A cheesy kitchen tip.
Literally.
Did you know that you can not only save a lot of money, but that it's much healthier to grate your own cheese rather than buy the pre-shredded stuff? I never buy it anymore. I buy big blocks of cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack, etc. and grate my own.
Here's why you should too:
- You get much more for your money. An 8 ounce block of cheese will yield almost 4 cups of shredded cheese. An 8 ounce package of pre-shredded cheese only contains about 2 cups.
- It lasts longer. A block of cheese wrapped in aluminum foil will last for weeks as opposed to a package of pre-shredded cheese, which only lasts 3-5 days.
- Pre-shredded cheese is coated with an additive to keep it from clumping and to inhibit mold. This is often cellulose, potato starch, or something similar. These additives can particularly be a problem for anyone with any kind of gluten sensitivity, since they are sometimes derived from gluten-containing sources.
- Cheese grated the old-fashioned way melts much smoother and tastes much better! This was an unexpected benefit we found when we made the switch, but it makes sense! There's nothing coating the cheese to keep it from melting very smooth and creamy. My kids can tell the difference immediately now, just by taste and texture.
- Grating by hand only takes a couple of extra minutes, and it's a GREAT job for one of the kids to do! ;-)
We've been grating all of our own cheese for several years now and don't miss the convenience of buying it pre-shredded at all.
So, there you have it...a simple way to be frugal and healthy, not to mention improving the taste and texture of your meals! Give it a try!
Linked with Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
Linked with Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family
FANTASTIC TIP!! I just loaded up on some shredded but I will definately be switching over to grate your own for next month!!
ReplyDeleteI rarely buy pre-shredded cheese. I agree that it just doens't taste the same. I sometimes use my food processor if I need to grate a lot of cheese and store it in a gallon zip-loc. I love having it ready to use when I need it.
ReplyDeleteI do buy preshredded cheese when it's on sale. I stick them in the freezer. Then I'll know I've got cheese on hand to make tacos or pizzas....
ReplyDeleteI've done some cost comparison and most times at my grocery store the shredded cheese is less expensive than the block cheese (per ounce cost). I keep thinking that the block of cheese would be cheaper. So I'm not sure which is more cost effective. My other issue is that when I defrost a block of cheese it gets all crumbly and doesn't grate very well. Any suggestions?
I switched to freshly-grated cheese when I heard about the "plasticky" coating put on store-bought shredded. I buy the blocks when they are on sale. I grate them and freeze them in 2 cup bags. Then I don't have any trouble with crumbling (as when the blocks have been frozen.) I even have a flavor mix I enjoy (2/3 mozzarella & 1/3 mild cheddar). It's less fattening and still tasty.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any luck freezing a block of cheese, but shredded cheese freezes fine. Although, since it's one of our snacks, I rarely have any left to freeze.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that the blocks of cheese are just cheese and not the preservatives that you mentioned.
10 years ago I argued with people that pre-shredded cheese tastes exactly the same...I was WRONG!
I usually buy shredded. I often think my time is worth more than I save to shred my own (or I'm just lazy, but that sounded good, didn't it?) BUT I didn't know about the coating causing problems for people with gluten sensitivities. That's good to know since it runs in my family.
ReplyDeleteAstrid...I agree with Hope...if you shred it before freezing, there's no issue! Mozzarella tends to be the one I freeze most frequently...most of the rest gets used so quickly it never gets put in the freezer, but I've had success thawing it in the fridge...the texture doesn't seem to be as affected that way. On the cost comparison...are you sure you're comparing apples to apples? Comparing oz to oz doesn't work...an 8 oz bag of shredded is not the equivalent of an 8 oz block. The block will yield nearly twice the cups of grated cheese as the bag.
ReplyDelete