How to check the butter for naturalness at home?

Butter is an indispensable product in every kitchen.It gives any dish unique softness and tenderness.

But this concerns only natural and high-quality products. Synthetic, low-quality ingredient not only does not give your masterpiece raisins, but pretty spoil it. Therefore, to obtain a truly exquisite dish, you should give preference to a natural product.

Butter is a product made from cow's milk and cream by pasteurization. In fact, it is an animal fat, the fat content of which ranges from 50-99%.

According to GOST, the real oil should be marked 32261-2013 on the package. And the ideal fat content in it - from 80%. Vegetable fats, such as palm or coconut oil, are not allowed to be added to the product.

Manufacturers, in addition to cream and milk, allowed the use of fir and salt. It is also possible to add a preservative to extend the shelf life, carotene in the form of food coloring and acidity regulator.

The natural oil product should not be bright yellow or white, but have a warm milky hue. This quality is easy to evaluate even on the market or in a store if you buy a product by weight. Pay attention to the uniformity of the gamma: it should not contain various color transitions from white to yellow or orange.

The taste of the quality oil is muffled, not brightly pronounced, with a slight milky tint. In the mouth, the product does not fall apart, but melts evenly, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. In no case should you have a greasy film in your mouth after consuming the product.

As for the smell, then the oil is practically absent. Only a light cream flavor can be felt.

Since the oil is produced using various technologies - with the addition of a starter or without it, there are sweet and sour cream types, as well as salty and unsalted.

Depending on the fat content, the following varieties are distinguished.

• "Tea" and "Sandwich" with a fat content of 50 and 61%, respectively. This low-grade oils, which include harmful impurities. By virtue of manufacturing technology, they are almost devoid of nutrients, vitamins and trace elements.
• "Peasant" with a fat content of 72.5%. Raw materials for its manufacture are unpasteurized cream, which gives it a sour taste.
• Oils with a fat content of 80-82,5%. Basically have a sweet taste with a nut admixture. A high percentage of fat content gives the product a uniform consistency without auxiliary mixtures.

Threats on the way to the purchase of high-quality, tasty oil products can be fakes that dishonest manufacturers give out for oil. These include spread and margarine.

Spread is considered by many to be an analogue of butter. But it is not. In its composition you will not find natural cream, only dairy and vegetable fats, as well as all sorts of food additives, emulsifiers.

From English, the spread is translated as “smearing”. This very accurately describes its structure. It has a soft, plastic consistency. Even being in the refrigerator, it does not harden to the end. As a rule, smeared on the packaging.

Margarine is a product whose main part is occupied by vegetable oils: refined, hydrogenated. Allowed to add animal fat. To improve the taste in the product there are various artificial ingredients.

Butter, margarine and spread are fundamentally different products. And, according to GOST, belong to different categories of products. Attempting to issue them for the same product is contrary to the legal rules for their classification.

Check the butter for naturalness can be both at the stage of purchase, and at home.

When buying a product on the market or in a supermarket, consider the following nuances.

• If you take oil by weight, consider its color, smell, and taste, if the seller allows.
• If the oil is in a package, look at the composition and make sure that the label is marked with GOST.
• In the name of the product there should not be words like “Maselko”, “sandwich product”, and other modified phrases. The product should be listed as "Butter".
• The shelf life of the natural product can not be too long, it should be no more than 35 days. Exceeding this period requires the presence of preservatives.
• It is better to purchase goods in foil, since such packaging keeps it longer.
• Try the product to the touch. It should be hard, and when pressed do not leave any dents.
• Choose a product with a fat content of at least 80%.
• Pay attention to the price. To produce 1 kg of butter, 15 liters of milk are required. Compare the data and calculate the cost of natural oil in your area.

The following signs will help you to find out the authenticity of the product at home.

• Unpack the packaging. On it you will not find traces or pieces of oil.
• The product itself must be dense, uniform consistency, non-sticky.
• There should be no foreign offensive odors: mustiness, mildew, chemistry.
• Cut a small portion of the oil bar. The knife at the same time should remain practically without oil prints.
• When cut into pieces, the oil will not crumble.
• Take a small piece and place on a plate. A quality product in an hour slightly tarnishes, but retains its shape.
• If you dissolve a small portion of the oil bar in hot water, it will melt to a homogeneous consistency. Spread or margarine does not dissolve at all, settling at the bottom of the glass.
• In a hot skillet, real butter boils and sprinkles, but does not foam.

Eating falsified oil faces several problems. First, oil substitutes in large quantities contain trans fats, which are potent carcinogens, as well as contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and dementia.

Secondly, the consumption of poor-quality product, which is often produced by the wrong technology, increases the risk of developing food poisoning.

To avoid such complications, carefully approach the selection of butter and follow the rules of its storage. The product should only be in the fridge. Put it in a closed container or bag. If the oil is stored in the freezer, its “service” period is extended to 2 months.

Using natural, high-quality butter as food, you not only improve the taste of your dish, but also nourish the body with useful substances.

The product is rich in beneficial unsaturated and saturated fatty acids. Among them, butyric, caproic, linoleic, palmitic, lauric and other acids. A, PP, D, C, E and vitamins of group B are distinguished from vitamins. Selenium, potassium and calcium, sodium and magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and iron are also present.

The product contains good cholesterol, as well as oleic acid and lecithin, which normalize fat metabolism and eliminate the development of atherosclerosis.

Butter belongs to the indispensable products that our body needs for full functioning. It is especially important for children, as it fills the need for calcium and helps the brain work.

The daily oil requirement for a child is 7 g, and for an adult - up to 30 g.

Harm oil product brings only when it is eaten excessively. In this case, it becomes the cause of extra pounds, allergic reactions, diarrhea. You can not eat the product and those who can not tolerate milk.

On how to check the butter for naturalness at home, see the following video.