How corn sticks are made at the Galileo factory. Corn sticks: how are they made in production and at home? Is it possible to give to children

Almost every person from time to time buys and eats corn sticks with pleasure. This sweet dessert appeared in the Soviet Union in the sixties of the last century, but is no less popular today. One of the brightest representatives of this segment is the manufacturer of corn sticks "Matyash", more about which is on the website www.matyash.com/production/corn-sticks/. For most of us, this dessert is associated with childhood. Many parents still buy this delicious dessert for their children. Is it useful? Or not so much? Today's article is devoted to the beneficial properties of the product and the negative consequences of eating this dessert.


What is used in the manufacture? The name of the product directly refers to the main component. Naturally, we are talking about corn, not simple, but of high quality. Most often (if the technologies are modern) vitreous hard varieties of corn are used.

Readers who have no idea about the production process of the product to which this article is devoted will certainly be interested in the story of how the popular delicacy is made.

So.
Firstly, from the grain, in which there are no germs and shell, groats are obtained, which are then sieved. This material is mixed with salt. Then the mass is moistened, after which it is left “at rest” for a certain period of time. Next, the corn grits are sent to the extruder. When leaving the mentioned apparatus, the volume of raw materials increases significantly due to pressure reduction. The mass is cut with an industrial knife so that the maximum length of the piece is 3 cm.

The next step is drying the semi-finished product in a special receiver. This is followed by the transfer of the semi-finished product to the installation, vegetable oil is added, as well as powdered sugar or various flavors. The finished product is packaged in packages and transferred for further storage.

What is the use of dessert?

"Back side"

Corn sticks are a simple, inexpensive and tasty treat that is loved not only by children, but also by adults. What are the benefits and harms of corn sticks, what do they consist of, and how to cook them at home?

How corn sticks are made

The production is quite simple - this is evidenced even by the low cost of the product. All that is needed is special equipment and ingredients: corn grits, table salt, powdered sugar and refined vegetable oil. Production includes the following sequence:

This is where the process ends - the product is completely ready.

Calorie content and composition

The usual delicacy consists of only four ingredients: crushed corn grits, butter, salt and powdered sugar. At the same time, sticks have a high calorie content - 325 calories per 100 g of product.

But their nutritional value is small. Carbohydrates occupy the main share - 75 g, proteins are in second place - 8.3 g, and the least fat in the product - 1.2 g.

Corn grits itself is a valuable product, but the sticks made from it have a poor vitamin and mineral composition. During heat treatment, most of the useful elements are destroyed. Only a few of them are worth considering, namely:

• vitamin B2;
• sodium;
• magnesium;
• manganese;
• copper.

The total proportion of other elements, even if they are declared in the composition, is too small.

Important! In stores, you can find not only the classic delicacy, but also sticks with additives such as cocoa, cheese, bacon. Therefore, the calorie content and the exact composition may vary.

The benefits of corn sticks

The product cannot be called a meaningless treat, and although it contains few vitamins, it is still useful. The benefits are as follows:

• 100 g of delicacy contains half of the daily requirement of vitamin B2, and this is a benefit for hair and skin, for the nervous system, immunity, vision and thyroid gland.
• Sticks are the richest source of simple carbohydrates, which not only replenish physical strength, but also improve mood and vigor.
• Due to their calorie content, sticks are very useful in situations where you need to quickly satisfy your hunger.

At what age can you give corn sticks to children

Children have a special love for corn sticks, as well as for any delicacies. But is there an age limit here?

Doctors and nutritionists do not recommend adding corn sticks to a child's diet until he is 1.5 - 2 years old. Since only flour is included in the composition, there will be no benefit from them, but an upset stomach in an infant can happen.

Older children and teenagers are allowed corn sticks, but little by little, so as not to spoil a healthy appetite.

Advice! Before giving a treat to children, it is worth looking at the composition, and the less dyes, flavors and flavor enhancers it contains, the better.

Use during pregnancy and breastfeeding

Women have to give up a lot of delicious foods during the period of bearing a child and later, during feeding. Corn sticks are banned for the following reasons:

• Simple carbohydrates, which the product is rich in, provoke bloating, belching and constipation.
• Sticks are high in calories and contribute to weight gain. During pregnancy, extra pounds may not be evident, but after childbirth, their presence will become apparent.
• Cornmeal can cause allergies. Even if the delicacy is perfectly absorbed by the body of the mother herself, its intolerance to the fetus, and then to the newborn baby, cannot be ruled out.

Ideally, you should remove the product from your diet at the very beginning of pregnancy - until the end of the feeding period.

