What is the difference between margarine and butter. Difference between butter and margarine Margarine and vegetable oil how to distinguish

Bad news for margarine aficionados: no, this product is not a healthier substitute for butter. In fact, most of the evidence we receive indicates that margarine is very “unhealthy”. Ever since margarine products began to flood stores, their producers have grown rich and our health has deteriorated. We believed in the statement that margarine is not so fatty, and therefore can become part of proper nutrition... By the way, do you know the difference between margarine and butter?

1. Ingredients

Butter is made from fermented milk or cream, water and lactoproteins. Salt may be added to some oils, although this product is usually not particularly salty. Margarine does not contain any dairy products at all and instead consists of emulsifiers, salt and vegetable oils. In other words, butter is a natural product, but margarine is not. Margarine is highly processed, but butter is not. This brings us to the next point.

2. Processing

Making butter is separation and whipping, i.e. manufacturing process, in which the cream obtained from milk fats is pasteurized, kept for a day and actively whipped. After that, the final product is formed into briquettes and packaged. Margarine goes through a process called hydrogenation. It is a less complex but completely chemical transformation of liquid vegetable oils into solid or semi-solid fats. It is, in fact, only a few steps away from plastic production.

3. Fats

Butter usually contains about 80% fat. It is of animal origin and contains much more saturated fat than margarine. However, unlike the fats in margarine, the fats in butter are mostly omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Margarine and spreads range from 10 to 90% fat, made up mostly of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated varieties. Some margarines may also contain trans fats, which are known to be very unhealthy.

4. Taste and texture

A product made entirely from animal fat will not taste like its fully processed surrogate version in most cases. These differences are clearly visible in baked goods, which traditionally use a large amount of butter or margarine. Products made with margarine differ (often for the worse) from those made with butter.

5. Nutritional value

While neither butter nor margarine is “healthy,” margarine is sorely lacking in important nutrients such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are important for the brain and heart. In addition, margarine contains only minor contaminants (if any) of vitamins A, D and E. Not even to talk about nutritional value, deeply processed foodstuffs- and margarine as well - is always more harmful to human health than minimally processed and organic products. As one researcher put it, "I trust cows more than chemists."

Creamy margarine- cooking oil, which is widely used in almost all cuisines of the world. It is considered an excellent substitute for such an expensive product like butter.

This product has a pleasant creamy taste, as well as a milky aroma and a dense, fatty texture. The color of margarine can vary from light yellow to yellow, depending on its constituent components (see photo).

It is officially proven that the original margarine was made in the 19th century. It was at that time that margaric acid was created, the components of which were oleic and stearic acids. The mass production of this product was launched in France. As the story goes, a French ruler like Napoleon III even gave an award for inventing a worthy and at the same time inexpensive analogue of delicious butter. The first consignments of margarine were included on the menus of the French soldiers.

To date, three main types of this product are being considered.:

• hard margarine - eighty-two percent consists of fat, is widely used in industrial cooking;
• soft margarine - a worthy alternative to butter, contains a huge amount of saturated fat, ideal for sandwiches;
• liquid margarine - consists of unsaturated fats, made from soy, wild saffron, as well as vegetable oil and sunflower, is considered less harmful than butter.

Some chefs have no idea what the difference is between margarine and butter. These two, at first glance, identical ingredients are very similar in appearance, but there is a difference between them. First of all, they differ in composition. Margarine is created on the basis of vegetable fats, while animal fats are used to make butter. You can also distinguish these products by the degree of calorie content. Margarine is usually higher in calories than butter.

How to choose and store?

To choose a quality creamy margarine, you need to carefully study the information on the product packaging. It must contain information about the manufacturer, as well as the date of manufacture and expiration dates.

In addition, a good margarine always bears the “Non-GMO” mark. This indicates that the product contains no harmful genetically modified additives.

Quality cooking oil contains no more than 0.6 percent emulsifiers. It also has no extra odors, only milky. The consistency of the margarine mass should be uniform and the color should be uniform. When cut, the surface of this product is always shiny.

A premium margarine must contain at least sixty percent trans fat.

• vegetable oils (natural and hydrogenated);
• animal fats;
• preservatives;
• dyes;
• lemon acid;
• milk;
• flavors;
• purified water;
• granulated sugar;
• cream;
• salt;
• serum.

You need to store creamy margarine at a temperature from minus twenty degrees to plus fifteen. The perfect place a freezer is considered for storing this product. Under these conditions, the margarine mass can be stored for three months. However, after opening the margarine, it is advisable to use it up in thirty days, since after this time it begins to deteriorate.

How to make creamy margarine at home?

There is nothing difficult in making a creamy margarine at home. Besides the fact that this process does not take a lot of time, it brings excellent results. Homemade margarine mass, as a rule, is an exclusively natural product. It contains no dyes or other food additives. It is this fact that encourages housewives to cook margarine on their own.

To cook this product with your own hands, purchase any animal fat (300 grams) and vegetable oil in the same amount. Place the ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over low heat. After that, cover the melted mixture with a lid and boil for twenty minutes. Be sure to stir the boiling mass regularly. Place the finished melted margarine in a suitable glass container, tighten the lid tightly and leave in a convenient room at room temperature for solidification. The resulting product can be used for frying, greasing a baking sheet, as well as for dressing dishes, both the first and the second.

