What is spread, cooking features. Nutritional value and composition. Benefits and harms when consumed, recipes for dishes with this ingredient. Interesting facts about a dairy product of a complex composition.
A spread is a product made from a mixture of dairy and vegetable fats. The name comes from the English word "Spread", which literally translates as "stretching, smearing". The main characteristics of the product: does not crumble after freezing and is easily spread on bread. The amount of natural fats varies and can be 39-95%. There are 3 types of products: butter-vegetable (more than 50% milk fat), vegetable-creamy (from 15%) and vegetable-fat. Depending on the composition, the color changes - from rich yellow to milky. In industrial production, flavors, flavorings and colorants can be added to the butter surrogate.
How is the spread prepared?
This product is produced in several ways. Technological lines are installed in dairies, as well as boilers and agitators are used. In the latter case, the spread is prepared like milk butter.
Conversion method on special installations by transformation:
- Acceptance, sorting and disinfection of raw materials.
- Melting fat into an emulsion when heated to 65 ° C.
- Mixing the emulsion with the milk mixture. There are 2 connection options: milk plasma is introduced into the emulsion or vice versa. To stabilize the composition, mixture 9 "Mona Milk" is used.
- Emulsification of the complex composition at 65 ° C.
- Pasteurization when heated to 100-108 ° C.
- Cooling down to the initial temperature of the process.
- Converting a high fat mixture to a spread in a butter maker.
The final stages of spread production are packaging, thermostating and pre-sale storage in a freezer.
Dairies make a spread like cream, using whipping. The first stages of production are similar to those already described. But instead of emulsification, the fat emulsion is homogenized in a pressure chamber at a pressure of 1-5 atm and heated to 60-65 ° C. Then the mixture is pasteurized, mixed with cream. The resulting composition is cooled to 68 ° C and left to mature for 8-20 hours.
At the last stage, the intermediate product is heated to 10-12 ° C and whipped in an installation where butter is usually whipped. Then the packaging is carried out and cooled.
The consistency of the finished spread is uniform, the surface is glossy. Pre-packaged products do not change their properties during temperature extremes, do not crumble when frozen, do not stratify when softened or melted. Food additives are added at the stage of a butter maker or whipping.
To make a spread at home, you need the following set of products:
- Vegetable oils: solid (coconut, cocoa or palm) and liquid (olive, sunflower or hemp), not refined;
- Quail egg yolks;
- Milk with a fat content of 1, 2 to 2, 5%;
- Spices, condiments and spices to taste.
Quail eggs can be replaced with chicken eggs, but it should be borne in mind that heat treatment is not carried out. Replacement will help prevent the development of salmonellosis. Pathogens often enter the digestive system along with untreated chicken eggs.
Algorithm for making a home spread:
- Solid butter, 200 g, melted in a microwave oven (in a water bath), cut into small pieces.
- Pour the resulting emulsion into vegetable oil (a little less than a glass), put the dishes with the mixture on ice and mix with an immersion blender at the slowest speed.
- Separately beat 4 quail yolks with a fork with 2 tsp. milk.
- Combine, add salt, pepper, cut herbs, lemon juice.
Poured into a mold, cooled in the refrigerator until it thickens and hardens. You need to eat a homemade spread within 3 days. But the one that was purchased in the store can be stored for up to six months.
Composition and calorie content of the spread
The nutritional value of a product depends on the milk fat content, flavorings, type and variety.
The average calorie content of the spread is 663 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 0.9 g;
- Fat - 72.5 g;
- Carbohydrates - 1.3 g;
- Water - 46 g;
- Ash - 2 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
- Vitamin A, RE - 819 mcg;
- Beta Carotene - 0.61 mg;
- Vitamin B1, thiamine - 0.01 mg;
- Vitamin B2, riboflavin - 0.04 mg;
- Vitamin B4, choline - 6.5 mg;
- Vitamin B6, pyridoxine - 0.01 mg;
- Vitamin B9, folate - 2 mcg;
- Vitamin B12, cobalamin - 0.1 μg;
- Vitamin C, ascorbic acid - 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin E, alpha tocopherol - 5.7 mg;
- Vitamin K, phylloquinone - 57.6 mcg;
- Vitamin PP - 0.03 mg.
Macronutrients per 100 g:
- Potassium, K - 37 mg;
- Calcium, Ca - 28 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 2 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 607 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 23 mg.