Is it possible to eat corn sticks on a diet

The dessert product seems very airy, but this impression is deceptive. Since its calorie content is very high, it is pointless to combine it with a diet.

If desired, corn sticks can replace one of the dietary dishes without lowering the daily calorie intake. But in this case, the benefits for the body will be minimal, so it is better to opt for more valuable products.

Contraindications and harm

Despite the fact that there are benefits from corn sticks, they also have harmful properties. Namely:

• provoke rapid weight gain;
• are slowly digested and cause problems with the intestines;
• significantly raise blood glucose levels, which can lead to diabetes.

In some cases, the product is contraindicated. It cannot be used:

• with allergies to cornmeal;
• after surgery to remove the gallbladder;
• with diabetes and obesity;
• with gastritis, pancreatitis and stomach ulcers in acute stages.

Attention! With a mild course of chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, you can treat yourself to a treat, but in minimal quantities and with the permission of your doctor.

Recipe for homemade corn sticks

Sweet corn sticks can be made at home. You will need the following ingredients:

• cornmeal - half a glass;
• powdered sugar;
• milk - 4.5 tablespoons;
• 2 raw eggs;
• butter - 50 g.

Bring milk and butter in a saucepan to a boil, add flour and stir. When the mass becomes homogeneous, the stewpan is removed from the heat, the workpiece is allowed to cool slightly, and then the eggs are added to it and mixed thoroughly again.

The resulting dough is packed in a pastry bag and squeezed onto a heated baking sheet, forming blanks. After that, the baking sheet is placed in a well-heated oven and the dough is baked until fully cooked. Powdered sugar sticks are sprinkled last.

Conclusion

For healthy people, the benefits and harms of corn sticks depend on how they are consumed. Although the treat does not carry much value for the body, sometimes it helps to quickly drown out the feeling of hunger and replenish energy. But it is better to treat it without fanaticism - it is only a delicious dessert, and not a complete meal.

Was this article helpful to you?

Corn sticks are familiar to people of all ages. Everyone, without exception, knows the amazing taste of this crunchy treat. It can be confidently put on a par with such delicacies as ice cream or "rooster lollipops".

A pack of airy food can be given to children at school, taken to work, on a picnic or on a trip, because it is relatively inexpensive and perfectly satisfies hunger. This is a very useful product, but do not forget that it is also very high in calories, so you should not abuse your favorite food.

Many are interested in how to cook corn sticks at home, and whether it is even possible to do it yourself. The technological process of making this popular dish is quite complicated, so it is almost impossible to cook it at home. Only special equipment that you will not find in an ordinary kitchen can help with this. But there is another recipe for corn sticks, according to which you can make this dish similar to the real one. Consider step by step and with a photo two cooking options.

We make corn sticks on specialized equipment

You will need tools such as a household kitchen extruder and a screw conditioner. During cooking, humidity and temperature indicators should be observed, as well as the necessary atmospheric conditions should be created. Only then will you get the right and high-quality product. With the help of a special device - UKP-M, the cost of which is about 2000 rubles, you can also quickly prepare your favorite dessert.

The cooking scheme is as follows (the number of ingredients "by eye"):

1. Grind the corn grits in a coffee grinder to the same grains. Their size directly affects the foaming of the mass from which the delicacy is formed. Poor quality grinding will lead to the appearance of lumps and burning;
2. Place the ground grains in the screw conditioner. There it must be mixed with warm salted water for about four minutes;
3. Set the speed to constant and wait 3 hours for the mass to mix until completely broken. At the same time, the percentage of humidity at the level of 25% must be constantly maintained in the device;
4. Moistened prepared cereals must be placed in an extrusion apparatus, where it undergoes a heating process up to 200 degrees and foams, acquiring a plastic homogeneous structure;
5. Further, the device, using pressure, pushes the mass into a special drying chamber, evenly cutting the “dough” with a mechanical knife at regular intervals. In this chamber, corn billets are dried until the moisture index in them decreases to 5%. This makes them crispy. And it is at this stage that the blanks acquire their usual airy appearance and porous shape;
6. The final stage is glazing. Here, the blanks are first smeared with filtered vegetable oil by spraying it onto the surface of the resulting products. After that, they are placed in a mixing drum along with ground ingredients for glazing (powdered sugar, crushed salt, chocolate chips or various seasonings);
7. With this, our delicacy is ready. It will be just as tasty as the product produced in the factory.

Simplified version of corn sticks

There is another way to make homemade corn sticks. It is much simpler and faster than the previous one. Finished products will differ significantly from store-bought ones, but they will also delight you with their taste.

