day, because consumption in the afternoon hours contributes to liver overload and, in the presence of pathology of this organ, can provoke an exacerbation.
The composition of 100 grams of low-fat sour cream can be seen in the table.
| Compound | Content per 100 g |
|---|---|
| 78.1 g | |
| Ash | 0.7 g |
| 7.1 g | |
| 3.5 g | |
| 10.6 g | |
| Vitamins | |
| Retinol () | 88 mcg |
| Alpha tocopherol () | 0.3 mg |
| Thiamine () | 0.04 mg |
| Riboflavin () | 0.12 mg |
| Niacin() | 0.07 mg |
| Pyridoxine () | 0.02 mg |
| Cyanocobalamin () | 0.42 mcg |
| Calciferol () | 0.2 mcg |
| Cholin() | 19.2 mg |
| Folic acid () | 11 mcg |
| Ascorbic acid () | 0.9 mg |
| Phylloquinone() | 0.5 mcg |
| Minerals | |
| 71 mg | |
| 141 mg | |
| 71 mg | |
| 212 mg | |
| 10 mg | |
| 0.07 mg | |
| 3.1 mcg | |
| 0.5 mg | |
| 16 mcg | |
How to choose
High-quality premium sour cream should be free of foreign tastes and odors, grains of fat and protein. The appearance should be glossy, the consistency should be uniform and sufficiently thick. A first grade product may have a less thick consistency, there may be minor feed flavors and a slightly sour taste.
Sour cream made in accordance with GOST can only contain cream and special leaven. Under no circumstances should there be any additives; only then does the manufacturer have the right to write “sour cream” on the packaging. If the product contains additives, such as emulsifiers and stabilizers, you may see the name “sour cream product” or “sour cream.” Such names indicate that the package contains a dairy product.
Evidence of the quality of sour cream is its storage temperature and shelf life. The more various additives a product contains that have nothing in common with sour cream (stabilizers, vegetable proteins, etc.), the higher the storage temperature will be (up to +20°C) and the longer the shelf life (14-30 days ). Fresh natural sour cream in a sealed container for 5-7 days and in an unsealed but closed container for up to 72 hours. In this case, the storage temperature is +2 – +6°С.
We check the quality of the product
How can you find out whether the package contains sour cream or sour cream? It's not difficult to do this. There are several methods you can use to do this.
- Add a drop of iodine to a spoonful of sour cream. This product, without herbal additives, will not change color, it may become more yellow. If there are third-party components, for example, starch, which are added to give a thicker consistency, its color will turn blue.
- Apply sour cream to a piece of glass in an even thin layer and wait until it dries. The product is of high quality if an even layer is formed, which cannot be said if there are streaks.
- Add a spoonful of sour cream to a glass of hot water and stir. If it is of high quality, it will dissolve completely, otherwise it will curl and sediment will fall to the bottom.
Usage rate
How much sour cream do you need and can you eat to benefit from it? A reasonable biological norm is considered to be 6.5 kilograms per year. Based on this, you can determine the average consumption per day - it is about 20 grams. But this number can be considered approximate, since more accurate indicators are influenced by many factors: balanced diet, real energy expenditure of the body, body weight, age, gender and others. Therefore, the consumption rate of any product must be calculated individually.
Of course, women will need less sour cream than men whose occupation involves high loads. You need to eat less high-fat sour cream compared to low-fat sour cream. Everyone must determine their own norm individually.
Use in cooking
Sour cream is used in cooking as part of various dishes and as a separate food. Many people like to eat sour cream with cottage cheese. Also, this fermented milk product can be consumed with fruits, jam, honey, vegetables, added to both main and first courses, and used to prepare gravies, mousses, sauces, seasonings, various baked goods, and delicious desserts.
If you need to whip sour cream, add raw egg white to it - and a wonderful airy cream is ready.
In all spring salads you need to put not mayonnaise, but sour cream. When baking any dish in the oven, use sour cream - such food will be healthier.
