Can You Grate Cheese Ahead Of Time?

Can You Grate Cheese Ahead Of Time?

Many people grate cheese ahead of time to buy some time.

But is it okay to do so?

Does it affect its flavor and aroma?

To get the answers to all your questions, tag along with us till the end. In this post, we are going to unfold everything from how to prevent cheese from clumping to how you can keep it fresh for the long run.

Most interesting, we have also shared some new things about packaged grated cheese, which will convince you to throw away your shredded cheese packets.

So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Is it Okay to pre-grate cheese?

pre-grate cheese

Yes, you can pre-grate your cheese if you know the right trick. Because once you grate the cheese, it will start clumping. Therefore, there are various tricks to save your cheese, and you can learn further in the article.

Note: If you are grating cheese at home, it may slightly lose its flavor.

Go for hard cheeses, like Parmigiano-Reggiano or aged dry Jack. It takes more time to melt because the moisture content is less.

Whereas if you use Mozzarella and Bri, it will quickly melt because of the high water content.

However, if you keep buying pre-grated cheese from the store, read this article for the best. Next time, you may ditch the pre-grated cheese.

How to store homemade pre-grated cheese for the long run?

Here are a few tricks that can benefit you to keep homemade shredded cheese scattered.

But, make sure to follow each step appropriately.

Step 1. Freeze it

cheese in freezer

If you want nice separated cheese shreds, make sure to freeze them for 30 minutes before working with them. This is because cheese holds its structure when they are cool. When they are warm at room temperature, they quickly melt.

Step 2. Grate the cheese block

Once your cheese has frozen for 30 minutes, you have to grate it. If you have a food processor, it is well and good. But if not, then you can use a hand grater.

Plus, it will pump up your hands too. No need to go to the gym anymore. Haha, pun intended, you guys. However, on a serious note, it does require hard work. So, be ready for it.

While grating the cheese, make sure to do it with light hands and on parchment paper.

Note: Using a big hole cheese hand grater will help you a lot to prevent cheese clumping.

Step 3. Save it

To store the shredded cheese, you have again to place the cheese in the freezer for 1 hour. Then you can tightly seal it in a zip-lock bag.

It would be great if you were planning to use this shredded cheese within a week because it will remain fresh.

You can directly sprinkle cheese from the freezer. It will thaw immediately. Then add cold grated cheese to dressings and soups.

But if you don’t use the batch in one week, it will start clumping as you didn’t add any preservatives. So, the only way to prevent it from clumping is to keep it quickly back in the freezer once your work is done.

Tip: Don’t throw it away for washing if you use a food processor to grate cheese. Instead, of that add some steamed potatoes and baked beans to prepare a cheesy patty. You can save a lot of cheese this way.

There is one more method to save your shredded cheese. In that, you have to add cornflour.

There is no hard and fast rule. You just have to add 1-2 tbsp of cornflour into your shredded cheese batch. And then make sure to coat all the threads evenly.

Then you just have to store it in an air-tight container and put it in your freezer. This will help to keep cheese fresh for a long time and will prevent it from clumping even if you put it in your freezer.

You can take it out and thaw it on the counter for a while.

If you are stressed about the taste of the cheese, then don’t worry because it won’t affect its taste.

In this way, cheese threads will be well separated and easy for you to use whenever you take them out and use them on your pasta, pizza, or toast.

Why grating your cheese is always a good option?

Here are many reasons which will make it convenient for you to grate the cheese on your own.

Better Taste

Well, without any doubt, grating cheese always tastes delicious as it is fresh without any preservatives, wood pulp, or potato starch. So, it’s 100% fresh, pure cheese.

It will melt your heart because it melts better.

melting Cheeze

The preservatives present in pre-grated cheese also hinder the melting process!

Yes, next time when you buy shredded cheese, compare it with home grated cheese.

You will notice that store-bought shredded cheese will take time to melt because the preservative present inside it helps to hold the structure better, whereas homemade grated cheese will melt smoothly and become creamier when you add it to your food.

It is an economical affair.

Yes, you read it right. It is really more expensive to buy shredded food. When you grate your cheese at home, you save money out of your pocket.

You are paying for the shredding, in case you weren’t aware. A “convenience fee” is applied to that bag of cheese.

So, instead of buying an 8-ounce block of cheese, get an 8-ounce box of cheese next time.

This is how you can save some extra pennies!

You have varieties of options.

Well, who doesn’t like to explore variety in food? Don’t be shocked if we say that you can get more than 1,800 varieties of cheese shreds when you make it at home.

As there are so few possibilities for prepackaged shredded cheese, certainly your choice becomes limited.

However, when you prepare it at home, there are so many types of cheese available in the market that you can get any type of cheese block and make your own cheese shreds.

When life is full of options, why limit your taste buds? Isn’t it true, my cheeseheads?

But you must be upset as while grating cheese, a lot of cheese gets stuck to the grater and gets totally wasted.

Well, we have an answer for that also. Scroll more to know-how.

How to grate cheese without wastage?

grate cheese without wastage

We generally waste a lot of cheese while grating. And, this is sad!

So, how to avoid this?

Well, to do so, you have to apply some cooking oil on both surfaces of the grater. And when you grate and tap, it will easily slide off the grater, and you can use every bit of it in your dish.

You can also freeze the cheese block before shredding it to avoid wastage, as we discussed earlier.

Does shredded cheese contain plastic?

Well, when you eat store-bought shredded cheese, you are not solely eating cheese, but you also have potato scratch, corn starch, and calcium sulfate. Moreover, it contains less amount of carbs.

If you are in shock right now, then it’s okay because even we were surprised. Most of the time, we neglect the ingredients used section on the food label, and that is why we are at fault. While purchasing, you should always check the label.

And when it comes to shredded or grated cheese, manufacturers add a high amount of cellulose. It is a cheap food filler made from wood pulp and helps to keep them in shape.

Although it doesn’t contain plastic, it does have plant-based cellulose.

Did you know, according to research, the majority of parmesan cheese sold in America isn’t even genuine parmesan?

Generally, a single wheel of parmesan cheese can cost more than $1,000 because authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is extremely expensive.

Along with these, it also includes natamycin which is an anti-mold agent.

So, what is the use of eating tasty food that contains zero nutritional value?

However, in place of getting pre-grated cheese, if you grate cheese at home, you can get the goodness of cheese. It tastes a lot better, melts quickly in your mouth, and does not contain preservatives.

So many benefits, right?

FAQs

How do you make shredded cheese melt better?

If your store-bought grated cheese takes longer to melt, you can keep it on the counter and let it be there at room temperature before adding it to your dish.

If this doesn’t help, you can add a little cream or mix Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese.

How long will freshly grated cheese last in the fridge?

If you grate cheese at home, it can remain fresh for 3-5 days, or 1-week maximum. If you store it appropriately in an air-tight container at 41 °F (5 °C) or colder temperatures, it will last for 6 months.

Well, that’s a wrap!

If you want to grate cheese at home, you have to shred it on wax paper. Then let it be there in the fridge for 1 hour, transfer it to a ziplock bag, and put it in the freezer. In this way, it can last for one week.

If you want, you can add a little cornstarch to shredded cheese and store it in a container in the freezer. It will last for one month. Adding cornflour doesn’t change its taste, so there is no need to worry about it.

If you know of any other trick, please share it with us in the comment section.

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