You will need:

• 2 eggs;
• Butter - 50 g;
• Corn flour - 100 g;
• Milk - 70 ml.

Step by step cooking instructions:

1. Stir the butter and milk in a saucepan, put on a slow flame and bring to a boil, then slowly add the corn flour and stir continuously to avoid lumps. We bring the mass to homogeneity;
2. Remove the resulting mixture from the heat and cool, then add the eggs and beat all the ingredients well;
3. We put the mass in a culinary bag, then squeeze out small strips as thick as a finger from it onto a baking sheet;
4. We bake blanks in a well-heated oven;
5. If desired, sprinkle the finished dish on top with powdered sugar, and put it on a plate.

"Raffaello" from corn sticks

Favorite delicacy can be consumed separately, or included in many dishes. Therefore, in the end - a simple sweet dessert of corn sticks.

You will need:

• A jar of condensed milk;
• "Sticks" of corn - 150 g;
• Coconut shavings - to taste;
• Nuts (any) - 100 g.

Cooking step by step:

1. Grind corn sticks in a blender or pass through a meat grinder to make "flour";
2. We spread the condensed milk in it and carefully stir until a homogeneous consistency;
3. From the “dough”, form small balls, place a nut on them and press inward, then roll the blanks again, giving them a round shape. Instead of nuts, you can use dried apricots or prunes;
4. Pour coconut flakes into a deep dish and evenly roll each ball in it, then refrigerate for a couple of hours. After that, the treat is ready to serve.

Video: How to make corn sticks at home

No child will surely refuse corn sticks. Even adults like to crunch sometimes with such sticks. Parents are happy to buy them for their children, considering the product useful. Is it really? Is there any benefit in such food, is it possible to cook it yourself at home?

What are they made from?

Corn sticks are well known to everyone since childhood. When buying this product, not everyone pays attention to its composition. What are these sticks made of, how exactly are they prepared in production?

The main ingredient of the product is corn grits or flour. The main composition should also contain refined vegetable oil, a little salt, sugar or powdered sugar. In addition, today many manufacturers add various flavors to enrich the taste. Often you can find sticks, not just sprinkled with powder, but also glazed. Also come across products that are not sweet, but with the taste of bacon, cheese or just salty.

There are also bright, multi-colored sticks, in which various food colors are added to make the product more attractive. Whatever additional ingredients the manufacturers add, the basic composition of the sticks remains unchanged.

In the factory, such a product is made in just a matter of minutes. Corn grits are placed in special equipment, where, under the influence of high temperature, it turns into a homogeneous mass, a kind of dough. After that, it goes through the next stage, where it is shaped into the sticks we are used to. Then they go through the drying stage, where at the end they are sprayed with vegetable oil. After that, the sticks are covered with powdered sugar, icing or all kinds of aromatic additives are added.

Benefit or harm?

Seeing a product made from corn on the counter, many people think that it has great benefits. By and large, such sticks are not as harmless as it might seem at first glance. At least because they contain a large amount of carbohydrates. There are almost fifty-eight grams of carbohydrates per hundred grams of the product. The calorie content of such a product with powdered sugar averages more than four hundred kilocalories per hundred grams. Of course, the regular use of such a product will adversely affect health and harmony. But it’s also not worth categorically stating that corn sticks are harmful either, because even after heat treatment, some vitamins remain in them.

This product contains vitamin B2, which helps to fight nervous tension, affects the health and beauty of the skin. Also, other nutritious and useful elements are stored in the sticks. For example, it is potassium, fluorine, calcium. Unfortunately, there are very few of them, so they cannot bring the proper benefit to human health.

For maximum benefit, this product is recommended to be consumed in the morning for breakfast. In order for the breakfast to be more balanced, it is recommended to eat sticks with fermented baked milk, natural yogurt, milk or kefir. They also go well with sour fruits and berries.

Corn sticks are recommended to be consumed at the time of loss of strength, apathy, depression or severe hunger, if it is not possible to have a full meal. They quickly saturate the body, restore strength and give vigor. This is due to the fact that carbohydrates quickly enter the bloodstream. But you should not abuse such a product. In addition, due to the presence of fast carbohydrates, it is enough to eat just a few sticks in order to improve mental activity and relieve nervous tension. Therefore, during exams or intensive mental work, it is quite possible to afford to eat a small amount of such a treat.

