Butter. Homemade oil

Butter. Homemade oil. Melted butter. Oil quality

Back in the 5th century in Ireland, and in the 9th century in Italy and Russia, butter was already a widely known food product, and the Norwegians in the 8th century took barrels of cow butter with them on long voyages.
In the treaty of ancient Novgorod with the Germans in 1270 there is evidence of the cost of a “pot of butter.” “Historical Acts” indicate that the Pechenezh monastery, taking advantage of the absence of duties, bought oil from peasants and sold it to Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Homemade oil
Butter in Russia was churned from cream, sour cream and whole milk. The best types of butter were obtained from fresh cream, and the so-called cooking oil, which was used mainly for the needs of the kitchen, was made from sour cream or sour skim milk. The most common way to prepare butter was to melt sour cream or cream in a Russian oven. The separated oily mass was cooled and beaten with wooden whorls, spatulas, spoons or hands. The finished oil was washed in cold water. It was quite expensive and therefore was eaten daily only by wealthy townspeople.
Melted butter
Fresh oil could not be stored for long, so the peasants melted it in the oven, washed it and melted it again. When melted, the oil was divided into two layers, with the top consisting of pure fat, and the bottom containing water and non-fat components - churning. The melted fat was drained and cooled until it crystallized.
Many East Slavic peoples obtained ghee in this way. Russia was one of its largest exporters to the world market and, apparently, for this reason the name “Russian” was assigned to ghee throughout the world.
Vologda oil
The history of the creation of Vologda butter in Russia, which is deservedly considered the pride of domestic butter production, is interesting. Its appearance is associated with the name of the famous Russian cheese maker N.V. Vereshchagin, brother of the battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin. While at one of the exhibitions in Paris, N.V. Vereshchagin drew attention to the very pleasant taste and aroma of the oil from Normandy exhibited there. He liked the oil so much that he decided to create the same one there, in Paris. In this case, the master used cream brought almost to a boil. The Russian cheesemaker's butter turned out to be tastier than the Norman one. The subtle aroma of freshly boiled milk and a slightly noticeable nutty flavor make it impossible to confuse it with any other.
A person who does not know the history of butter production in Russia will look in vain for information about Vologda butter in domestic or foreign literature, even specialized literature. The fact is that Vereshchagin himself called this butter Parisian sweet, and the French, and not only them, who willingly imported it from Russia, called it St. Petersburg. It began to be called Vologda no more than 50-60 years ago.
Unfortunately, today real Vologda oil can be found on store shelves extremely rarely. However, if you are lucky and still buy this wonderful product, which is produced by only three factories in the Vologda region, keep in mind that it is not stored for long, no more than a month, and then it loses its specific nutty flavor. Its GOST is R 52253-2004.
Salted butter
Salted butter has also been produced in Russia for a long time. This cultured butter with the addition of 1.2-1.5 percent salt contains at least 81 percent milk fat and
very shelf stable.
Oil production
Start industrial production oil in Russia dates back to the first half of the 19th century. The butter industry developed very quickly, and by the end of the 19th century the number of butter factories reached 700. Moreover, the Russians learned to make high-quality butter, and most of it was exported. Butter production was especially successful in Siberia, which was greatly facilitated by the Trans-Siberian Railway. Already in 1900, 1 million 780 thousand pounds of butter were exported from Siberia. In 1913, about 97 percent of the milk supplied to dairy enterprises was used for its production.
Butter quality
You need to choose butter more carefully so as not to stumble upon something that is not butter. Manufacturers of such products are so skilled in their manufacture and in the art of their packaging that on store shelves a fake can be distinguished from real butter made from cow's milk only by having certain knowledge and carefully studying the packaging.
Russia is a dairy country and we have been able to make butter for a long time. And for a very long time we did not experience any problems with its quality. It was made from cow fat, sometimes with a small addition of salt. Experiments with this natural and traditional product began in an era of shortages, when low-fat butter was invented to save money. Classic butter has a fat content of at least 82%. In “Krestyanskoye” there was about 72% milk fat, in “Lyubitelsky” - 77-78%. A slight reduction in fat content - by 4-10% - gave good savings on a national scale. And besides, this fit into the concern for the health of the population - then butter, like all animal fats, was considered not very healthy. All these innovations were legalized by GOST 37-91 “Cow butter. Technical specifications", which was adopted in 1991.
And already in the mid-1990s, Western companies launched new for us products such as “Rama” and “Scandia Valley”, made on the basis of vegetable fats with the addition of emulsifiers, stabilizers and flavorings. By consistency, taste, appearance and their purpose was most similar to butter, but in essence they were margarines. They did not comply with the domestic GOST for margarines and therefore manufacturers promoted them, at first as just butter.
Russian manufacturers did not stand aside, launching the production of similar products, packaging them in plastic boxes and in foil and parchment typical for butter. Some were made only from cheap vegetable oils, others from a mixture of butter and vegetable fats. For greater similarity, all these pseudo-products were often named so that they were even more associated with butter. – “Peasant”, “Peasant”, “Favorite”, “Homemade”, “Country”, etc. And the image on the packaging looked like classic, Soviet packs of butter.
As a result, a huge number of well-deserved brands of butter also turned out to be diluted with cheap vegetable fats. This was confirmed by an examination carried out at the All-Russian Research Institute of the Dairy Industry in the early 2000s. Experts have concluded that many popular brands of butter may contain impurities of non-dairy fats.
Good oil, a natural source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements, is necessary for brain function, moisturizing and nourishing the skin, strengthening blood vessels, preventing arthritis and increasing immunity. Our ancestors treated butter with respect and repeated: “You can’t spoil porridge with butter” or “Eat butter for your health!” However, in order not to actually spoil the porridge with oil, you should only buy quality products.
Nowadays, a lot has changed. There are completely different GOST standards in place, but it is useful for buyers to know the difference between natural butter and a counterfeit product.