There are a lot of recipes with sour cream, so we will only list a few of them. This product is added to borscht, solyanka, pickle soup, soups, okroshka. They eat dumplings, pancakes, pancakes, cheesecakes, dumplings, cabbage rolls with it. Fish, meat, vegetables are baked and stewed with sour cream, puddings and casseroles are prepared, and added to dough. A very tasty and simple dish - young boiled potatoes with sour cream and fresh dill.
A glass of sour cream with sugar will relieve melancholy and depression, and help relieve the effects of stress. Therefore, if you are nervous and overtired, try this remedy, and the result will exceed all expectations. If desired, sugar can be replaced with honey.
Use in folk medicine and cosmetology
Sour cream is widely used in folk medicine. By consuming it with raw carrots, you can improve vision and increase the body's resistance to various infections. This fermented milk product is an excellent way to increase and maintain potency in men.
Fat sour cream will come to the rescue with sunburn - it will help relieve redness, burning, and soothe the skin. In case of a slight burn, when there are no blisters on the skin yet, you should immediately apply this mixture liberally: 2 tbsp. Mix spoons of sour cream with 1 spoon of sunflower oil and egg yolk. Apply a gauze bandage on top, which needs to be changed once a day.
Sour cream is an excellent antidepressant and will help improve your mood.
Regularly consuming sour cream can significantly improve your memory. Only in its 100 gr. There is 25% of the daily requirement of choline - a substance that stimulates brain function, increases intellectual abilities, and sharpens memory. Choline has a beneficial effect on the development of the fetal brain, so this product is especially useful for pregnant women.
Women who consume sour cream daily experience menopause later. This is because it contains copper, which is involved in the production of female sex hormones.
Due to its fat content, this product helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins.
Since ancient times, sour cream has been used as a cosmetic product that can saturate the skin with beneficial nutrients, soothe it, tighten pores, smooth out wrinkles and whiten. It is a component of many creams and cosmetic masks for any skin type. Using sour cream when taking a bath will make your body velvety and tender.
Sour cream does not close the pores, allowing the skin to breathe. The acids it contains destroy the protein bond between dead cells, which exfoliate and allow young cells to be freed.
Dietary properties
Sour cream is a dietary product that improves digestion. Nutritionists note its beneficial effect on gastric secretory activity. This fermented milk product can be used for stomach ulcers and colitis.
Colon cleansing
Many world-famous nutritionists recommend a sour cream diet for weight loss. In addition to weight loss, it helps normalize metabolism, removes excess fluid from the body, and improves the functioning of the digestive system. This diet is followed for 2-3 days, during which you need to consume 400 grams throughout the day. sour cream 20-30% fat. You need to eat food every 3 hours in 5 meals. It’s better to eat with a small coffee spoon – the feeling of fullness will come faster. In between meals you need to drink rosehip infusion, no more than 2 glasses per day. With this diet you can lose about 3 kilograms. After such a diet you need to take a month break. Of course, do not completely give up sour cream, but return to your normal diet.
Do not forget that there are contraindications to such a diet - it is undesirable for people with serious health problems and professional athletes. It will benefit sick people because it helps improve hormonal levels and helps quickly rehabilitate after illness.
How to make sour cream at home?
If you don’t have confidence in the quality of store-bought sour cream, you can make it yourself at home. To do this, you need to take natural cow's milk. Wait until it sours or immediately use a starter, which can be already prepared sour cream (preferably thick) or yogurt in a small amount. All contents must be placed in a pot and kept until the cream formed on the surface becomes homemade sour cream. This way you cannot get the product in large quantities, but it will be enough for small household needs.
To get good sour cream, you need to consider the following recommendations:
- You can prepare sour cream faster if you heat the cream, but it will be more sour;
- To speed up the process, do not stir the cream, as the quality of the sour cream will not be better than store-bought.
Contraindications
Sour cream is a fairly fatty product. It contains cholesterol, so this product should not be abused by patients with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and people who want to lose weight.
With excessive and systematic consumption of this fermented milk product, fat metabolism can be disrupted, as a result of which the load on the gallbladder and liver increases. The risk increases if sour cream is regularly eaten with bread, potatoes and cereals.
