Varenets

Varenets is a fermented milk drink made from baked milk or fermented baked milk. Usually, instead of sourdough, sour cream is used as a natural thickener and a source of lactic acid bacteria. In industrial production, in order to ferment milk, special lactic acid bacteria are added to it in its pure form. In fact, this drink is an analogue of ryazhenka, only it is produced a little differently. The difference between varenets and ryazhenka is that milk with a low percentage of fat content is used to create the latter. But this drink, on the contrary, is created from natural milk, besides baked milk, and heavy cream is added in the process. A good homemade varenets is a thick mixture that is not drunk, but eaten with a spoon.

Baked milk for the production of this drink is prepared as follows: natural milk is slowly melted in such a way that it significantly decreases in volume, by about a third, and acquires a characteristic creamy shade. If you need to make varenets at home, you can simply melt natural full-fat milk, then add a little sour cream to it. For half a liter of baked milk, only one hundred grams of sour cream is enough to get varenets. After adding sour cream, you need to close the container with the drink and leave it in a warm room for several hours.

How to cook varenets

To cook varenets at home, it is best, of course, to use homemade milk and the same homemade sour cream for sourdough. First of all, you will need to make baked milk from ordinary milk, this can be done even in an oven or a thermos. If you will use the oven, preferably take dishes with thick walls, cast iron is best. It is necessary to place the milk in this container in the oven for about 5 hours, setting the temperature to 160 degrees. After this time, you will notice a significant decrease in the volume of milk and that it acquires a characteristic color. If you are using a thermos, pour hot milk into it and leave it overnight, for about 12 or 15 hours. In this case, baked milk will not have this rich, pleasant taste, but it will retain its volume and acquire a characteristic shade. You can even use a slow cooker: just pour milk into it, and put it on the “stewing” mode for about 5 hours. After that, it is necessary to cool the milk so that it is warm, but not hot. The ideal temperature is considered to be about 40 degrees, in which the bacteria will feel best. After that, you need to add sour cream to milk and leave it warm for a long time.

Composition of Varents

The composition of the drink includes more than 2 hundred different useful substances that are necessary for the human body. Varenets is perfectly digestible, also due to the fact that it is a fermented milk product, and the protein in it is partially fermented, which helps even the elderly to digest and assimilate it. The drink improves the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, promotes normal digestion and normalizes the intestinal microflora. Thanks to such an active effect on the gastrointestinal tract, the drink increases immunity, thereby helping the body fight various infections. Varents contains a fairly high concentration of phosphorus and calcium, which are extremely important for supporting the nervous system, developing healthy bones and teeth. In addition, calcium is necessary for normal muscle activity, especially during active physical exertion.

The B vitamins contained in Varents, as well as a wide range of microelements, can significantly improve the state of health with regular use of this drink. It is able to stimulate appetite with regular use, improves liver and kidney function, and stimulates the elimination of harmful substances from the body.

Varenets also has a mild laxative effect, so it can be used as a natural remedy for constipation. In addition, it is often used for fasting days or as one of the main dishes for diet food, as it is very easy to digest, contains a low amount of calories and helps to lose weight.

How to choose and store

If you are going to buy this fermented milk drink, pay attention to the following:

• the drink should be a beautiful cream or yellowish hue;
• if you buy it in supermarkets, make sure that there is an appropriate name that does not include phrases like “sour-milk product identical to natural”;
• if the composition is indicated, it should contain only two ingredients: this is milk and sourdough;
• a good drink has at least 2,5% protein;
• fresh varenets has a pronounced sour taste, a uniform texture without clots;
• the shelf life of a natural product is no more than 14 days.

After the purchase, the drink must be transferred to a glass jar: it will be better preserved there, and put in the refrigerator. Ideally, before use, it needs to be heated a little, you can use the microwave for this.

Useful Properties

Varenets received a wide range of its useful properties due to the high concentration of vitamins and minerals in the composition. In particular, the vitamins contained in it are vital for normal vision and good skin condition. Vitamin D contained in the drink strengthens bones, it is especially important for children, as it prevents the development of rickets. Ascorbic acid strengthens the immune system and improves the condition of the body as a whole, and B vitamins support nervous activity.

This makes Varenets useful, including for people whose work is associated with intellectual loads.

The calorie content of the drink directly depends on the raw materials that were used for its production. For example, on an industrial scale, a drink with a calorie content of approximately 53 calories per 100 g is most often produced. A home-made product will have more calories, depending on whether cream was added there or not.

Used in cosmetics

Like any other fermented milk product, this drink can be actively used for cosmetic purposes.

It contains a large number of useful substances that can saturate and rejuvenate the skin. For example, you can use varenets instead of tonic or as a face mask, as a natural remedy for cleansing, moisturizing and saturating the skin.

Due to the fact that the drink improves the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as improves the condition of the skin, it is very useful to drink it for those who suffer from oily problem skin.

In addition, in folk medicine, varenets is used to heal the lungs faster with tuberculosis, as well as for those people who have been treated with antibiotics that affect the liver.

Use restrictions

Varenets is very useful, however, it also has contraindications for use. If you cannot tolerate any dairy products, you should not consume it. It is necessary to exclude it from your diet for those people who suffer from lactase deficiency. Otherwise, this fermented milk product will not be fully digested, causing bloating and flatulence.