Fat content of butter
Classic butter has a fat content of 80-85% and can be salted or unsalted, sweet cream - has the taste of pasteurized cream and sour cream. The latter, in fact, is a delicacy with a light and elegant taste with sourness. But it is quite rare to find it on sale. Classic butter is an ideal product for both sandwiches and cooking. “Vologda” also belongs to this type of oil, because its fat content is 82.5%.
Low-fat butter contains from 50 to 79% fat and, just like classic butter, can be salted and unsalted, as well as sweet and sour cream. Low-fat oils include the familiar “Krestyanskoe” oil with a fat content of 71.5-72.5%, and the already forgotten “Lyubitelskoe” oil with 77-78% fat. When purchasing such lower-fat oils, know that they are better suited for sandwiches and baking than for frying, because due to their reduced fat content, foods burn in them. This oil is no longer a completely natural product. It is allowed to add carotene dye, which gives it a more saturated yellow color, as well as flavors, vitamins A, D, E, preservatives, stabilizers and emulsifiers. This is due to the reduced fat content of the product.
Selection of butter in the store
In the store we can only deal with the information indicated on the packaging. The situation with butter has been better in recent years, but it is still often counterfeited, replacing high-quality milk fat with vegetable fat and without advertising this on the label. In fact, they are trying to sell us a spread under the guise of oil. How to distinguish a real product from a fake?
GOST butter
Be sure to pay attention to GOST - however, the inscription “made according to GOST” is not enough, since spreads and margarines can also be produced according to state standards. GOST butter - R 52969-2008, and GOST margarine - R 52178-2003. Some types of high-quality butter are produced not according to GOST, but according to technical specifications, so you should pay attention to the composition.
The packaging must bear the abbreviation CTP - “compliance technical regulations", and the butter should contain only whole milk and cream, and sometimes salt. If the packaging indicates vegetable oils - peanut, palm, coconut or some kind of “dairy fat substitute”, you can rest assured that it is margarine, even if the manufacturer tries to convince you otherwise.
The packaging should say: “Butter”, “Peasant butter” or “Amateur butter”. The fat content of butter starts from 82.2%, amateur - from 78%, and peasant - from 72.5%. “Sandwich butter” - from 61.5%, “Tea butter” - from 50% and other similar products are not natural, and somewhere on the packaging you can find the inscription “sandwich mass” or “sandwich product” written in small print. Typically these products include all sorts of flavorings, emulsifiers, stabilizers and preservatives.
Pay attention to the cost of a stick of butter. Preparing 1 kg of butter requires at least 20 liters of milk. If you see suspiciously inexpensive oil on the counter, most likely it contains cheap vegetable fats.
Choose oil not in paper, but in foil packaging, since paper does not protect it from exposure sunlight, which destroys vitamins.
The shelf life of natural butter usually does not exceed a month. If preservatives or vegetable fats are used in the production of oil, the shelf life increases to a year or more.

The color of butter can be white or yellow, but it is always uniform throughout the mass - this is clearly visible in the cut. If its surface is more yellow or in some places there are more strongly colored yellow areas, and usually they are in places where the oil could come into contact with air, then this indicates its deterioration - rancidity. Most likely, such oil was poorly stored or was not packaged very well, and it is better not to buy it. If you only discovered this at home, cut off the bright yellow oil with a reserve. By the way, such rancid oil smells unpleasant. A normal product has a sour milk or creamy smell, without any foreign odors or tastes.
When you unwrap fake butter, it often appears to stain the inside of the foil or parchment. It often sticks to the knife when you cut it. This is especially noticeable if it melts a little. Real butter sticks less to the packaging, even if it is softened, it does not leave any tackiness on it and lies even and very thin layer. Immediately from the refrigerator, the butter is cut into dense pieces that retain their shape. After lying at room temperature, the oil becomes softer, but even so it does not stain the knife too much, unlike counterfeits with vegetable fats.
When two sticks of butter of the same fat content lie side by side on the same shelf, the softer one most likely contains fake butter. Keep in mind that the lower the fat content of the butter, the softer it is, so classic butter is always denser. Of course, all this is true for normal conditions sales in which the product is placed on shelves at a special cool temperature. At room temperature, any oil becomes soft.
Butter is not always used rationally and correctly. It is advisable to consume it fresh, since under the influence of high temperatures from 140 to 160°C it quickly loses its taste and nutritional qualities. Therefore, frying in butter is not recommended; it is better to use animal cooking fats.
It is preferable to add butter to various dishes after their heat treatment is completed, that is, immediately before consumption.
Although butter has high nutritional and biological value, you should always maintain a sense of proportion when consuming it.
Harm of butter
Renowned UK cardiologist Shyam Kolvekar insists on banning butter. According to him, this food product poses a real health threat. He believes that it is necessary to prohibit the production and sale of butter at the legislative level. According to his research, this product is one of the main sources of saturated fats, which contribute to the development of heart attacks and strokes.
Instead of butter, it is necessary to use margarine or spread, since they contain much less fat that can harm health.
Let us remember that the presence of large amounts of saturated fat in the diet increases the risk of the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. The expert believes that a ban on butter will help save 3,500 lives of UK residents a year.

Personally, I associate the phrase “homemade butter” with early childhood. I remember being little, sitting with my grandmother in a cozy entryway behind a wooden tub of sour cream. We often made butter with her at home, quietly singing old favorite songs.

For a number of my friends, this same phrase evokes completely different associations. Hearing it, they imagine a simple useful product, while they compare preparing butter at home with a huge headache. Yes, not everyone understands that making homemade oil is quite easy.

Why make homemade butter?

Making homemade oil should be done by those people who love themselves and natural products. Of course, if you eat high-quality store-bought butter, nothing terrible will happen. But you should be aware that this product, unlike homemade butter, is not made from cream alone.

Oil producers are allowed to add dyes, bacterial preparations, preservatives, flavors, emulsifiers, stabilizers, etc. to their products. Do you want to eat fresh bread in the morning, spread with stabilizers and preservatives? No? Same thing. And it is not a fact that the oil you purchased contains only what we have listed. It may consist of more unexpected and dangerous components. Do you still think that preparing butter at home is a whim or stupidity? Hardly. Well, then let's learn how to make healthy butter.