Advice! To make real homemade margarine, it is better to take not sunflower pomace, but corn or olive pomace. In this case, sesame oil is also perfect. Use pork or beef fat, and so that it takes less time to melt it, melt the product in chopped form.

Cooking use

In cooking, creamy margarine is used very extensively. Some do not even suspect that it is part of many dishes. Almost all food manufacturers replace butter with margarine. Thus, they make their product as cheap as possible.

With the use of margarine mass, baked goods are most often prepared. It is included in muffins, buns, biscuits, as well as pies and other products. This product gives puffiness, pleasant taste and smell to baked goods. Margarine also increases its shelf life. In this area, the creamy ingredient is usually used not only to create delicious dough, but also to lubricate the baking dish.

Often, confectioners use margarine in the manufacture of various creams. There are also many recipes for sweets with this product. Some chefs prefer to cook first and second courses with it. In this case, the ingredient is used for roasting vegetables and meat.

Sometimes quality margarine replaces butter, even in sandwiches and other similar snacks.

Today, such brands of this product as "Khozyayushka", "Dmitrovsky" and "Saratovsky" are in great demand. These are the three most delicious and delicate types of margarine that go perfectly with almost all dishes.

Benefit and harm

The benefits of creamy margarine primarily lie in the fact that it belongs to plant-based products. That is why such an organic compound as cholesterol is not present in its composition.

The margarine mass is also appreciated for the content of a good list of vitamins (A, PP, B, E), as well as the most useful minerals (potassium, phosphorus, sodium, etc.). This ingredient is also useful for humans due to its choline, which is an essential substance for the brain.

High-quality margarine is distinguished by a high content of saturated and unsaturated acids, which, in turn, are responsible for health and longevity.

The harm of creamy margarine is also often discussed. This product contains harmful molecules of trans fats (trans fatty acids) that, when consumed continuously, reduce the immune system's defenses. These substances also impair digestion and increase the likelihood of developing vascular and heart disease. Trans fats also spoil breast milk and affect the birth of underweight babies.

Note! In the Nordic countries, trans isomers of fatty acids are prohibited by law. In the United States, they are restricted to California only.

Creamy margarine is a widely used culinary product, perfect for baking and many other delicious dishes too!

Margarine or butter - which is better to choose for a delicious sandwich, and which for baking? Modern manufacturers have long learned to mask these products, so it is often difficult to figure out how butter differs from margarine in the presented assortment. We all remember the famous Rama butter, which was the first sandwich margarine to come to our store shelves from Europe. But still, there is a difference between these products for us, and such a product has not found application among our consumers.

What is the difference between margarine and butter

The main difference between butter and margarine is that they serve different purposes. Margarine has always been an essential ingredient in baked goods, but it is easily replaced with regular butter. But spread margarine on a sandwich - and already a different taste. So the main thing for the consumer is the quality, how butter differs from margarine - the taste of these products.

How butter differs from margarine in baked goods

The second main feature of how margarine differs from butter is the variety of baking recipes in which it is used. This is especially true for loose shortcrust pastry, which has an airy consistency. This effect can be achieved only with the help of high quality margarine, but it is better to add butter to the dough for pies and buns, where the dough is more elastic.

Many losing weight, who are worried that carrot pie will not be too high in calories, replace butter with margarine in the recipe. This is another fact that makes butter different from margarine - if you replace it in baked goods, you can reduce its fat content.

What is the difference between butter and margarine in composition

So we come to the heart of the question, how does butter differ from margarine in principle. If you tried to spread margarine on a sandwich, then you probably remember this strange taste. It's all about the composition of the product, it has nothing in common.

Margarine was made from animal fats at the very beginning of the invention of this product and was a substitute for butter. Today, it contains palm or sunflower oil, water, emulsifiers and flavor enhancers, that is, nothing useful for nutrition, this is a product exclusively for baking.

And butter is made from cream with the addition cold water, after which the serum and natural oil are separated. It is also fatty, but it is healthy milk fat, which contains a lot of vitamins and calcium. This is another point, how butter differs from margarine - in composition and taste.

Also, it is the oil that is used for frying, it gives the finished products a beautiful golden crust. When adding oil, remember to keep them juicy on the inside and crispy and golden on the outside.

Today, shops sell a huge number of varieties of butter and margarine. These products are very similar to each other in appearance, but margarine is much cheaper. This begs a logical question: is it worth paying more? How is butter different from margarine? Are these products considered alternative options? Once you have questions, our online encyclopedia of differences sends you in search of answers.

Definition

Butter- a product of animal origin. To be more precise - a product that is obtained from milk in the process of whipping it. As a child, we all read the tale of two frogs trapped in vessels with milk. And, of course, we remembered her moral - never give up ... and you will have butter. Ideally, natural butter should contain no other ingredients other than milk and table salt. Of course, modern manufacturers in an effort to reduce their costs and increase profits, on the contrary, use various tricks. But the result of their production should not be called butter any more.

