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How to check if sour cream is real or not: 5 ways to expose a fake
08.07.2024 06:50
Sour cream is an indispensable product in Russian cuisine, a favorite addition to borscht, a base for sauces and an indispensable ingredient in many desserts.
However, in pursuit of profit, some manufacturers resort to tricks, releasing a product that is far from the original under the guise of natural sour cream.
Experienced housewives and food quality experts know how to distinguish real sour cream from a fake.
Their verification methods, sometimes unexpected and original, help buyers avoid falling for the tricks of unscrupulous manufacturers.
Visual assessment
The first thing to pay attention to is the appearance of the product. Real sour cream has a uniform, glossy surface without lumps or traces of whey separation. The color should be uniform, from white to slightly creamy.
If the sour cream quickly spreads when you tilt the package, this may indicate the presence of thickeners or low fat content.
Checking the consistency
The consistency of sour cream is an important indicator of its quality. A natural product should be thick, but at the same time tender and easy to stir.
If the spoon stands vertically in the sour cream without falling, the buyer is most likely looking at a product with added thickeners.
Real sour cream, when stirred, forms characteristic “peaks” that slowly settle.
Solubility test
A simple but effective way to check is the hot water test. A spoon of sour cream should be dropped into a glass of hot water.
The natural product will quickly dissolve, forming a uniform white suspension. If the sour cream remains a lump or breaks into flakes, this is a sign of the presence of vegetable fats or starch.
Checking for the presence of starch
Starch is a common component of fake sour cream. You can use iodine to detect it.
A drop of iodine added to sour cream should not change the color of the product. The appearance of a blue or purple hue indicates the presence of starch. However, it is worth remembering that this test is best done at home, not in the store.
Assessment of taste qualities
Taste and smell are the most important characteristics of real sour cream. It should have a clean, sour-milk taste without any foreign flavors.
Excessive acidity or, conversely, a bland taste may indicate a violation of production technology or the use of milk fat substitutes.
Studying the composition on the label
A careful study of the product's composition on the label can tell a lot about its quality. Natural sour cream should only list cream and starter.
The presence of vegetable fats, stabilizers, emulsifiers and preservatives indicates that the buyer is not dealing with real sour cream, but an imitation.
Fat test
Fat content is a key indicator of the quality of sour cream. A simple home test will help to estimate it approximately. You need to drop a little sour cream on paper and let it dry. The larger the greasy spot, the higher the fat content in the product.
The absence of a greasy trace may indicate the use of vegetable fats or low fat content of the product.
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