In order for the use of these sweet sticks not to adversely affect the state of health, you should not abuse them. There are no exact recommendations on the amount and dosage, because it all depends on the state of the body and age. For adults, if there are no contraindications, it is quite possible to consume one small pack of such corn sticks per day. This is acceptable if a person leads an active lifestyle, and the sticks will be eaten instead of a second breakfast or afternoon snack.

Such a delicacy will be harmless to the figure if it becomes an independent dish, and not an addition to a hearty dinner.

Since this product is very high in calories, you should not use it during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Abuse of such a dessert during pregnancy can lead to rapid weight gain, and this will negatively affect the health of a woman and her unborn child. In addition, pregnant and lactating mothers should not eat a product with various harmful additives in the form of flavorings. This will adversely affect the health of the child and the mother herself. Even classic sticks can cause an allergic reaction, diarrhea, flatulence in an infant if a nursing mother eats such sweet corn sticks.

It is not recommended to use a similar product for gastritis, ulcers, pancreatitis. Also, you can not eat this delicacy for those who suffer from diabetes, obesity, allergies, who have an individual intolerance to this product.

Do not eat sticks during constipation and other bowel problems. Those who are on a diet should not consume this delicacy either. From such a dessert, you can gain extra pounds, which will not be easy to get rid of.

Can it be given to children?

Basically, these sticks are purchased for young children. Corn "snack" is convenient to take with you on the road, as children love to crunch on them during long trips and walks. But if the child is 1 year old, then giving him such a treat is not worth it. At this early age, the baby's body will not be able to cope with such a large amount of carbohydrate load, this will adversely affect the functioning of the stomach and the body as a whole. The use of such a product at an early age can disrupt the metabolism in the baby's body, problems with the intestines may begin. In addition, at an early age, the baby may have an allergic reaction, there is a high risk that skin rashes will appear.

Pediatricians and nutritionists recommend giving children these products only after the age of three. But even in this case, it is recommended to give sweet sticks to a child with great care, controlling the amount of their use. At this age, it will be enough for children to eat a third of the usual pack a day, no more. And for the first time, it will be enough to give the child a few pieces to follow the reaction of the body. When choosing a product for a baby, be sure to carefully study the composition. You should not choose flavored and glazed sticks. It is better to give preference to the classic version with regular powdered sugar. At the same time, it is worth remembering that corn sticks are a delicacy, a dessert, so they cannot replace a full-fledged lunch for a baby.

In addition, it is important to remember that this product can destroy the enamel of children's teeth. The fact is that the sticks have a special texture and stick to the teeth after use. Of course, this will negatively affect the health of the teeth if the child does not brush off the remnants of goodies after eating with a toothbrush.

How to cook at home?

Many people prefer to cook such delicacies at home, with their own hands, in order to know for sure that the product does not contain any harmful additives. Of course, you can make sweet sticks in your home kitchen, the main thing is to know a proven recipe. To prepare a corn delicacy, we take a deep saucepan and pour seventy milliliters of milk into it, add fifty grams of butter. We put the container on the fire and bring the liquid to a boil. As soon as the butter and milk boil, reduce the heat a little and pour in half a glass of cornmeal.

The mass must be thoroughly and continuously stirred, otherwise lumps will form and nothing will work. As soon as the mass becomes thicker and more homogeneous, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. After we drive in two eggs there and mix thoroughly. Put the finished dough into a pastry syringe or bag, put small sticks on a warm baking sheet. Put in the oven and bake until done. As soon as the sticks are ready, sprinkle them with powdered sugar and serve.

There is another recipe for homemade corn sticks. They are easy to prepare and taste sweet and airy. For cooking, you will need the following ingredients: sixty-five grams of cornmeal, two proteins and one hundred grams of powdered sugar. Proteins need to be beaten until a state of lush foam, then gradually add the powder.

The result should be a thick and homogeneous mass. After adding cornmeal to it, beat and transfer to a pastry bag. Put the sticks on a baking sheet and bake until cooked. It is better to cover the baking sheet with parchment, so that later it is easier to remove the sticks. As a result, they turn out sweet and crunchy, so it is quite possible to do without sprinkling.

You can also make many delicious desserts from ready-made sticks. For example, many people make Anthill cake using these sweet sticks, or such a national dessert as Chak-chak. Many people use ready-made sticks when making homemade cakes and pastries, make sweet sausages from them, etc. For example, if you like glazed sticks, then it’s quite possible to make a small cake at home. It will definitely taste much better than store-bought.