Margarine- a mixture of animal fats with vegetable fats. Vegetable oil in its natural form is a liquid with a high viscosity. To give the product its familiar solid appearance, the mixture undergoes a special treatment called hydrogenation. This word, which is obscure to many, means nothing more than the saturation of fatty acid molecules with hydrogen atoms. Margarine was created over a century ago as an inexpensive substitute for natural butter.

What's more useful?

More precisely, what is the use. Why in many families margarine is considered a low-quality, junk, second-rate product? Is it really only suitable for greasing dishes when cooking, well, also as an additive in baking dough?

Let's start by dispelling the myths. If the production technologies are followed according to the approved recipe, both butter and margarine are products that do not contain artificial additives, such as flavors, thickeners and other fillers. In the composition of margarine, products are no less natural than in butter. Unless cheaper vegetable fats are also used for it. Yes, margarine is created artificially, but this does not mean that it is thoroughly saturated with harmful, terribly dangerous "chemistry".

If we talk about the properties of these products, then it should be noted that the oil has a higher calorie content. In addition, with a large consumption of natural butter, the risk of diseases caused by an increase in cholesterol in the blood increases - atherosclerosis, heart attack, etc.

Vegetable fat forms the main share in margarine. This means that there is no saturated fat in it, which increases cholesterol, or there is, but much less than in oil. True, this does not mean that from now on, your morning sandwich should be made exclusively with margarine. This product contains trans fats that hit our vessels as hard as saturated animal fats.

Which is better to buy?

So what should you choose in the end - butter or margarine? Everyone decides this for himself. Of course, for its pleasant creamy aroma and taste, most people consider butter to be a more pleasant product for consumption in pure form... But for frying, it is better not to use butter. The harm from heated vegetable fat is much less than from heat-treated animal oil.

Most importantly, when buying butter or margarine, check what you are actually buying. Remember that natural butter should contain only milk and salt. The oil hardens in the refrigerator. The color of the oil can range from white to yellow, but the oil from one batch should have a uniform color. The color of margarine is more intense, it does not harden in the cold, and at room temperature it holds its shape worse than butter.

To attract shoppers to their margarine, some manufacturers use marketing gimmicks. In particular, the word oil and its derivatives are used in the name of the product: "light oil", "useful oil", etc. Comrades, be careful! Don't be fooled! Smell, taste, read carefully the composition - check it out!

Conclusions site

1. Butter is a product made from milk. It contains only saturated fatty fats. The composition of margarine contains fats of vegetable and animal origin.
2. Butter began to be used in food earlier than margarine. Margarine was created artificially as a substitute for expensive butter.
3. The color of the margarine is more intense. The color of the oil ranges from white to light yellow.
4. Butter is more often used for food in its pure form, margarine - for baking.
5. Some manufacturers try to sell margarine, veiledly calling it butter.

Butter is simple - it's whipped cream. Remember the parable of the two mice that fell into the jug of cream? One immediately gave up and drowned, and the second floundered for so long that she fluffed butter with her paws, climbed onto it and got out of the jug. The story is very instructive, yes. And it describes well both the "never give up" postulate and the principle of making butter.

In the twenty-first century, of course, no one whips cream by hand to get a piece of butter; factories have special separator units. But the fact remains: butter is cream. Usually made from cow's milk. And nothing else. Natural butter should not contain any ingredients other than milk and salt.

Margarine

And if butter is animal fats, then with margarine is a completely different story. The essence of margarine is that animal fats are mixed with vegetable fats during production. Roughly speaking, if you mix cream with vegetable oil, you get margarine. This is very roughly speaking, but the essence, we think, is clear.

In advertisements, margarine is often referred to as butter (for example, “light butter”), but in most countries it is illegal to use the word “butter”, whether light or heavy, on margarine packages. For nefig, as they say, to mislead people.

Margarine is usually added to confectionery and bakery products - it is kneaded into dough at the cooking stage. But in the 90s, an advertisement for the Rama margarine was popular, which manufacturers recommended to smear on bread and eat it in the form of a sandwich. The slogan of this ad was: “Bread and Rama. Made for each other". At the same time, no one called "Rama" margarine.

Spread

Spreads are also a mixture of animal and vegetable fats. V English language spread means “to spread” or “spread,” and in the West, this word refers to any product that can be spread on bread or biscuits with a knife.

In our country, spreads are called analogs of butter and margarine. The difference between spreads and margarine is that the use of hydrogenated fats is limited in spreads. “Hydrogenated” means that vegetable fat has been treated with hydrogen at high pressure, after which it is converted to saturated fat. In other words, in the course of such processing, hydrogen is forcibly “pushed” into empty “parking spaces” in fat molecules. And this, as you know, is not good and healthy. The use of such fats, as we have already said, in spreads is strictly limited.

Also, in spreads, the content of trans isomers of fatty acids is normatively controlled (we will not go into tedious details, let's just say that this is also harmful). There are practically no such restrictions in margarine.

As with margarine, the word “butter” should not appear on the spread package. And it should be clearly written what kind of product it is, and what is the ratio of vegetable and animal fats in it.