Dairy Foods and Eggs Chapter 18

Choosing Dairy Foods Section 18.1

Types of Milk Whole milk – 8 g of fat per serving Reduced-fat milk (2%) – 5 g fat per serving Low-fat milk (1%) – 2.5 g fat per serving Fat-free milk (skim) – only traces of fat

Processing of Milk Pasteurized – heat treatment that kills enzymes and harmful bacteria Homogenization – the process whereby fat is broken down and evenly distributed in the milk

Other types of Milk Buttermilk – tart, buttery flavor with a smooth thick texture Cultured – fermented by a harmless bacteria added after pasteurization Kefir (kuh-FEER) – a cultured beverage similar in flavor to yogurt Chocolate milk – has chocolate or cocoa and sweetener added Fat-free dry milk – a powdered form of skim milk. When reconstituted, it should be handled like regular milk.

Other types of Milk Evaporated milk – canned whole or fat-free milk containing half the water of regular milk Sweetened condensed milk – a concentrated, sweetened form of milk Lactose-free milk – for people with lactose intolerance silk

Other Dairy Foods Yogurt – a thick, creamy, custard-like product with a tangy flavor made by adding harmless bacteria culture to milk Butter – made from milk, cream, or a combination of both FDA graded for quality Grade A Grade B

Cheese Cheese – made from milk curds with the whey drained off Ripened Cheese (Aged Cheese) Made from curds to which ripening agents have been added (mold, yeast, bacteria) Unripened Cheese Made from curds that have not been aged

Cream Cream – a liquid separated from milk Heavy Cream – high in fat, whips easily Light Cream – not as high in fat, often used in coffee Half-and-half – half milk, half cream Sour cream – made by adding lactic acid bacteria to cream

Frozen Dairy Desserts Ice Cream – whipped frozen mixture of milk, cream, sweeteners, and flavorings Frozen Yogurt – similar to ice cream but uses yogurt cultures Sherbet – made from milk fat, sugar, water, and flavorings

Storing Dairy Tightly close milk and cream containers. They can pick up other flavors. Store milk away from light. Light destroys riboflavin. Keep cheese tightly wrapped.

Storing Dairy Hard cheese can be frozen, but the texture will change. Refrigerate butter up to several weeks. For longer storage, freeze. Store ice cream tightly covered in the freezer.

Preparing Dairy Foods Section 18.2

Cooking with Milk Forming a skin – protein solids clump together, forming a skin on the surface. The skin can trap steam causing the milk to bubble up and boil over To prevent stir the mixture regularly Scorching – when milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan, they stick and burn. To prevent stir the mixture constantly

Cooking with Milk Curdling – when milk separates into curds and whey. May occur when milk is heated with acidic foods, salt, or high heat. To prevent use low temperatures, stir the mixture, and combine milk with acidic foods gradually Scalded Milk – milk that is heated to just below the boiling point

Yogurt in Recipes Yogurt can be cooked, baked, or frozen. The active bacteria cultures may not survive, but the nutrients will be the same. Whey may separate from the curd in yogurt when it is stored. Stir the whey back into the yogurt before use. Cook yogurt at moderate temperatures for only the time needed. If overcooked it will curdle.

Yogurt in Recipes To keep yogurt from separating during cooking blend 1 Tbsp cornstarch with a small amount of yogurt. Combine with remaining yogurt and use as directed. Yogurt can thicken by draining the whey off. If left long enough, yogurt will thicken into cheese

Preparing Cheese Heat cheese just long enough to melt it. If overcooked it will be greasy and stringy. To speed up cooking time, shred, grate, or cut cheese into smaller pieces.

Preparing Cheese When microwaving cheese use caution. The fat in it attracts microwaves resulting in cheese that is hotter than the rest of the food. To lower the fat in recipes with cheese, choose sharp flavored varieties. They have more flavor so you can use less cheese.

Egg Basics Section 18.3

Structure of an Egg Albumen – a thick, clear fluid commonly known as the egg white Yolk – the round yellow portion Chalazae (kuh-LAH-zuh) – twisted, cordlike strands of the albumen

Nutrients in Eggs Eggs are an excellent source of: Protein Riboflavin Iodine Vitamin A Vitamin D Iron The yolk contains fats and cholesterol

Buying Eggs USDA grades eggs according to size and quality Grades AA, A, and B No nutritive difference. The difference is in the appearance after cooking AA and A are used when appearance is important Size – Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium Egg size is determined by a minimum weight for a dozen Most recipes are designed for large eggs

Storing Eggs Eggs are highly perishable Refrigerate eggs in the original carton Eggs are porous and will pick up other flavors if stored uncovered Do not wash eggs, it destroys the natural coating Refrigerate leftover egg whites or yolks if you plan to use them in 2 – 4 days

Preparing Eggs Eggs are delicate and must be cooked at moderate temperature Egg whites shrink and turn rubbery when over cooked Yolks toughen and turn gray-green on the surface when overcooked Egg whites coagulate (become firm) before yolks when cooked on the stove The opposite is true when cooked in the microwave

Preparing Eggs Eggs Cooked in Shell – hard or soft cooked Fried Eggs – over easy, medium, hard, sunny side up Baked Eggs – a.k.a. shirred eggs Poached Eggs – cooked in a liquid Scrambled Eggs – beaten with milk or water then cooked Omelets – may be filled with a variety of ingredients

Egg Coloration The only difference between white and brown eggs is the breed of chicken White eggs = white feathered chickens Brown eggs = red feathered chickens Red feathered chickens tend to be bigger, requiring more feed, so brown eggs tend to be more expensive than white

Using Eggs in Recipes Section 18.4

Custards Custard – a tender blend of milk and eggs Base for dishes such as quiche (KEESH) Stirred custard – cooked on top of the range and stirred constantly until thick enough to coat a spoon Baked custard – baked in the oven. It has a firm, delicate consistency. Bain Marie = water bath

Separating Eggs Separating the yolk from the whites 3 ways 1. Use an egg separator 2. Use the shell 3. Use your hands

Beating Egg Whites Incorporating air into egg whites Peaks Done when preparing dishes such as soufflé Peaks Soft – the peaks bend over slightly when the beaters are lifted Stiff – peaks are glossy and hold their shape

Meringues Meringue (muhr-ANG) – a foam of beaten egg whites and sugar Hard – made by beating eggs to stiff peak stage If undercooked they will be sticky & chewy

Meringues Soft – made by beating eggs to soft peak stage Spread over hot pre-cooked pie filling Should touch crust all around to avoid shrinking during baking

Meringues Weeping – when liquid accumulates between the filling and the meringue Caused be not dissolving sugar completely or not beating to soft peak stage Beading – golden droplets of moisture that form on the surface of the meringue Caused be not dissolving sugar completely or oven set too high