To do this, we take three hundred grams of sweet sticks, ready-made or homemade. You will also need a can of boiled condensed milk and a pack of butter. The butter should be softened at room temperature, and then beat until a fluffy homogeneous mass along with condensed milk. We put our sticks in the mass, gently mix so that they are all covered with cream. After we shift the mass to the dish and form a slide.

• Very often in cafes or shopping centers they offer to taste such a delicacy as sweet sticks in liquid nitrogen. You should not be afraid of this, since liquid nitrogen is often used to prepare various dishes and desserts, there is no harm in it.
• Before buying products, be sure to study the composition. If there is no detailed composition on the package, then it is better to refuse such sticks. In addition, you should not buy products that contain sugar substitutes, flavor enhancers, flavors and dyes.
• A quality product, during the manufacture of which no dyes were used, should be a pale yellow color.
• After a pack of corn products is opened, it can be stored for no more than two days. If after a day or two they acquire an unpleasant odor, then it is dangerous to eat such a product.
• It is better to beat the mass for corn sticks with a mixer, then they will turn out to be more airy and crispy.

See the next video for how corn sticks are made.

Consider an interesting topic of the history of corn sticks and find out how corn sticks are made. Sweet corn sticks have been known to everyone since childhood. They were a favorite delicacy even in Soviet times. Delicate, airy and crispy sticks are loved not only by children, but also by adults. This product is both tasty and extremely useful. Made from high-quality corn varieties with the addition of natural products (powdered sugar and deodorized vegetable oil), corn sticks are rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other minerals, and also contain vitamins C, E, PP and group B.

The forerunners of corn sticks were corn flakes, which were invented by American brothers Wil and Keith Kellogg quite by accident. The reason was their own prudence, and maybe even greed. But, one way or another, in 1895 in the United States a patent was issued for the invention: “Peeled corn cereals, as well as the technology for their preparation.”

Corn sticks came to replace cereal only in the post-war years of the 20th century. With the rapid development of food production technologies in the United States, extrusion has become widely introduced in various branches of the food industry. Extrusion is the extrusion of a viscous mass of the product through special holes in order to obtain products of the required shape. In the Soviet Union, the first corn sticks were produced in 1963 at the Dnepropetrovsk plant of food concentrates using domestic equipment developed by Soviet designers. Since then, corn sticks have become a favorite treat for millions of people.

And finally how are corn sticks made, the production of corn sticks is a laborious process. Corn grain needs to go through several stages of the technological cycle before it turns into an appetizing meal. For the manufacture of corn sticks, glassy, ​​hard varieties of corn are used. The grain is cleaned of fruit shells and the germ, which give the products bitterness. Prepared corn is crushed into grits. Then the groats are calibrated: they are sifted through vibrating sieves, where particles of the wrong size are sifted out. The corn grits obtained in this way must be absolutely clean and without any impurities of flour, which will negatively affect the quality.

Ready corn grits are sent to a special bunker, where they are salted, moistened, mixed and left for a while to evenly distribute moisture. Next, the extruder is turned on. This is a special apparatus that works on the principle of the well-known meat grinder. It has the shape of a cylinder, inside which a screw rotates at a certain speed. Heating elements are placed in the input part of the extruder, and the output part is equipped with a matrix with holes of a certain diameter.

The prepared corn grits are fed into the extruder, which is heated to a predetermined temperature. With the help of a screw mechanism, it moves towards the matrix. Under the action of heating elements, the temperature of the corn mass increases. Liquid begins to evaporate from it and the pressure in the extruder increases. Under such conditions, corn grits turns into a plastic mass.

When the mass exits the extruder through the holes of the die, a sharp drop in pressure occurs, the superheated steam quickly evaporates and the corn mass explosively increases in size. Specialists cut streams of squeezed corn sticks into pieces of the required size. And this is almost a finished product. It remains only to sweeten the sticks and for this they use refined vegetable oil and finely ground, sifted icing sugar. This process is carried out on special glazing plants, where cooled corn sticks and vegetable oil are first served, and then powdered sugar.

Only with strict observance of the technological process, high-quality products will be obtained. The slightest glitch and corn sticks hard grains can come across, and such delicacies are unlikely to please anyone.

Sweet corn sticks are a high-calorie product. 100 grams of sticks contain approximately 300 calories. Currently, the range of corn sticks is very large. They can be sweet, salty, flavored with cheese, bacon, and even lard with. Shelf life of sweets corn sticks quite large without additives. But the shelf life of sticks with all kinds of flavors must be controlled according to the expiration date indicated on the label.

P.S. Liked the article? I recommend ->> subscribe to receive the latest articles by e-mail<<- , чтобы не пропустить самые свежие вкусняшки!