The benefits or harms of milk. Video

What is pasteurized milk

Pasteurized, sterilized, non-fat, ultra-pasteurized – the variety of varieties of store-bought milk dazzles. The more useful of them is pasteurized milk.

Such a product is understood as milk that has undergone a certain heat treatment. The product is subjected to it to increase its shelf life. In industrial pasteurization, milk is heated to 80-100 ° C for 15-20 seconds. At this temperature, pathogenic microbes and bacteria that are always present in whole milk are destroyed. Pasteurization destroys up to 99% of microorganisms. This slows down the souring process of the product. The shelf life of pasteurized milk is short – a maximum of seven days.

The benefits of milk

Pasteurized milk is relatively healthy. To him, of course, is far from the whole village milk. However, pasteurized milk has more benefits than sterilized milk. The temperature at which pasteurization takes place allows you to preserve most of the trace elements and vitamins.

One glass of pasteurized milk contains a hefty portion of protein, almost half the daily value of calcium and a large set of vitamins and minerals, including molybdenum, potassium, strontium, copper, iodine, vitamins D, group B. The calorie content of pasteurized milk is not so great. In 100 grams of milk, 2,5% fat contains 54 calories, and 3,5% fat contains 60 calories.

In the process of heating, gases dissolved in it leave the milk, proteins and part of mineral salts precipitate, and enzymes are destroyed. Heating milk to 80 degrees and above gives it aroma and special taste. During the boiling process, these changes are intensified, and some of the valuable substances are also lost, therefore, pasteurized milk should not be boiled unnecessarily. “Sterile” and it will not get better from this.

High-fat milk, according to nutritionists, does not pose a cardinal threat to weight. Milk fat is replete with amino acids that break down fat in the human body. The higher the fat content, the tastier the milk

How to choose healthy milk

Many varieties of pasteurized milk can be found on supermarket shelves. When choosing this product, be sure to pay attention to the date of its production. Its shelf life is a week from the date of production. Good pasteurized milk should not contain artificial additives. If the product has a shelf life of more than a week, this is a sure sign that the manufacturer has added preservatives to the composition. Remember, the shorter the expiration date, the more benefits the milk has.

If we talk about containers, then milk in plastic bags is not designed for a long shelf life. In addition, the packaged product is not very practical. A glass bottle will not transfer foreign taste and odor to milk, unlike its plastic counterpart. However, the best choice would be milk in a carton bag. It is stored in it, as a rule, longer.

Examine the composition of the product. If it contains whole milk, this is a completely natural product that has undergone heat treatment. Most often, however, you can find a mixture of reconstituted and whole milk on store shelves. The first is made from powdered milk, but this does not mean that it is bad. It’s just that there are fewer useful components in it. To test the quality of the milk, put it in a glass of water. If the droplet sinks to the bottom, you have whole milk in front of you, and if it spreads, diluted milk.

It is worth noting that there should be no sediment in good pasteurized milk. Unfortunately, this can only be verified after opening the package. Antibiotics are often found in milk imported into our country. If pasteurized milk does not ferment for a long time, it means that it contains acidity stabilizers and antibiotics. Subsequently, it is better to refrain from buying milk of this brand.

Pasteurized milk, even in unopened containers, should always be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature between + 2 ° C and + 4 ° C. It is better not to store an open bag of milk for more than three days.

Milk pasteurization at home

It makes no sense to compare real village milk with store milk. However, consuming raw milk can lead to dire consequences. It can be boiled, but many useful properties are lost. Less loss during pasteurization. This will require: – clean bottles (preferably glass), – two pots, – ice, – a thermometer, – milk.

Pour milk into a saucepan, dip a thermometer into it and heat to 65 degrees. Maintain this temperature for 20 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning.

Fill a second pot with ice. It should be larger in diameter than the first. After pasteurization, place the pan of milk on ice. This is necessary so that it cools as quickly as possible. Continue stirring it. Instead of ice, you can safely use water, but only it must be very cold.

After cooling down, the milk is ready. It should be poured into clean bottles and stored in the refrigerator.