Thermostat cream: what is it and how is it different from the usual?

Sour cream is a traditional product of Russian cuisine. It is used as a seasoning for borsch and soups, as a sauce for pancakes and dumplings.She is filled with salads, watered boiled potatoes. Use it as a separate dish. A classic dish of Soviet buffets - sour cream with sugar.

Now on sale there are various types of sour cream. Including thermostat. In this article we will talk about how it differs from “ordinary” sour cream and what should be taken into account when buying it.

Older people remember the expression “village sour cream”. This sour cream was made at home by the owners of the cows. In its simplest form, it is simply a removed top layer from sour milk.

But in this case we will focus on the product produced in an industrial way. Any version of it consists of cream and sourdough. The cream is separated in the process of separation of milk, then they are brought to the standard fat (normalized), pasteurized (to kill the bacteria), then they add the leaven. But further paths of different types diverge.

Normal sour cream is poured into special tanks-tanks. Hence another name: reservoir. There she sours. Then, after mixing, it is poured into packages for sale in stores.

When mixing, sour cream is slightly diluted to make it easier to pack up. Quality control is carried out throughout the process over the entire mass in the tank. This provides the same properties for the entire batch spilled on retail packages.

Before souring, thermostatic sour cream is poured into packages in which it will go to stores, and placed for fermentation in thermostats. The fermentation takes place in them at a strictly defined temperature and a strictly defined time. To sustain these parameters is very important when using this technology.

Since the batch is already prepacked, quality control can only be selective. To guarantee the quality of the entire batch, it is necessary to meet stringent requirements for the quality of raw materials and production technology. With this method, the product retains its thickness and several other tastes (in particular, less acidity). But due to the greater complexity of this method of production is more expensive.

Some advertising materials state that thermostat sour cream is more useful than usual. That in it the live microflora and other properties unique and useful to health is kept.

Experts also argue that, in terms of health benefits, both types are exactly the same. Of course, provided that they are made from the same high-quality raw materials and the technological processes of production were respected. Yes, taste, thickness vary. But which one to prefer is a matter of taste.

However, there is an opinion that in the production of reservoir sour cream there is a temptation to impart more density to the use of forbidden thickeners.

How to determine that you have purchased a quality product? Let us reject the statement that all sour cream in Russia is a mixture of whey and palm oil, otherwise further discussion is meaningless. To check the quality of thermostatic cream, you must perform the following.

• First of all, pay attention to the appearance of the package: whether it is intact, whether it is not damaged, whether the tightness is preserved.
• If the can allows, easily squeeze it: the foil on the lid should inflate and not let the air through.
• Information on the label must be clear and contain all the necessary data: manufacturer, date of production and shelf life.
• Sour cream surface is white, glossy, smooth.
• If the sour cream has a little stratified, but after mixing, the separation has disappeared, then everything is fine. If not, then you bought a low-quality product.
• Taste should be pure, traditionally sour-milk. Sometimes there may be a light taste of baked milk - the effect in the thermostat affects.

In the trade network, the choice of brands of thermostat cream is not very wide, which means that it can be purchased not everywhere. Consider a few of the most popular and well-known manufacturers of this product.

• Thermostat sour cream "Prostokvashino". Many prefer it to her.
• The brand “Brest-Litovsk” is distinguished by its density.
• Excellent taste and tenderness characterize the "Cow from Korenivka."

Today you can get acquainted with the opinion of not only those who make or sell a product, but also with the opinion of its consumers. After reviewing the reviews on the Internet, you can conclude that the majority who left a review, the thermostat version came to taste.

Of course, part of the feedback is frankly advertising and customized, but even if they are excluded from consideration, positive feedback prevails. There are also negative reviews. Someone got obviously low-quality product. So the manufacturers technologists have more work to do.

We must make a discount on the conservative taste of many people. To get used to the new product. At first, its difference from the traditional is perceived as a minus. But over time, consumer opinion may change.

Thermostatic cream is an independent dairy product. As mentioned above, its price is higher than that of normal. It is more thick with the same fat content and has slightly different taste. What to choose is a matter of personal taste preferences.

In addition, as already mentioned, sour cream is used for very different purposes. In some cases, it may be preferable to ordinary, and in others - thermostat. The choice is yours!

On how to produce a thermostatic cream, see below.