How good is grated cheese! However, pre-shredded cheese in a packet will not give you the amazing stretchy texture and scrumptious flavour that you seek. Read on for my 5 reasons why you should grate your own cheese.
SEE ALSO: Why Mozzarella stretches when you melt it →
Make the world grate again
Whether you’re making a grilled cheese sandwich, a pizza or even pasta, grating your own cheese is definitely the way to go. So, let’s have a look at my top five reasons why you should take the time to do it yourself.
1 Freshly grated cheese tastes better
This is hands-down the number one reason for me. At the end of the day, it all comes down to taste. And you simply can not beat freshly grated cheese.
Whilst pre-shredded cheese will save you time, it is almost always packed in a clear plastic bag. Storage in this environment will leave the cheese exposed to light and light does a lot of bad things to cheese. Moreover, that “plasticky” taste you’ve undoubtedly experienced before is actually due to light oxidation on the surface of the cheese.
2 Pre-shredded cheese contains heaps of additives
Let’s take a look at the 3 most common additives found in shredded cheese:
- Firstly, Potato Starch is added as a thickener. Its main role is to stop the pieces of “cheese” from sticking together.
- Cellulose helps to stop the “cheese” from caking and absorbing moisture. This increases the shelf-life of the product.
- Finally, Natamycin is a mould inhibitor/preservative. It is actually an antifungal that is produced by a bacteria which lives in soil.
I want to be clear here. None of the above additives have been proven to be harmful. But wouldn’t you prefer to eat 100% cheese?
3 Your cheese will melt more spectacularly
Whilst potato starch and cellulose help keep pieces of pre-shredded cheese in better shape for longer, they severely impact its “meltability”. Yes! That’s a word! Besides, cheese freshly grated from a block will have a much smoother and creamier texture and is guaranteed to give you that drool-worthy cheese pull.
4 Grating your own cheese is cheaper
This is a no-brainer right? When you are buying pre-shredded cheese, you are paying for convenience. And getting an inferior product!
Get off your couch, head over to your local deli or specialty cheese shop and buy a block of cheese. It seriously does not take that long. And, who knows? You might even end up supporting a small local cheesemaker and cheese shop.
5 Grating cheese is so much fun!
I don’t know about you. But I love to grate! Actually, I love the entire process. From the arm workout, to the tantalising aroma of the cheese as I grate it. So, whatever cheese you’re into (from Cheddar to Mozzarella), those are my 5 reasons why you should grate your own cheese.
What’s your favourite cheese to grate at home? Let me know in the comments.
Jonah is a a hipster, eco-warrior and slow food afficionado. Coming from a scientific background, Jonah has a particular interest in cheese science. And yes, he loves a good cheese pun!