Homemade butter from collected cream in a jar in 15 minutes

To prepare about 80 g of amazingly tasty and healthy homemade butter, you will need about 300-330 ml of cream. You can collect them from homemade fat milk. Just take a small ladle or mini ladle and skim off the cream that is on top of the milk. Of course, you can select them with a spoon, but this will drag out the collection process, and our task is to make homemade butter as quickly as possible.

Pour the collected cream into a half-liter jar. If you want to whip butter at home using a jar, you need the cream to occupy no more than two-thirds of the container. So if you have approximately 330ml of cream, a 500ml jar is the ideal vessel for whipping your homemade butter. Beating a larger amount of butter at a time, taking a lot of cream and using a larger jar, will be a little more difficult and longer. It is better to choose a container with some kind of corrugated areas or notches, because when using a jar with smooth walls, you risk breaking the vessel with unformed oil. A jar with a hermetically sealed lid is especially good.

So, pour the selected cream into the jar and close it with a lid. Take a glass container and start shaking the cream so that it hits either the bottom of the jar or the lid with which it is closed. After 5-10 minutes, you will notice that small particles of oil begin to form on the glass. Shake the jar for another four minutes. If you open the lid and see an already formed piece of homemade butter, you can stop shaking and start washing the creamy product.

First, drain the cloudy liquid (buttermilk) from the jar, then rinse the oil under running cold water. You can rinse homemade oil directly in the jar until clear water runs out of the container. In this simple way you can prepare butter at home in 15 minutes.

Attention: The milk from which you remove the cream should be at room temperature. If you whip the cream too warm, the butter may turn out runny. But working with a cold product will take much longer. Then whipping can take 20-25 minutes.

To keep homemade butter longer, it needs to be lightly salted. After this, the butter should be wrapped in foil and placed in the refrigerator.

Butter in a jar from store-bought warm cream in 4 minutes

You can whip butter in a jar of cream in five minutes or even a little faster. But for this you better buy heavy cream. Of course, even very fatty, but cold cream will need to be whipped for at least 15 minutes.

Before you start making homemade butter, chilled cream should be kept out of the refrigerator for about 10 hours so that it warms up evenly and well. After this, you will have to shake the jar for about four minutes. When the oil is clogged, you need to carry out all the steps mentioned above (drain the buttermilk, rinse, add salt, etc.).

Homemade butter in a modern manual butter churn in 3 minutes

Not everyone wants to shake a jar that is not suitable for churning homemade butter, even for those very 5-15 minutes. Many simply consider it undignified to cook a product in a vessel not intended for this purpose. If you are also not interested in this process, then you can buy a modern manual mini-churn. To be honest, it also resembles a jar. This type of butter churn is closed with lids on both sides. The cream is poured from the side where the silicone gasket with holes is located.

To prepare 125 g of butter you will need 220 ml of farm cream. You simply slowly pour in the cream that seeps into the jar through the holes mentioned above and let it settle. It’s good if the air temperature in the house where the cream is stored reaches 25°C. The cream should sit in the churn for about 8 hours. After this, you just need to shake the churn for about three minutes.

Now open the lid on the side of the churn that is intended for pouring in the cream. Squeeze a few tablespoons of the remaining liquid through the holes. After this, pour a little water into the churn and rinse the oil. After draining the water, open the churn from the back. Take a spoon and remove the oil.

Salt the prepared homemade butter and place it in the refrigerator to cool. Having such a special device, you can make not ordinary homemade butter, but with the addition of various ingredients. For example, girls can beat butter with honey. But men will like homemade garlic oil.

Let's go back in time or cook in a wooden churn

You can also look for a wooden churn. Not only does such a butter churn look quite colorful, it will also give you the opportunity to remember how you used to make homemade butter with your grandmother (well, of course, if such a thing happened in your life).

A wooden butter dish usually consists of a mortar into which sour cream is poured, a lid that prevents the whipping product from splashing, a pusher, and some kind of stick (which is used for whipping). This stick, at the end of which there is a round piece with holes or another figure, is inserted into the hole on the lid. After you pour the sour cream into the mortar, put on the lid with a stick inserted into the hole and begin to beat the butter.

Remember that you cannot fill the churn to the top with sour cream, otherwise it will come out and splash. It is better if you fill the mortar by a third with sour cream. Beat homemade butter in a mortar for 15-20 minutes.

If some of the sour cream still comes out, you can collect it and, opening the butter can slightly, return the escaped product to its place. When the sour cream stops jumping out and you hear squelching sounds, this can only mean one thing - the butter has been whipped to such an extent that the buttermilk has already separated. Work a few more minutes and you can pull out the oil.

Food processor instead of butter churn

If you urgently need to get about 250 g of butter, for example for baking a cake, and you don’t have time to heat the cream, you can use a food processor. It will quickly liquefy even chilled cream into butter. Many food processors come with a special blade for whipping butter.

To make butter in a food processor, simply pour the cream into the bowl of the machine and begin beating it until the buttermilk comes out. Almost 250 g of homemade butter is obtained from 400 ml of market heavy cream. When the oil is ready, pour it into a colander and rinse. If you didn’t use all the butter when preparing your baked goods, you can wrap the remainder in parchment paper and put the natural product you made yourself in the refrigerator.

Making butter at home with a mixer

To prepare 450 g of butter, you will need about a liter of not too thick sour cream. From fattier sour cream you can get about 600 g of homemade butter. This method is good because using a mixer, as well as a food processor, you can quickly make butter from a chilled dairy product.

Before putting medium-thick sour cream in the refrigerator, it is better to pour it into a bowl in which you will then beat the butter. At first, the speed of the mixer can be set higher, but after a few minutes, when the sour cream turns into buttery crumbs, reduce the speed of your hand-held machine. Otherwise, everything will start to fly apart in different directions.

Beat the butter until the crumbs begin to float in the whitish water. After this, drain the oil in a colander to get rid of the liquid, but do not rush to crush it into a solid lump. Only after thoroughly washing the butter crumbs under cold water can you begin to form balls from homemade butter. Wrap the pieces of butter in cling film and place in the freezer.