Microelements per 100 g:
- Iron, Fe - 0.09 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 5 μg;
- Selenium, Se - 0.5 μg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.02 mg.
The spread contains cholesterol - 71 mg per 100 g.
Fatty acids per 100 g:
- Omega-3 - 0.698 g;
- Omega-6 - 10.601 g.
Saturated fatty acids per 100 g:
- Butter - 0.522 g;
- Nylon - 0.309 g;
- Caprylic - 0.18 g;
- Lauric - 0.452 g;
- Myristic - 1.702 g;
- Palmitic - 8.31 g;
- Stearic acid - 4.435 g.
Monounsaturated fatty acids per 100 g:
- Palmitoleic - 0.361 g;
- Oleic (omega-9) - 19.128 g;
Polyunsaturated fatty acids per 100 g:
- Linoleic acid - 601 g;
- Linolenic - 0.698 g.
The composition of the spread is quite rich. It contains nutrients and vitamins from milk fat and vegetable matter. This allows you to replenish the body with useful substances without the risk of oversaturation with harmful cholesterol. Due to its special properties, the product is recommended to be included in slimming diets.
Useful properties of a spread
The first vegetable-fatty mixtures in the 20-30s. XX century were sold in pharmacies. They could only be bought with recipes.
The beneficial properties of the spread are due to the low fat content and rich vitamin and mineral composition:
- Improves digestive functions, prevents constipation, accelerates the elimination of toxins and toxins from the body.
- Normalizes blood circulation, prevents the deposition of "bad" cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels.
- Prevents early aging of the body due to the content of vitamin E.
- Stabilizes lipid-fat metabolism and the level of acid-base balance.
- Reduces the risk of exacerbation of ischemic disease, the possibility of developing strokes and heart attacks.
- Reduces the incidence of osteoporosis and arthrosis.
- Has a beneficial effect on visual function.
- It has an antioxidant effect and stimulates the removal of cholesterol from the vascular bed.
- Improves the mobility of the joints of the musculoskeletal system.
- Improves the quality of skin, hair and nails.
When enriched with ascorbic acid (the introduction of citrus juice into the composition), the benefits of the spread are complemented by antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be introduced into the diet of patients of any age, during pregnancy and lactation. But it is especially recommended to use this product for obesity. Changing the menu not only helps to acquire the desired volumes, but also to get rid of the unwanted effects of weight gain: increased blood pressure, the development of varicose veins, osteochondrosis and problems with the cardiovascular system.
Contraindications and harm of spread
The bias towards the introduction of a new product into the diet on an ongoing basis has arisen due to the presence of trans fats in the composition. But an excessive amount of such additions is included only in cheap counterfeits, in violation of the cooking technology. If you do not buy a fake, there will be no harm from using the spread.
But still, in order to avoid possible health problems, plant-fat options are not introduced into the menu for patients with cancer, children under 2 years of age and pregnant women. The health effects are not fully understood, nor is it known how the palm oil blend will work on growing organisms.
It should be borne in mind that the creamy vegetable composition has a high calorie content and is similar in properties to butter. It is worth avoiding the abuse of such a product with severe obesity - already from the third degree, diabetes mellitus and cancer in the active stage.
At the first acquaintance with a new taste, allergic reactions may develop due to intolerance to the components.
Spread recipes
This product can replace butter in sandwiches, dough is kneaded on it, sauces are prepared with it.
Spread Recipes:
- Cream "Sweet Tooth" … Send to the blender bowl: 100 g of honey, 2 tbsp. l. brown sugar, 6 quail egg yolks, half a glass of heavy cream and 80 g of butter-vegetable spread, after melting it. Beat at high speed until an airy mass is obtained. Spread the cottage cheese in the first layer on a plate, then the berries to taste and carefully so that the foamy "cap" does not fall off, spread the whipped spread with spoons.
- Sandwich … The bread is cut into thin slices and fried in a creamy vegetable product until slightly crisp. Each layer is smeared with a soft mixture, lettuce leaves, slices of hard cheese and ham, slices of tomatoes and herbs to taste are spread between them.
- Casserole … Beat 2 eggs with sugar - 3 tbsp. l., add, beat vigorously with a whisk together with 200 g of cottage cheese. Gradually, pour in half a glass of flour in a thin stream. Add 80 g of sour cream and 20 spread, soda, slaked with vinegar. When it is possible to obtain an absolutely homogeneous structure, it is poured into a silicone mold sprinkled with flour. Bake at 180 ° C until golden brown.