Sour cream is a healthy, tasty and versatile product that allows you to diversify the taste of borscht, soups and hot dishes; it is used to prepare various desserts. Sour cream is an excellent substitute for mayonnaise and, if consumed in moderation, will not spoil your figure. Eat this ancient Slavic dish and always be healthy!
Alas, this does not apply to many modern sour cream products. You can often find a jar on the shelves, the contents of which consist of vegetable fats, milk powder, thickeners and stabilizers.
Sour cream is one of the few products to which in the West the term “Russian” is added and treated with great reverence. It is called both “Russian cream” and “the main lubricant in Russian cuisine” (from the book by Peter Weil and Alexander Genis). However, this is not surprising: in Europe and America they do not know how to make proper sour cream. The worst thing is that in our country they are also gradually beginning to forget the classic recipe. After all, natural sour cream is not just a fermented milk product obtained by fermenting cream with a starter made from special microorganisms. After this stage of production, it must still ripen for at least a day under special conditions, acquiring its famous consistency and unique taste. True, the natural product is very capricious, moreover, it is “alive” and quickly deteriorates. That is why manufacturers in every possible way want to simplify and speed up the technological process, reduce the cost of ingredients and ensure that sour cream remains “fresh” on store shelves for months. What are they doing for this? Instead of cream and sourdough, milk powder, palm oil or soy protein are added. Starch, carrageenan and other thickeners are used to thicken the fermented product, and preservatives are used for preservation. As a result, among the jars of natural sour cream in stores, there are also its doubles.
100% natural
Before purchasing a product, train yourself to read the information written on its packaging. This is the only way you can distinguish a natural product from its surrogate. So, high-quality creamy sour cream is called “sour cream”. This applies to both imported and domestic products. It’s good if the latter also has GOST. True, the ideal sour cream is considered to be one that contains only cream and sourdough. The addition of any other components, even just milk, and especially dry milk, makes it of lower quality (although this is permissible according to GOST). By the way, statements like “100% natural” or “Thick - worth a spoonful” should be treated with healthy skepticism. Manufacturers like to use such phrases regardless of the essence of the product, because they are not regulated by law.
In addition, always pay attention to the expiration date of sour cream. It’s good if it can be stored for no more than 14 days, because such a product is the most “alive” and classic.
Sour cream is not sour cream
If the label says not “sour cream”, but “sour cream product”, it means that the jar contains an unnatural product - however, this phrase is usually written small and in the most inconspicuous place, so you will have to look for it. Larger on the packaging they indicate something diminutive like “sour cream” or “smetanochka”. Despite the fact that such names are generally prohibited, some manufacturers still continue to use them.
According to the production technology, the sour cream product is similar to the natural one - it also goes through a fermentation process, but its composition is completely different. There may be little or no cream in it. But everything else - cheap vegetable fats, various components from milk, thickeners and stabilizers - is in bulk, so it can be stored for several months. As you understand, the usefulness of different “sour creams” is in question due to the large number of chemical additives.
Is the spoon worth it? This is not the main thing!
Good sour cream is the one that holds a spoon, many housewives believe and are mistaken, because today this indicator of quality is very outdated. Thickeners and stabilizers, which modern manufacturers actively add to the product, bind water, so the spoon does not sink in it. Now it is better to use another popular quality check. If sour cream is poured from one jar to another, it should form a “slide”, from which “waves” slowly move away, and they gradually level out to a horizontal surface. But a product with thickeners, when transferred to another container, will form clumps without spreading, or will immediately begin to spread out - this depends on its fat content. But chemical sour cream will never make “slides” with “waves”.
White, glossy, tasty
Its appearance can also tell about the quality of sour cream. Its color should be white with a slight creamy tint and uniform throughout the mass. No lumps or irregularities are allowed. The surface of a good product should be absolutely smooth, glossy and shiny. If you open the jar and see that the sour cream is dull and matte, it means that it is most likely full of thickeners.