Prepare butter in a saucepan from frozen cream (waste-free production)

There is no special need to whip frozen cream in a food processor or mixer. Yes, and whipping completely thickened cream using technology is a little problematic. This can be done with a regular tablespoon.

To get 400 g of homemade fatty butter, you will need half a liter of thick store-bought cream, a saucepan, a spoon and a little time. Pour the cream into the saucepan and start stirring it. After a few minutes, the cream will set even more and the stirring process will become more intense. You basically just have to carefully squash the cream against the side of the saucepan.

This task seems a little tedious at first, because you don’t know how much longer you will have to knead the thick cream. But when you see how the buttermilk begins to stand out, you realize that there are only 5-6 minutes left before the process is completed. You need to get rid of this escaping water, as in previous methods of preparing oil at home. Don't rush to pour it into the sink, because you can collect the buttermilk in a bowl and, replacing milk, make delicious baked goods. It turns out that 500 ml of heavy cream, if handled correctly, will provide you not only with 400 g of butter, but also with 100 ml of buttermilk for charlotte.

To quickly get rid of the released liquid, tilt the container slightly while kneading the cream near one side of the saucepan. This will allow the buttermilk to run to the opposite side of the pan without mixing with the butter. You can get homemade oil using this method, without haste, in 10 minutes. Since you are unlikely to eat 400g of fatty butter quickly, it would be wise to freeze some of it.

How to shape homemade butter

If you want to get a perfectly smooth piece of butter with a beautiful shape, then you will need a plate and sleight of hand. Place the butter, separated from the buttermilk, washed and squeezed out of water, into a deep plate. The piece should be of such a size that it can roll slightly across your dish. Now start tossing the oil a little. This will knock out excess water and make the surface of the product smoother. The oil must not only be tossed, but also rolled over the plate. Using a plate, you will get a piece of butter, free of residual water, with a smooth surface and a regular oval shape.

Recipes for making original homemade butter

It has already been mentioned that you can make homemade butter with garlic or honey. But these are not all products that go perfectly with butter. Let's do something unusual and make delicious homemade butter with peppers and onions for men, with orange zest and cranberries for women, etc.

Homemade Butter with Peppers and Onions

Cut half a red bell pepper into pieces and fry in a frying pan until soft. After this, put the pepper in a food processor, add 100 g of homemade butter and a few stalks of green onions. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Place the thoroughly ground mass on parchment paper or foil and roll into a small sausage. Now ours original oil needs to be chilled in the freezer.

Homemade butter with cranberries and zest

To prepare sweet homemade butter, in addition to 100 g of the freshest butter, you will need two tablespoons of cranberries, the same amount of maple syrup, and a large spoon of orange zest.

Place butter and cranberries in a food processor. Wash the orange and finely grate its skin. Pour the syrup over the butter and strawberries, add a spoonful of zest and chop all the ingredients well. The resulting mass, just like the previous one, is placed in foil (baking paper), rolled into a sausage and frozen.

Homemade oil for gourmets

Both boys and girls will definitely like this homemade oil. First of all, you need to get the same 100 g of homemade butter. You can get it using any of the methods mentioned (using a food processor, mixer, hand churns, jars, spoons with saucepans, etc.).

So, for a gourmet snack, in addition to butter, you need to have Parmesan. To prepare the original sandwich butter, four tablespoons of grated Parmesan is enough. Place the butter and parmesan in a food processor and add sun-dried tomatoes (two tablespoons). The finishing touch is basil leaves. Take no more than five leaves. That's it, our ingredients are ready for grinding.

The resulting gourmet snack also needs to be wrapped in paper or foil, just like sweet butter with syrup or savory with pepper.

Homemade herb butter for meat and potatoes

I don't know about you, but some people love to eat steak fries with herb butter. To prepare this creamy masterpiece, you need to mix 100 g of butter with a spoon of lemon juice, two pinches of salt, rosemary, parsley and oregano (1 tbsp each). The butter is served chilled.

Butter is a product obtained by churning cream or industrial separation, most often from cow's milk.

Butter contains a large amount of milk fat - from 50 to 80%.

According to Russian GOST, natural butter is considered to be a product that contains only animal and milk fat. And no herbal additives.

Butter can be sweet cream, sour cream, or salted.

Sweet butter is made from fresh pasteurized cream. Sour cream made from cream fermented using a special technology.

Salted butter is made by adding salt.

For many years we were frightened by the fact that butter contains cholesterol and eating it is harmful. In fact, eating butter is good for you, especially for breakfast and in cold weather.

This nutritious product is perfectly absorbed by the body and energizes you in the morning. So our grandmothers and mothers did the right thing by serving a sandwich with butter for breakfast or adding a small piece to porridge.

The oil is also useful for colds. Who doesn’t remember how in childhood we were given milk with the addition of butter, honey and a pinch of baking soda.

Butter also contains: vitamins A, B, D, E, K, water, protein, carbohydrates, amino acids, minerals.

In old age, oil should be consumed in food to avoid osteoporosis. In addition, if a person refuses butter, then in old age he may fall into dementia.

In children, schoolchildren and students, oil improves learning ability, as it promotes the renewal of brain cells. The oil also has a beneficial effect on vision.

Butter is good not only for health, but also for beauty. Those who regularly eat a little natural butter have smooth skin for many years, lush hair, strong teeth, nails and bones.

Without butter, the body does not absorb fat-soluble vitamins, and this reduces immunity and makes the body vulnerable to stress and poor ecology.

It also supports the nervous and reproductive systems.
Women who refuse butter lose interest in intimate life and experience early menopause.

Butter promotes the production of serotonin, which is called the “happiness hormone” and thus improves mood, preventing depression. This is especially important in the cold season, when the days are short and often gloomy.

Butter helps fight not only old age, but also everyday fatigue, overwork, and helps to get a good night's sleep.

Butter also has a very useful property - it reduces cravings for sweets.

A classic sandwich with butter in the morning will not hurt those who care about their figure. You just need to consume no more than 30g of butter per day.

But only natural oil will bring benefits, so you need to carefully read the composition of the product and pay attention to the GOST sign. Now for Russian oil GOST 37-91 and GOST 52-253 standards apply. And remember that good oil doesn't come cheap.