- Spicy sandwich spread … Red hot peppers are baked over an open fire, pricked on a fork, from all sides. Then it is cooled, the seeds are removed and the skin is separated. In an enamel bowl, combine 500 g of creamy spread, 3 tbsp. l. mayonnaise, pieces of red baked pepper and ground black, add salt. Add green onions. Spread on bread.
- Nut dessert … The creamy product is heated, whipped in a blender along with cinnamon and crushed nuts or a nut mixture - cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts. Vanilla sugar is added. Refrigerate before use.
- Squash spread … Peel vegetables, remove seeds (if necessary), rub on a coarse grater. Heat a frying pan and stew the zucchini on a vegetable spread until tender, with salt and pepper. As soon as the liquid has evaporated, turn off the pan and transfer the contents to a sieve to completely remove all remaining juice. A third of a glass of walnuts is fried - grease the pan as for zucchini, pound into powder. Mix all the ingredients in an enamel bowl, pour in half a glass of yogurt, add chopped parsley and dill, season with sunflower oil. The resulting paste is smeared with bread.
- Cupcakes … Add 2 eggs and beat until lather. Add a glass of sugar and repeat the process until an airy white mass is obtained. Melt 100 g of creamy spread, pour into the eggs, add 4-4, 5 cups of milk, 2 tsp. cinnamon, zest of one orange, a spoonful of baking powder and 150 g of sour cream. The dough is allowed to stand for at least 25 minutes. They are poured into silicone molds without greasing them, baked at 180 ° C, checking the readiness with a toothpick. Once it's dry, you can take out the tender muffins.
You can experiment endlessly with recipes, replacing margarine in the batch and adding the original product to the sauce instead of butter.
Interesting facts about the spread
A healthy lifestyle in the West and in the United States began to take care of in the 50-60s. last century. Even then, consumers were warned about the high content of cholesterol in fatty foods, the possible development of dangerous diseases associated with too high-calorie foods. It was at this time that the spreads won the love of consumers.
These products came to the territory of the USSR in the 1970s, but did not gain popularity due to the peculiarity of the culture. Everything "unnatural" has caused (and is) rejection until now. Margarine was recognized due to its low cost, and a high-quality butter-vegetable mixture had a fairly high price. What's the point of paying extra for a surrogate?
Currently, spreads are used, but only by supporters of a healthy lifestyle. Despite the rather annoying advertising of "Rama", most people still smear sandwiches with "Vologda" or "Derevensky" butter with a fat content of 72%, 85% and even 92%! The explanation for this is that unscrupulous producers often sell margarine under the “spread” brand.
GOST for the production of creamy vegetable mixtures was introduced only in 2003. According to the technology, the fat content of the product must be at least 39%, although it is allowed to manufacture only from vegetable oils by emulsification (hardening).
Unfortunately, spreads are still the most frequently falsified commodity. Therefore, when purchasing, it is imperative to read what is written on the package. It is not worth buying if it contains: E 310, 311, 312, 313, 319, 320, 321. However, you can print anything you want. It is better to purchase a product that is packaged in a plastic container - it has a lower content of polyunsaturated fats.
Features of different types of spread:
- Vegetable-creamy … The structure is light, the taste is sweetish, plastic. Contains: skimmed cow's milk and oils - palm, soy or coconut. Fat - up to 82%. It is possible to enter emulsifiers, sorbic acid and other fillers of natural origin into the vegetable-cream spread.
- Vegetable and fatty … There is no cholesterol. Calorie content at the level of 360 kcal. The amount of trans fats is minimized. Dairy fats are replaced with sunflower or soybean oil. As a part of phytosterols, vitamin and mineral complex. The structure is most reminiscent of margarine.
- Creamy vegetable … The taste is sour, it is difficult to melt, the milk fat content is allowed up to 11%. Fat content - 50-85%. It is not used in dietetics, as an ingredient in dishes is not introduced due to low transformation. Features of the useful composition - biological fibers, pectin and inulin.
What is a spread - watch the video:
Whatever kind of product you buy, it is important that it is of high quality. If after purchase it exfoliates, crumbles, the cut is cloudy, the surface is uneven, it is better to refuse tasting. It's a pity to throw it away - they knead the dough. And next time they buy goods from another manufacturer.
