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suet. In 1902 W. Normann, a German scientist improved on the technique, and was able to
bypass suet and harden oil with the addition of hydrogen (this is the process called
hydrogenation), which changed liquid oil into a solid fat that we know as today’s margarine.
Margarine is mainly oil and water. The processor uses huge hydrogenation converter
drums with a nickel catalyst at 200°C (392°F) and violent agitation in contact with a flow of
hydrogen gas. Then they cool and filter the resulting margarine to remove traces of the nickel
catalyst.
2. Cultured milk products
All cultured (also called fermented) milk products have varying amounts of lactic acid,
which gives them their pleasingly tart, slightly tangy flavor. There’s a difference between milk
product fermentation and yeast fermentation that some people confuse. Milk product
fermentation is by bacteria that produce lactic acid, while yeast (a completely different
microorganism) convert sugar to alcohol in such things as bread dough, brewing beer and wine.
Product
Remarks
Yogurt
Two different cultures of lactic acid-producing bacteria ferment it. May start with whole, low-fat
or non-fat milk. Fermented to 0.9% acidity (pH 4.4). Slow fermentation at cooler temperature
results in smoother, creamier texture, more costly product.
Sour cream
Buttermilk
Two sets of live cultures added to light cream. One culture ferments, second culture produces
flavor. Fermented to 0.5% acidity.
Same culture ferments it as sour cream but instead of cream, low-fat milk is used. Fermented to
0
.8% acidity.
Today’s yogurt comes in mind-boggling array of flavors. Processors add fruit purée or
fruit syrup (15 to 18 percent) either leaving it on the bottom of the container before culturing
(sundae-style) or they quickly blend it into cultured yogurt just before chilling (Swiss style).
Stabilizers, that also thicken it, make up about half a percent of commercial yogurt.
You can get fooled into thinking that nonfat yogurt is your perfect diet food, but the high
sugar content ups the calories considerably. The amount of sugar ranges from 7 to 15 percent,
but in some brands it is as high as 25 percent, twice the amount than in a can of soda. If your
goal is diet food, you are better off to buy unflavored yogurt, then add your own sweetener or
flavorings.
Frozen yogurt is simply Swiss-style yogurt that the processor quickly freezes. It comes
in packages like ice cream and you serve it like ice cream.
Other cultured products less commonly available are sour half-and-half, which is a lower-
fat sour cream, and crème fraiche, that cooks use like cream in French marinades or sauces,
where they prefer a thicker consistency and slightly tart flavor. Crème fraiche is easy to make at
home. Start with heavy cream, inoculate it by adding a little cultured sour cream or buttermilk,
and let the mixture ferment for a day at room temperature until thickened. The result is just
barely sour, with about 0.2 percent lactic acid.
Two interesting cultured products that never made it to North America are kefir and
koumiss. Both of these originated with the nomads in the Steppes of Central Asia around the year
1000. The kefir you find in health-food stores is a beverage that bears no resemblance
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