To make sure that the purchased oil is natural, you need to put it in the freezer. Milk fat hardens at low temperatures, so if the butter becomes hard, it High Quality, and if it is easily crushed, then it is a fake.

Butter is really rich, but it can cause harm if you only eat a pack of butter a day.

However, for people with cholesterol problems, the oil is reduced to a minimum. Here you need to consult your doctor.

And now some recipes with butter.

Sandwich with onions and eggs

You will need:

6 slices of bread;
- 3 eggs;
- 40 g green onions;
- 10 g dill;
- butter;
- salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Fry the bread in butter, sprinkle with chopped onion, dip in beaten eggs, add salt and bake in the oven. When serving, sprinkle with chopped dill.

Butter cookies

You will need:

- 500 g flour;
- 1 1/4 glasses of milk;
- 100 g butter;
- sugar to taste, optional without it;
- salt.

Cooking method:

Mix all ingredients, knead the dough. Let him sit. Roll out, cut out crescents with a glass, place on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Bake in the oven over medium heat.

Pasta with butter

You will need:

100 g cheese;
- 10 g leaves;
- 80 g butter
- salt as desired and to taste.

Cooking method:

Grate the cheese on a fine grater, chop the mint, mix, add butter, beat well, or use a mixer and spread on bread or croutons.

This paste can be prepared with celery instead of mint or with parsley.

Apricot mousse

You will need:

- 350 g apricot;
- 5-6 egg whites;
- 150 g sugar;
- 30 g butter.

Cooking method:

rinse, remove the seeds, add water to cover them by 1cm and cook until soft. Remove, rub through a sieve, add sugar and cook for 5 minutes.

Beat the egg whites and add to the hot puree, pour the mixture into greased molds and bake in the oven.

Butter is used in cosmetics to moisturize and soften the skin.

Universal mask

Grind a piece, measure out a tablespoon of the mass and mix with a teaspoon of softened butter, grind well, spread on the face like a cream. After 15 minutes, remove with a napkin, wash with warm water and wipe your face with an ice cube.

To rejuvenate skin and eliminate dryness

Mix 1 tbsp. a spoonful of softened butter with 1 raw yolk, grind well and apply to the face for 20 minutes.

Remove with a cotton swab dipped in warm water.
Wash.

Nourishing lip mask.

Grate the apple on a fine grater.

Mix 1 teaspoon of puree with 1/2 teaspoon of butter. Apply to lips for 20 minutes.

Masks for dry, flaky lips

Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 1/2 teaspoon of softened butter, apply for 15 minutes, massaging lightly.
Rinse off with warm water.

Butter is one of the most popular products on our table. The natural product is very valuable for human health. 100% cow butter is rarely found in modern stores. It is extremely different beneficial properties. Just 15-20 g of product gives a person a third of the daily dose of many vitamins. Everything important for a person is here nutritional elements, which are considered necessary for the high-quality functioning of the organs of vision, for proper bone growth, so that both the epidermis and hair become healthier.

What is it and what does it look like?

This product is made from cow's milk. This is a special concentrate of milk fat base (from 78 to 82.5%, but if this product is baked - then 99%).

Only a product that is made from cream and has a fat content of 82.5% can be called real butter. All kinds of emulsifiers, added preservatives, as well as flavorings, food colors and other popular additives are used to replace natural basis in the product, and signal to the consumer that he is not choosing animal oil, but, at best, just margarine or a spread.

If a product has a fat content of less than 82.5%, it will no longer be 100% natural oil, even if it is called that on the packaging.

A product with a fat content of 82% may differ significantly in density from different companies. Often the product is very hard, sometimes too soft. The density here will depend on the MFA - the mass fraction of fat in the product itself. The higher the MFR, the lower the density of the product will be. In dairy production, this indicator is calculated using a special formula and must comply with established standards.

Light types of oils usually cost much less because they contain trans fats, which are harmful and even sometimes dangerous for humans.

What are they made of?

A quality product is made from first-class cream. They are distinguished by their excellent taste and health-improving properties; they contain a set of fatty acids, vitamins and other useful elements. They have a low melting point - only 32-35 degrees, and a low solidification temperature - 15-25 degrees.

They contain both proteins and carbohydrates, various mineral components and liquid. The natural product is moderate in calories (about 73 kcal per 100 g) and will be easily absorbed.

The milk component of the product gives you a feeling of vivacity and a boost of energy for a long time. Therefore, bread with a small layer of butter has always been considered the best breakfast. The product significantly strengthens our body.

Composition and fat content

The product may contain from 50 to 150 fatty acid bases. Most of them are saturated, but there are also unsaturated ones. The latter have the ability to remove “harmful” cholesterol from the body, help with the functioning of the visual organs and nervous system, and make the mucous membranes healthier.

• Vitamin A(another name is retinol) helps the immune system protect the body from various types of harmful microbes and viruses; it is a serious antioxidant. Retinol will help to quickly heal various ulcers and erosions of the digestive system.
• Vitamin E helps produce sex hormones, restores tissues that have been damaged, is also an antioxidant, helps maintain the healthy appearance of the epidermis and hair.
• Vitamin D participates in metabolism, helps the formation of bone and joint tissues, it is also called growth vitamin.
• Vitamin K will affect the level of blood clotting. The fatty base of milk will allow the human body to properly absorb calcium - a very important component for the activity of all muscles and the creation of strong bone tissue. The large amount of calories makes the product one of the most vital elements in the diet of convalescent people and breastfeeding mothers, as they need high-quality sources of energy.

You also need to remember about the huge list of mineral compounds: among them you can see sodium and magnesium, zinc, selenium, as well as copper and manganese, iron.

In the composition of this product, a fifth of each gram is the carbohydrate component, it is expressed in the form of natural saccharides. Experts consider cow butter to be a fairly high-calorie product. In 100 g, 82% will be occupied by fat bases. Proteins – up to 1 g, cholesterol – approximately 200 milligrams. There are also omega acids, as well as ash and dietary fiber.