The natural product has a pure fermented milk taste. A sharp sourness indicates that the sour cream is beginning to deteriorate, and if it is made from recombined cream or with the addition of powdered milk, a taste of melted butter may appear. However, the more important characteristic of a natural product is not even the taste, but the sensation on the tongue - the sour cream should seem to envelop it. If it lies in a lump or spreads, it is not the best product.
Almost healthy fat
Sour cream comes in different fat contents - from 10 to 58%. Therefore, it is divided into the following types: low-fat (10, 12 and 14%), low-fat (15, 17, 19%), classic (20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34%), fatty (35, 37 , 40, 42, 45, 48%) and high-fat (50, 52, 55, 58%). If you want to buy hearty sour cream for a salad or cream for a cake, choose a high-calorie product, if you don’t want to gain weight or are afraid of cholesterol, buy a product with a low percentage. However, in recent years the attitude of scientists towards milk fats has changed. They are not yet called completely “healthy”, but beneficial substances have already been found in them - conjugated linoleic acids, or CLA. Doctors have scientific evidence to suggest that they can prevent the development of obesity, promote weight loss during a diet, reduce the risk of developing vascular diseases and strengthen the immune system.
Expert opinion
Konstantin Spakhov, gastroenterologist, candidate of medical sciences
Sour cream is not the most dietary product, because it contains saturated fats, which help the development of atherosclerosis. But there is no point in demonizing her because of this. Sour cream is one of those products that we consume in small quantities - one or two spoons in a salad and the same amount in soup. If you take 20%, that means you'll be eating a little over 3 grams of fat along with it. This is less than 5% of a woman's daily fat intake.
Perfect sour cream
1. It’s called “sour cream.”
2. Has GOST, made only from cream and sourdough.
3. The packaging says: “The number of lactic acid microorganisms at the end of the product’s shelf life is not less than 1x107 CFU/g.”
4. Shelf life - no more than 2 weeks.
5. Color - white with a light creamy tint, uniform throughout the entire mass, without lumps.
6. Surface - shiny.
7. Taste - pure fermented milk.
8. When poured, it forms a “slide” from which “waves” slowly move away.
Ecology of consumption: The worst thing is that in our country they are also gradually beginning to forget the classic recipe. After all, natural sour cream is not just a fermented milk product obtained by fermenting cream with a starter made from special microorganisms.
Sour cream gives our body protein, normalizes intestinal microflora and restores strength. True, only if she...
Alas, this does not apply to many modern sour cream products. You can often find a jar on the shelves, the contents of which consist of vegetable fats, milk powder, thickeners and stabilizers.
Sour cream is one of the few products to which in the West the term “Russian” is added and treated with great reverence. It is called both “Russian cream” and “the main lubricant in Russian cuisine” (from the book by Peter Weil and Alexander Genis). However, this is not surprising: in Europe and America they do not know how to make proper sour cream.
The worst thing is that in our country they are also gradually beginning to forget the classic recipe. After all, natural sour cream is not just a fermented milk product obtained by fermenting cream with a starter made from special microorganisms. After this stage of production, it must still ripen for at least a day under special conditions, acquiring its famous consistency and unique taste. True, the natural product is very capricious, moreover, it is “alive” and quickly deteriorates. That is why manufacturers in every possible way want to simplify and speed up the technological process, reduce the cost of ingredients and ensure that sour cream remains “fresh” on store shelves for months. What are they doing for this? Instead of cream and sourdough, milk powder, palm oil or soy protein are added. Starch, carrageenan and other thickeners are used to thicken the fermented product, and preservatives are used for preservation. As a result, among the jars of natural sour cream in stores, there are also its doubles.
100% natural
Before purchasing a product, train yourself to read the information written on its packaging. This is the only way you can distinguish a natural product from its surrogate. So, high-quality creamy sour cream is called “sour cream”. This applies to both imported and domestic products. It’s good if the latter also has GOST. True, the ideal sour cream is considered to be one that contains only cream and sourdough. The addition of any other components, even just milk, and especially dry milk, makes it of lower quality (although this is permissible according to GOST). By the way, statements like “100% natural” or “Thick – worth a spoonful” should be treated with healthy skepticism. Manufacturers like to use such phrases regardless of the essence of the product, because they are not regulated by law.
