Thursday, January 17, 2013

How to prevent clumped shredded cheese

Our family loves casseroles, homemade pizza, enchiladas, and plenty of other recipes that require generous amounts of shredded cheese.  

I like to buy the giant 5 lb blocks of cheese and shred it up myself.  It's cheaper, healthier, and tastier than buying pre-shredded cheese.  I usually just shred it all up and freeze it.  The only problem is, after a few days in the freezer all the cheese has turned into one giant clump.  I've been known to hack at it with a meat tenderizer trying to break it up.
 Then I discovered a simple solution:  cornstarch!  After you shred your cheese, just sprinkle the cornstarch on top and gently mix it in.  I used 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch per pound of cheese.  Then fill a gallon-size freezer bag about 1/2-full and lay it flat in the freezer, with nothing on top.  (This also helps the cheese from clumping).
That's it!  I've tried it with mozzerella and cheddar cheese, and it works just as well with both.  I've used the cheese in a bunch of different recipes, like pizza, grilled cheese, even on salads--and I can't tell any difference in flavor or texture.
Enjoy your clump-free cheese :)
-Lily

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