Varieties

According to accepted standards, the product must be made from cream that has been pasteurized (with or without sourdough) Therefore, the following subtypes of oil can be distinguished:

• sweet creamy (from heat-treated cream);
• sour cream (from cream that is fermented with special starters and at the same time pasteurized), which will give the product bright flavor notes and an amazing aroma.

Within this classification, the production of a product from cow's milk can occur with or without the use of salt, Therefore, you can find such types of oil as:

• salty;
• without salt.

Various oils differ in the amount of fat in them: tasty “Tea” - 50% by weight, aromatic “Buterbrodnoe” - 61%, nutritious “Krestyanskoe” - 72.5%, fresh “Lyubitelskoe” - 80%, excellent “Vologodskoe” – 82.5%, the most natural “Traditional” – 82.5%.

When releasing a product, it is allowed to add.

• To produce fattier types of oils - ordinary salt, dyes, bacterial elements and bacterial concentrates.
• For products with low level fat - dyes, special flavors, vitamins, other additives, and in addition, a certain amount of lactic acid bacteria.

Butters with all sorts of flavors are produced only from the best cream; cocoa powder, a little honey, sugar and aromatic vanillin are added to them, as well as 100% fruit or berry juice.

A ghee variety is also produced from cow butter - it is rendered from milk fat at 75-80 degrees, and it is immediately cleared of various impurities.

Butter is made in two ways: 30-45% of cream specially prepared for this purpose is churned in special devices - “butter makers”, and the cream is converted with increased level fat content in special designs - “oil formers”.

Butter is made not only from the milk of familiar cows; in many countries it is produced from the milk of goats and yaks, horses and sheep, buffaloes and other animals.

Each of the existing varieties of oil will have its own taste, without additional impurities and unfamiliar aromas.

There are special types of oil:

• when it is mixed with products of plant origin (sunflower oil);
• when it is defatted (it has little fat);
• when it is recombined (reconstituted from milk powder).

Today in stores you can also see sweet butter and chocolate, a product with herbs, garlic and lactose-free - for people who are lactose intolerant.

How to choose?

The type of oil is always indicated on the packaging of the oil. A product familiar to our table will have a fat content level of 82.5%. 78% is “Amateur Oil”, from 72.5% is the incomparable “Peasant Oil”. If this level is less than 70%, then it will not be oil, but a combined product.

A 100% natural cream product will not contain fats of vegetable origin. There should only be cream and milk itself. If the composition contains a palm component, then it is margarine.

A product made from real cream has a bright snow-white color in winter. But a product made in summer will have a beautiful yellow tint, which is obtained due to the fact that cows feed on freshly cut grass. Only unnatural additives can give a product a yellow color in winter.

The cooled product should be as flexible as possible and it should be easy to spread on bread. If it begins to crumble and crumbles under the pressure of a knife, then the product contains not only natural ingredients.

You can determine the quality of the purchased product by its smell. No modern flavoring can create the smell of a truly real creamy product. It has the purest, without various impurities, slightly noticeable creamy aroma. If you can smell the product through the packaging, then the package will clearly contain an overly scented, cheap counterfeit.

If you buy oil by weight, first carefully examine its cut in the display case. Excellent butter will differ from its unnatural counterparts in its dense, dry consistency with shine. Small drops of moisture may be visible on the product.

Manufacturers often “hide” information about the presence of vegetable fats in the composition using an almost unreadable font.

If you cannot read the ingredients of a product, it is best not to purchase it immediately. The presence of beautiful prefixes like “extra” or “special” to the name of the oil indicates that this is a combined product.

Subtleties of use

Today, the creamy product is used in many areas.

• In medicine. In this industry, it plays the role of an ingredient that nourishes, softens, and warms. It is found in well-known creams, ointments, drinks, and various wound-healing compresses. Traditional healers treat an impressive number of serious ailments with this product. These include skin problems, as well as disruptions in the functioning of the stomach, bronchitis and various infections. To make it even more beneficial, the oil is often added to milk or honey, diluted with aloe juice, or nuts, berry or fruit juices are added to it.
• In cooking. They often fry on it. It is introduced into the dough, constantly found in puffed creams, delicious desserts and nutritious sauces. It is spread on bread and will go perfectly with sausage and a slice of cheese. Oil can make many edible products taste more pleasant.
• In cosmetology. The product is often present in handmade and factory-made creams, lotions. Masks with this product can prolong the youth of the skin, make it softer, help maintain water balance, and eliminate peeling and minor abrasions. In addition, the product is used in hair care. By systematically using it, you will quickly cope with dry hair, frequent hair loss, fragility, and get rid of dandruff.

Daily norm

You can eat oil every day, but only in quantities that will not exceed 10 g for children under 7 years old, and 15-30 g for adults and adolescents.

Most the best option– spread butter on bread, because in this form the product will be better absorbed. If you love sandwiches, you can put cheese or sausage on top of the butter.

To do traditional dishes more nutritious, they also include oil. It is often seasoned with vegetable or fruit salads.

During exacerbation of diseases and vitamin deficiency, the oil will strengthen children's immunity. In this case, it should not be consumed more than 30 g per day.

At what age can it be given to children?

This versatile product can be included in the diet of children. Many pediatricians call butter an excellent source of energy for children as young as one year old.

Taking this product every day will improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, thanks to it the speed of all metabolic processes will be improved. The oil will allow the nervous system and brain tissue to form qualitatively.

Kids from the very early age You need to eat natural oil little by little, because it protects the body, which is not yet strengthened, from various kinds of diseases. This product has a great effect on the intellectual level of development of children, and with its help, vision is strengthened.

The benefits of the oil are achieved due to the presence of many vitamins and mineral elements in the composition. These components help the child’s body develop correctly.

During pregnancy

The benefits of cow butter for women are obvious. This benefit is ensured by the presence of:

• Cholesterol. It helps maintain the balance of female hormones at the desired level, but its lack will lead to the disappearance of menstruation and infertility.
• Folic acid. It helps improve the appearance of the epidermis, hair and nails.
• Lipids. Fats that accumulate in cells will help protect the skin from wind or frost.
• Calcium. Its presence is important for pregnant women and women during breastfeeding.