In addition, always pay attention to the expiration date of sour cream. It’s good if it can be stored for no more than 14 days, because such a product is the most “alive” and classic.
Sour cream is not sour cream
If the label says not “sour cream”, but “sour cream product”, then the jar contains an unnatural product - however, this phrase is usually written small and in the most inconspicuous place, so you will have to look for it. Larger on the packaging they indicate something diminutive like “sour cream” or “smetanochka”. Despite the fact that such names are generally prohibited, some manufacturers still continue to use them.
According to the production technology, the sour cream product is similar to the natural one - it also goes through a fermentation process, but its composition is completely different. There may be little or no cream in it. But everything else - cheap vegetable fats, various components from milk, thickeners and stabilizers - is in bulk, so it can be stored for several months. As you understand, the usefulness of different “sour creams” is in question due to the large number of chemical additives.
Is the spoon worth it? This is not the main thing!
Good sour cream is the one that contains a spoon, many housewives believe and are mistaken, because today this indicator of quality is very outdated. Thickeners and stabilizers, which modern manufacturers actively add to the product, bind water, so the spoon does not sink in it. Now it is better to use another popular quality check. If sour cream is poured from one jar to another, it should form a “slide”, from which “waves” slowly move away, and they gradually level out to a horizontal surface. But a product with thickeners, when transferred to another container, will form clumps without spreading, or will immediately begin to spread out - this depends on its fat content. But chemical sour cream will never make “slides” with “waves”.
White, glossy, tasty
Its appearance can also tell about the quality of sour cream. Its color should be white with a slight creamy tint and uniform throughout the mass. No lumps or irregularities are allowed. The surface of a good product should be absolutely smooth, glossy and shiny. If you open the jar and see that the sour cream is dull and matte, it means that it is most likely full of thickeners.
The natural product has a pure fermented milk taste. A sharp sourness indicates that the sour cream is beginning to deteriorate, and if it is made from recombined cream or with the addition of powdered milk, a taste of melted butter may appear. However, the more important characteristic of a natural product is not even the taste, but the sensation on the tongue - the sour cream should seem to envelop it. If it lies in a lump or spreads, it is not the best product.
Almost healthy fat
Sour cream comes in different fat contents - from 10 to 58%. Therefore, it is divided into the following types: low-fat (10, 12 and 14%), low-fat (15, 17, 19%), classic (20, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34%), fatty (35, 37 , 40, 42, 45, 48%) and high-fat (50, 52, 55, 58%). If you want to buy rich sour cream for a salad or cream for a cake, choose a high-calorie product, if you don’t want to gain weight or are afraid of cholesterol, buy a product with a low percentage. However, in recent years the attitude of scientists towards milk fats has changed. They are not yet called completely “healthy”, but beneficial substances have already been found in them - conjugated linoleic acids, or CLA. Doctors have scientific evidence to suggest that they can prevent the development of obesity, promote weight loss during a diet, reduce the risk of developing vascular diseases and strengthen the immune system.
Expert opinion
Konstantin Spakhov, gastroenterologist, candidate of medical sciences:
Sour cream not the most dietary product, because it contains saturated fats that help the development of atherosclerosis. But there is no point in demonizing her because of this. Sour cream is one of those products that we consume in small quantities - one or two spoons in a salad and the same amount in soup. If you take 20%, that means you'll be eating a little over 3 grams of fat along with it. This is less than 5% of a woman's daily fat intake.
Perfect sour cream
1. It’s called “sour cream.”
2. Has GOST, made only from cream and sourdough.
3. The packaging says: “The number of lactic acid microorganisms at the end of the product’s shelf life is not less than 1x107 CFU/g.”
4. Shelf life – no more than 2 weeks.
5. Color – white with a light creamy tint, uniform throughout the entire mass, without lumps.
6. Surface – shiny.
7. Taste – pure fermented milk.
8. When poured, it forms a “slide” from which “waves” slowly move away. published
