Microbes in Household Production

Curd: Microorganisms such as Lactobacillus and others commonly called Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) grow in milk and convert it into curd. During growth, the Lactic acid bacteria produce acids that coagulate and partially digest the milk proteins called casein.

1. Lactobacillus acidophilus converts lactose sugar of milk into lactic acid at a temperature of about 40∘C40∘C or less. Streptococcus lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus are also used in the formation of curd.
2. The starter or inoculation used in the preparation of milk products is a small amount of curd (spoonful), which actually contains millions of lactic acid bacteria.
3. Curd is more nutritious than milk as it contains a number of organic acids and vitamin B12.B12.
4. LAB present in curd also checks the growth of disease-causing microbes in the stomach and other parts of the digestive tract.
5. Curd also used to obtain buttermilk. Curd also possesses antimutagenic and anticancer biochemicals.

Paneer: Paneer (cottage cheese) is a fresh cheese common in South Asia, especially in India. It is made by curdling milk with lemon juice, vinegar and other edible acids. Large holes in Swiss cheese is due to the production of a large amount of carbon-di-oxide by the bacterium Propionibacterium shermanii.

Dhokla: The dough of dhokla is prepared by mixing gram flour (Besan) with buttermilk. The Lactobacilli bring about the fermentation process.

Jalebi and Nan: Jalebi and Nan are prepared from maida by the activity of many Lactobacilli.

Idli and Dosa: The dough which is used for making dosa and idli is the fermented preparation of rice and black gram (Urad dal).

1. The dough is allowed to ferment overnight for 10–1210–12 hours.
2. The lactic acid bacteria from Leuconostoc and Streptococcus species bring about fermentation. Several other genera, like Bacillus, Candida, and Saccharomyces, are also used in this process.
3. During fermentation, CO2CO2 is evolved, which causes doughing of the raw material. The bubbles of CO2CO2 trapped in gluten makes the idli puffy.

Yoghurt: Yoghurt provides protein and calcium, and it may enhance healthy gut bacteria.

1. Yoghurt is produced by curdling milk with the help of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus lactis, etc.
2. Initially, milk is heated to 80∘–90∘C80∘–90∘C for half an hour. It is cooled to 40∘–43∘C40∘–43∘C and mixed with an inoculum containing the Streptococcus thermophilus bacteria.
3. After four hours, yoghurt becomes ready. It has an original flavour of lactic acid and acetaldehyde.
4. Since it is already acidic (pH3.7–4.3),(pH3.7–4.3), yoghurt is often sweetened and flavoured with fruits.

Toddy Drink: The toddy is a refreshing traditional drink in some parts of south India. The toddy is prepared by the fermentation process of coconut water and sap of palm trees. Toddy can be heated to produce jaggery or palm sugar.

Process of Toddy: Toddy undergoes fermentation if left for a few hours with the help of naturally occurring yeast to form a beverage containing about 6%6% alcohol.

Cheese: Different varieties of cheese are known for their characteristic texture, flavour and taste. The specificity comes from the microbe that is used in it. For example, the large holes in ‘Swiss cheese’ are due to the production of a large amount of CO2CO2 by a bacterium named Propionibacterium shermanii. In contrast, the ‘Roquefort cheese’ are ripened by growing a specific fungus on them, which gives them a specific flavour.

Follow on Facebook

By Team Learning Mantras