For diabetes

Fatty oil is extremely useful for gout, but you can eat it in strictly defined quantities.

Many types of products for diabetes are often not only recommended, but also necessary. The human body cannot survive without fats. These components are considered vital, and in many cases even irreplaceable. Vegetable oil, like butter, will not increase blood sugar levels. Fats together with proteins will give you a feeling of fullness that will last for a long time after eating.

Those who are allergic to cow's milk should be very careful when including natural butter in their diet, and those who have a very severe allergy to milk should avoid this product completely. You can successfully replace it with vegetable oils.

To learn how to check the quality of butter, watch the video below.

Butter is the main product obtained from cow's milk. It is a concentrate of milk fat (78 - 82.5%, in ghee - about 99%).

In terms of taste, aroma, and nutritional value, butter belongs to the best and most valuable edible fat. This product is distinguished by its high calorie content, digestibility (up to 98.5%) and vitamin content (vitamins A, B, E).

Butter, due to its chemical composition, structure, calorie content, fusibility and nutritional properties, is one of the necessary elements of dietary and baby food.
Butter is available for sale salted and unsalted. By adding salt, the stability of the oil during storage is increased.

Classification and assortment are determined by production technology and chemical composition.

Butter and ghee are sold in four grades: extra, highest, 1st and 2nd.

Types of butter

Sweet cream butter - produced from fresh cream - is a common butter produced in Russia.

Fermented butter - produced from cream fermented with lactic acid starters (to give the butter a specific taste and aroma). To produce these two types, the cream is pasteurized at a temperature of 85-90 °C. Vologda butter - made from fresh cream, pasteurized at higher temperatures high temperatures(97 - 98 °C). Amateur butter - is characterized by a higher water content than in other types of butter (20%, in other oils 16%, in ghee 1%) and some non-fat substances.

Oils with fillers are made from fresh cream with the addition of cocoa, honey, vanillin and sugar, and natural fruit and berry juices as flavoring and aromatic substances.

Butter should be used mainly for serving, for sandwiches, and for basting prepared dishes.

Standard butter must have the following quality indicators:

• purity of taste and smell,
• absence of foreign tastes and foreign odors,
• consistency density (small water droplets are allowed on the oil cut),
• Uniformity of color - white or cream color.

Salted butter also requires uniform salting and a salt content not exceeding 2%.

Ghee is also made from butter by melting milk fat from butter at a temperature of 75° - 80° and separating it from accompanying impurities. It contains at least 98% fat, but practically no biologically active substances.

Unsalted butter is made from pasteurized cream with or without the use of pure cultures of lactic acid bacteria, meaning the butter can be produced as sweet cream or sour cream.
Unsalted butter contains at least 82.5% fat and no more than 16% moisture.

Salted butter They are produced, like unsalted, from pasteurized cream - sweet cream and sour cream. Table salt is added as a preservative and as a flavoring additive, but not more than 1.5%.
Salted butter contains at least 81.5% fat and no more than 16% moisture.

Vologda butter- unsalted, made only from sweet cream pasteurized at high temperatures. The oil is washed once, it contains an increased amount of protein, and is less durable during storage than other types of oil.
Contains fat no less than 82.5%, moisture no more than 16%.

Amateur butter- unsalted, made from sweet pasteurized cream in continuous butter producers. Contains fat of at least 78%, moisture - no more than 20%. Its characteristic feature is that it is not washed and contains up to 2% dry fat-free substances.

Peasant butter- unsalted sweet cream and sour cream. Contains an increased amount of milk plasma (water with dry skimmed milk residue), moisture - no more than 25% and fat - no less than 72.5%.

Diet butter- unsalted sweet cream. Contains milk fat of at least 60%, dry fat-free substances - 14%, vegetable oil 20.6%.

Baby butter, during the production of which about 8% sugar and a small amount of vanillin are added. This oil contains at least 76% fat.

Butter with fillers is made from sweet butter. The fat content in butter with fillers is less than in regular butter, and its consistency is softer.

Includes sugar, cocoa and vanillin as flavoring and aroma additives. Contains fat not less than 62%, sugar - not less than 18%, cocoa powder - 2.5%, moisture - not more than 16%.

Honey butter made with the addition of 25% natural honey. Fat contains 52%, moisture - no more than 18%.

Fruit butter includes natural pureed fruits and berries mixed with sugar as flavoring and aromatic additives.
This oil is rich in vitamins and carbohydrates, contains 62% fat, 16% sugar, 18% moisture.

Melted or homogenized butter are produced from high-quality sweet cream and sour cream, salted and unsalted butter.
The melted butter is poured into tin cans, cooled to 15-18 °C and then rolled up.

Sterilized and pasteurized butter produced from high-fat cream obtained by separating hot cream and milk. The sterilization mode preserves the properties of butter in the finished product without turning it into ghee.
It can withstand long-term storage, which is why it is called canning oil. Contains no more than 16% water, no less than 82% fat, 2% dry fat-free substances.

Dry butter prepared from a mixture of cream and skim milk. It is a cream-colored powder with the smell of pasteurized milk.
When adding 12-14% water, the resulting oil has the consistency of natural cream, contains 80-83% fat, 12-17% dry fat-free substances.

Melted butter, known as Russian, is pure milk fat freed from plasma. The raw material for its production is butter.
Ghee contains at least 98% fat, no more than 1% water and up to 1% dry fat-free substances. The nutritional value due to the chemical composition of the product: 52 -82.5% fat, 16 -35% moisture and 1 - 13% dry skim milk residue. Low molecular weight fatty acids (butyric, caproic, caprylic, etc.) contained in milk fat account for 8 - 13%. They determine the low melting point (28 - 35 ° C) and, accordingly, good digestibility (98%) of the product.

Amateur oil, peasant is characterized by an increased plasma content (more milk protein, lactose, phospholipids) and reduced calorie content.

