So I’ve managed to end up with two Costco-sized containers of Kraft grated parmesan. I’ll reach for real parmesan 95% of the time, with Kraft being an occasional nostalgia pick, but these will go bad long before I can get through them at my normal consumption. The containers are both opened, so can’t donate and I’m loathe to waste food, so been trying to think of ways to use it all up.
These sad, dense, salt pucks (with a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning) were an attempt to make parmesan crisps. Thinking of trying again with smaller spoonfuls spread thinner, but don’t know if the cellulose additive makes the endeavor hopeless.
Well, if you want to know what it’s like, grate some cheese, store it in a plastic bag. Then carry it with you in a small cooler all day, making sure to pull it out for maybe five to ten minutes two or three times. That gets close to what the shipping process is like. It isn’t usually a matter of just rubbing it between your hands. You’ll have clumps that are so tightly bound that it defeats the purpose of pre shredded.
Not that there’s anything wrong with preferring freshly shredded at all. But you gotta have realistic expectations. Cellulose and starches don’t hurt anything. They’re essentially flavorless, and don’t cause any harm. They only drawback to them is when you try to melt cheese, and if you’re doing that, why pay the extra per unit price for pre shredded to begin with?
I make stuff like pizza often enough where I want the cheese to be able to melt better. The starch/cellulose probably also effects how it melts into a sauce.
I actually dont ever buy pre-shredded cheese, mainly because it’s usually not good cheese to begin with.