Sour cream is a healthy fermented milk sauce, which also has good taste. In recent years, for the sake of economy, manufacturers have created sour cream products with the addition of starch, milk powder and other ingredients that negatively affect the quality and properties of the product, beloved by Russians.
Differences between high-quality sour cream and low-quality
To make a choice in the store in favor of high-quality delicious sour cream, you first need to familiarize yourself with the composition indicated on the label and bypass the so-called "sour cream products" made using milk powder, palm oil, soy protein, starch. Real sour cream consists of only 2 ingredients - cream and sourdough. There are absolutely no additives or vegetable fats in it.
In order to buy a non-spoiled product, you need to know that sour cream is quite capricious in terms of storage requirements, real sour cream has a maximum shelf life of 10-14 days unopened and no more than 2 days unopened, unlike sour cream products with adding preservatives.
The consistency of sour cream should be thick enough, without lumps, homogeneous.
Do not take sour cream from the store that is in boxes next to the counter or near the refrigerator. Since such a product loses all its useful qualities. It is also highly undesirable to purchase frozen sour cream that has been stored at too low a temperature. But to find out that the sour cream is frozen is possible only after the package has been opened: grains and a slightly noticeable release of serum will immediately be noticeable.
Those who prefer to buy sour cream by weight can determine the quality of the product by its appearance. Natural sour cream without chemical additives has a white color with a slightly creamy tint.
Rules for choosing delicious sour cream
In order to at least somehow protect yourself from the risk of purchasing a low-quality product, you must follow the following rules:
• Buy sour cream only in trusted grocery stores that have special refrigeration equipment.
• Even if there is refrigeration equipment in the store, do not rush to make a purchase right away; first, look at the thermometer in the compartment where the sour cream is located. If the temperature is below minus, then there is a risk that the sour cream will be slightly frozen.
• Carefully read what is written on the sour cream packaging. Firstly, this is necessary in order to distinguish sour cream from a sour cream product. Secondly, in this way you will find out whether this product is made according to GOST or not.
• Be sure to focus your attention on the expiration date of the product and the date of its manufacture. Thus, you will know if the sour cream is fresh or already expired.
• Lactic acid microorganisms should be contained in sour cream in an amount of at least 1x10 to 7 degree CFU / g.
• Pay attention to the country and name of the product manufacturer. Most of the Belarusian sour cream is natural and tasty. Among Russian producers one can distinguish sour cream “Kubanskiy Khutorok”, “Bely Gorod”.
Checking the quality of sour cream at home
There are several ways to test sour cream for naturalness at home.
Method one. When poured from one jar to another, natural sour cream always forms a so-called "slide", from which small "waves" depart.
Method two. Dissolve a tablespoon of purchased sour cream in a glass of hot water. A good quality product will dissolve almost instantly, and a “fake” will settle on the bottom.
