The uniqueness of sour cream among dairy products is achieved by a large number of nutrients that are absorbed quickly and in full. Even in ancient times, it was widely used in the diet of the Slavic peoples, both as one of the main ingredients of food, and as a seasoning or sauce.
For a long time, many countries did not have the slightest idea about the chemical composition and nutritional value of sour cream. Only with the end of World War II did it get on the menu of some states.
Cooking process
In the production of sour cream can use whole or dried milk, butter. But most often used cream, different in fat content. Preparing sour cream is quite simple: it is enough to remove the top layer from sour milk and keep it in a cool place for several days for further fermentation. So the product is produced at home, at the factory the process is carried out in a slightly different way.
First, milk is passed through a separator to separate the cream. Then normalization follows, where they are brought to the desired fat content. Next, the pasteurization process is performed to eliminate pathogenic microflora. Finally, sourdough is added to the cream, which consists of pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria.
When all this mass reaches the required acidity, it is cooled to eight degrees and left to ripen for a day. After this, the cream turns into sour cream, which is already acquiring the familiar look and texture. The product should be homogeneous, have a sour and pleasant taste.
Chemical composition
Sour cream contains many useful substances necessary for full human life, due to which it has a beneficial effect on digestion. This product consists of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The most important substance in the chemical composition of sour cream is milk protein casein. When decomposed into simpler substances, it breaks down into amino acids and milk sugars that are important for the body. The product also contains serum albumin and globulin proteins.
Sour cream contains a large amount of macroelements such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. Calcium is involved in the formation of bone tissue, the synthesis of hormones and blood, and sodium and potassium normalize the acid-base balance. Phosphorus is necessary for the synthesis of enzymes and normal bone hardness. Microelements are present in a smaller amount in the product: iron, selenium, copper and zinc.
The chemical composition of sour cream includes a number of useful vitamins, fat-soluble (A, C, D, D3, E, K) and water-soluble (C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12). It contains choline - an element that is responsible for the normal consistency and condition of body cells. Its important property is the neutralization of excess cholesterol. Ascorbic acid, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, chlorine and sulfur are also present.
Low Fat Product
This is the most dietary type of sour cream. One hundred grams contains 119 kilocalories. Such sour cream is the most liquid and is mainly used for baking and preparing fruit salads. It contains the least amount of cholesterol: 30-40 mg per hundred grams. The product is recommended for people suffering from obesity, as well as a substitute for various high-calorie sauces.
The chemical composition of this type of product is practically no different from the 10 percent version. It is also widely used in the preparation of confectionery and in cooking as a sauce for dishes. The number of calories in one hundred grams is 162 units. However, it is worth noting that in the chemical composition of sour cream 15% fat is twice as much as cholesterol than in a 10 percent product: 60-70 mg per hundred grams.
Dining Views
This is the most balanced dining experience. The calorie content of one hundred grams is 206 units. The product is great for dressing first and second courses. In the chemical composition of sour cream of 20 percent fat, cholesterol is present in an amount of 80-90 mg per hundred grams. A product of this kind is used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology as the basis for the preparation of masks.
Sour cream of 25% fat is another table look. In one hundred grams - 250 kilocalories. The cholesterol content is 90-110 mg. In the manufacture of such a product, milk can no longer be used - you need cream. 25% sour cream is quite thick and is suitable for replacing mayonnaise in the preparation of salads. Due to its consistency, it is also used as a means for skin regeneration after burns.
Product with a fat content of 30% and 35%
30% sour cream is also made exclusively from cream and has a calorie content of 293 units in one hundred grams. It is used in the manufacture of puddings and casseroles, creams in confectionery. The chemical composition of sour cream with such a percentage of fat content is already 100-130 mg of cholesterol in one hundred grams. The product can be used as a dessert in the form of a separate dish. Used in the preparation of the Kremlin diet.
35 percent sour cream contains a very large amount of fat with a calorie content of 346 units per hundred grams. In the manufacture of used only very fatty cream. Such a product, like 30 percent, is used as the basis for the production of confectionery creams.
Maximum fat sour cream
A 40% fat product is practically not manufactured in the food industry. It is considered very oily and has little use in cooking. Calories - 381 units in one hundred grams. Such sour cream is used in the preparation of a high-calorie diet, because it contains a small amount of protein and carbohydrates. It is popularly called "amateur".
The maximum fat content of sour cream is 58%. This is a very high fat product. Calorie content - 552 units in one hundred grams. According to doctors, it is this sour cream that has maximum digestibility. However, this type is almost impossible to purchase in stores and markets.
The nutritional value
The main valuable property of the dairy product in question is its ability to be perfectly absorbed by the body. Sour cream increases appetite and stimulates digestion, and a pleasant taste only adds to its attractiveness.
High nutritional value is due to the large amount of easily digestible fats, proteins and carbohydrates in the composition. The benefit also lies in the fact that the calcium contained in the product is completely consumed by the body: it freely and without interference goes to the structure of bone tissue. This is the difference between sour cream and milk, the calcium of which is used by the body as an alkaline enzyme to neutralize the indigestible salts of casein, which are a strong oxidizing agent. Homeostasis occurs when taking a large amount of milk can lead to huge losses of calcium.
Thus, the chemical composition and energy value of sour cream are unique among similar dairy products. It has a lot of useful properties, making it a frequent ingredient in recipes for a wide variety of dishes.