The oil contains vital polyunsaturated fatty acids (arachidonic, linoleic, linolenic), which ensure normal carbohydrate-fat metabolism in the body. Cow butter contains minerals (potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.), vitamins A, E, groups B, C, E, carotene, cholesterol, lecithin.

In some types of butter, milk fat is partially replaced vegetable oil, while the content of vital fatty acids and the biological value of the oil increase.

The factors that shape quality are, first of all, the quality of the raw materials used to produce oil and the production technology, since any technological operation lays down certain quality characteristics of the finished product.

Milk intended for butter production must be clean, free of foreign odors, and acidity not exceeding 20 °T.
Two types of cream are used. First grade cream must have a clean, fresh, sweetish taste without foreign tastes and odors, and a uniform consistency. Frozen cream is not allowed.

In the second grade cream, mild feed flavors, lumps of butter, traces of freezing are allowed, plasma acidity is not higher than 26 °T.

Butter production is carried out by two methods - churning and processing of heavy cream (separation).

The churning method in batch butter producers is implemented as a sequence of the following basic operations: pasteurization, cooling, maturing, churning cream, oil washing, salting, mechanical processing and butter packaging.

Pasteurization, destroying microorganisms and destroying enzymes, gives the oil stability during storage. The pasteurization mode depends on the type of butter, acidity and fat content of the cream.
Pasteurization is carried out at a temperature of 85 - 90 °C, for Vologda oil - at a temperature of 95 - 98 °C.

Cooling and maturing of cream is of great technological importance. After pasteurization, the cream is quickly cooled to a temperature of 2 - 8 ° C, which prevents the evaporation of aromatic substances from the hot cream, which pass into the butter.

As a result of the physical maturation of cream, fat globules acquire a certain elasticity, and the viscosity of the cream increases. The duration of cream ripening depends on temperature: up to 1 hour at 0 °C, up to 8 - 12 hours at 8 °C. Deep cooling of the cream (to 0 - 1 °C) and simultaneous mechanical stirring reduce the time of physical maturation of the cream to several minutes.

The churning of cream is carried out in butter producers. A periodic oil maker (“breaker”) is a metal or wooden cylinder or barrel rotating around its axis, or with a stationary body, but with rotating beaters (mixers) on the axis.
Under the influence of mechanical shocks, an oil grain is formed - hardening and crystallization of triglycerides from the fat melt. About 70% of the destroyed fat membranes are converted into buttermilk.

The butter is washed by adding water after removing the buttermilk in such an amount (50 - 60% of the cream mass) that the entire butter grain is surrounded by water.

Salting of oil (with dry salt or brine) is carried out after removing water to increase the stability of the oil during storage.

Oil processing- the process of transforming grain into a monolithic mass and removing excess water in the product, passed through squeezing rollers for this purpose.
When processing oil grains, a dense layer is formed, convenient for packaging and storage.

Churning in continuous buttermakers allows for faster churning of cream due to enhanced mechanical forces.

After ripening, cream with a fat content of 38 - 42% flows through a regulating receiving tank with a constant level into the whipping cylinder, where cold water or brine circulates. A beater rotates in the cylinder at high speed (3000 rpm), which knocks the cream into an oil grain in 20 - 30 s.
By tilting the cylinder, the bulk of the buttermilk is removed, and the oil enters the squeezing and mixing chamber, mixed and compressed. This oil is called amateur oil. It has a weak consistency and cannot be washed with water; it contains more moisture. The high air content and increased volume allow only 24 kg to be packed in a standard box (instead of the usual 25.4 kg).

The tray method for producing butter is as follows. The separator produces high-fat cream - a product similar in composition to butter.
Then, through thermal and mechanical processing, it is given the structure of butter. With this method, the operations of physical ripening of cream, churning and formation of butter grains are eliminated.

The entire process of oil production on the production line is carried out on three devices - a pasteurizer, a separator and an oil former. The oil obtained on production lines has a pleasant delicate taste and aroma, it is more resistant to mold, and contains little air.

The oil structure is two-phase. The fat and water phases are solvents for other components of the oil - proteins, salts, carbohydrates, gases, etc.
Fat is found in oil in crystalline, liquid and amorphous states, so oil can be considered as a multiphase poly disperse system.

The structure of the oil produced different ways, not the same.

The butter obtained by churning is a gel-like dispersed system in which the continuous phase is liquid fat. In this oil, the fat hardens in a stable form, so it is stable.

During the ripening process of cream low temperatures fat hardens with crystallization of triglycerides. Each ball forms an outer layer of hardened layer of high-melting triglycerides and an inner layer of fat that melts at a lower temperature (liquid fat).

The optimal content in cream is 30 - 35% of hardened fat. With a higher content of hard fat, the butter crumbles, with a lower content, it becomes soft.

Mechanical processing during churning destroys the shells of fat globules, micro grains of fat crystals combine into lumps - oil grains. Further mechanical processing leads to the dispersion of oil grains in a continuous phase of liquid fat plasma and air.
This is how a certain structure and consistency of the oil are formed.

In oil produced by the in-line method, crystallization occurs not only in the oil former, but also after leaving it. In this oil, most of the crystals are in a low-melting form, which becomes stable only with the proper temperature, time, exposure, and so on.
To obtain a good structure of such oil, it is necessary to strictly observe the thermal production conditions.

The specific conditions for in-line oil production affect the structural characteristics of the product. The presence of developed crystallization structures, which are a consequence of insufficient cooling of the product in the churn or incomplete mechanical processing of it in the crystallization zone, or both together, causes a consistency defect - crumbiness, fragility, layering.
The absence of such structures also adversely affects the consistency of the oil - it becomes weak and smeared.

Quality assessment is carried out according to organoleptic and chemical indicators. Oil that does not meet these indicators is considered non-standard.

Standard oil should have a pure taste and smell characteristic of this species, without foreign tastes and odors.

The consistency of butter at a temperature of 10 -12 ° C should be dense, homogeneous, the surface of the butter on the cut should be slightly shiny and dry in appearance or with the presence of single tiny drops of moisture.

Ghee has a soft, grainy consistency; when melted, the butter should be completely transparent and without sediment. The color should be from white to light yellow, uniform throughout the mass.