When you buy a pack of shredded cheese or grate your block of cheese, you don’t expect it to stick, but somehow, it does. What you now have before you is a squishy cheese that may no longer be useful. Not to worry, I will show you how to prevent shredded cheese from sticking in the future.
You can prevent your cheese from sticking by adding one to two teaspoons of an anti-caking agent, such as corn starch or potato starch (you can also use regular starch). Then cover the container and put it in the refrigerator. This absorbs any excess moisture and prevents the cheese from clumping together.
This article will guide you if you want to prevent your cheese shreds from becoming sticky after grating or when you buy from the store.
Can I Shred Cheese Without Sticking To The Grater?
Yes, you can shred your cheese without them sticking to the grater. Soft cheeses are more likely to stick to the grater than hard ones. Most people prefer to buy pre-shredded cheese over shredded ones. This is because shredded cheeses in the store may contain additives and preservatives.
However, it is possible to get the same result as the one sold in the store. How do you achieve a non-sticky shredded cheese at home? Read the following points to find out.
Cool The Cheese Block Before Shredding
Undoubtedly, soft cheeses are going to stick to the grater when you are shredding. Before you start shredding, put the cheese block in the refrigerator for about 30 mins. This will make the cheese firmer so that it will not stick to the grater when you are grating it.
Once you bring the cheese out of the refrigerator, don’t leave it for too long before you start shredding. If it starts defrosting, it will still stick to the grater.
Note that not all cheeses can be put in the refrigerator like Parmesan cheese. You can store these cheeses: mozzarella, cheddar, Monterrey Jack, Edam, provolone, swiss cheese, etc.
Grease Your Grater
Another way to prevent your cheese from sticking to the grater is to grease the grater with cooking oil. You don’t need so much oil, just a little to coat the body of the grater. This will allow the cheese to pass through the holes on the grater without sticking, making the process quick and easy.
Grater Holes Should Be Large
Grating your cheese on the largest holes makes it easy for your cheese shreds to slide through without sticking to it. The process, too, is easy and faster.
Grate Cheeses On An Easy Transferable Surface
You can prevent your cheese from clumping by grating it onto wax paper, which will be easy for you to transfer to the container. After grating your cheese, you may face the challenge of transferring them to the container unmashed. That is where the idea of grating it onto a surface like wax paper comes in.
To transfer the cheese shreds to a container, fold the paper like a funnel and let the cheese slide through it into the container.
Why Does Shredded Cheese Stick To The Bag?
Cheese shreds will stick to the bag if there are plenty. The top cheeses exert more pressure on the ones at the bottom. Keeping shredded cheeses in a bag is not ideal because of the potential for them to become sticky. Keep your shredded cheeses in a container to keep them from sticking to the bag.
Shredded cheese will stick to the bag if it is exposed to a warm temperature. Cheese contains water and fat, and some can easily melt like butter. To prevent your cheese from sticking to the bag, you need to freeze it. Frozen cheese shreds will be strong.
There is a tendency that other things will press your bag of cheese into the fridge. Hence. You should keep your bag of cheese away from other items.
Will Adding Cornstarch Prevent My Shredded Cheese From Sticking?
Yes, adding cornstarch to your shredded cheese will prevent it from sticking. Cornstarch is a food additive and an anti-caking agent. You are doing the right thing by adding cornstarch to your shredded cheese. This will absorb the moisture content in the cheese and prevent them from sticking.
Apart from corn starch, you can also use potato starch or regular flour. Don’t ruin your effort by leaving your shredded cheese to be sticky. Instead, sprinkle a teaspoon of cornstarch on it, and you will have saved yourself from a mashy cheese.
Ways To Prevent Shredded Cheese From Sticking
If you don’t take any measures to prevent your cheese shreds from sticking, they’ll definitely stick. So what do you do to prevent sticky cheese? Pour a small quantity of anti-caking agents like corn starch or potato starch, put it in a container, then freeze it.
There are many ways you can prevent your shredded cheese from sticking. Below are ways you can prevent your shredded cheese from sticking.
Sprinkle cornstarch
You can trust cornstarch to do the job when it comes to preventing shredded cheese from sticking. Others add preservatives to their shreds of cheese, but cornstarch is an organic solution that is not harmful. One or two teaspoons of cornstarch will suck out the excess moisture and prevent it from sticking.
Interestingly, adding cornstarch to your cheese shreds does not change their taste and color. Ensure that the powdered substance covers the entire piece of cheese.
Keep The Shredded Cheese In An Air Sealed Container
Air-sealed containers are ideal for storing shredded cheese because you can spread the cheese, and it will be squished up. Unlike a bag, the pressure of other items on top of the container cannot affect the shredded cheese. Cover the container’s opening so the cheese will last longer.
Refrigerate The Shreds Of Cheese
Cheese contains fat and water. It is ideal to refrigerate cheese because it can easily melt and sog. To preserve your cheese after grating, spread them in a container and put it inside the fridge. This will make the cheese strong such that it cannot melt. However, cheeses may change in quality.
Note: You don’t need to freeze hard cheese like Parmesan cheese. Cheeses that can be frozen are mozzarella, provolone, Edam, Gouda, etc.
After grating, place the cheeses in an air-sealed container and place it in the fridge.
Conclusion
Nobody wants to have their shreds of cheese ruined, especially if you have grated it to be used on a later menu. Hence you need to sprinkle a little cornstarch or potato starch on them. Put them in a container and then inside a fridge.
Also, before grating your cheese, ensure to put it in a refrigerator for like 30 mins and oil grease the grater with cooking oil, so your cheese will not stick to the grater while grating.
