Proceso de elaboración del kéfir y su aplicación gastronómica

Abstract

In this document, some processes for the best use of milk kefir grains were analyzed and standardized. Kefir is mainly composed by bacteria and yeast that cause the milk to undergo fermentation, in which case the milk is used as fermented milk; that is why, in order to accomplish the objectives in this project, some improvements and innovations are proposed for both, the process, products and also its gastronomic applications. With this purpose, some procedures for the application of kefir were established: pasteurization, cultivation, fermentation and dairy products processes, to obtain products with kefir like yogurt drinks, cheese, cottage cheese, cream and butter which should contribute to new organoleptic characteristics like texture, flavor, color, appearance, smell and aftertaste. These processes were developed complying with dairy products’ elaboration regulations, the use of food related safety and good hygienic practices. Finally, the products obtained from kefir were used in different salty and sweet culinary preparations, hot and cold foods, offering new proposals and alternatives in gastronomy, by making use of the organoleptic, bromatological and nutritional characteristics that this lactic cultive offers. This study ended with the tasting of these kefir products and its gastronomic proposals by a group of experts, the offer was accepted by the panel’s members, which shows the importance of kefir for its application, usage and development in the gastronomic area.