Dear Home-Ec 101,
I like to shred my own cheese. How do I keep it from clumping while I store it?
Signed,
Louis the Lump
Heather says:
There’s a simple trick to store shredded cheese without clumping, whether it’s in the refrigerator or freezer. Simply add 1 – 2 tablespoons of corn starch to the freezer bag and shake vigorously to distribute it evenly. If you look at bags of pre-shredded cheese in the supermarket, you will see they have an anti-clumping agent, usually cellulose. Corn starch plays that role for you at home.
Don’t forget, when you shred cheese, you dramatically increase its surface area, which causes it to dry out quickly. Try to remove as much air from the bag as possible before storing it. Be careful. Squashing the bag could yield one giant clump.
If you want to be able to remove your cheese from the freezer without thawing, after shaking it with the corn starch, spread it in a single layer on a sheet pan. Freeze the cheese and then pour it into your zippered storage bag. Alternately, you can freeze it by the quarter, half, or cup full in individual bags and keep those in one large bag, depending on how much cheese you typically use.
Please remember this advice is meant to apply to your garden variety cheddar and Monterey jack style cheeses. Please don’t spend a ton of money on high-end $16 lb cheese and expect it to be just as lovely after spending three months in the freezer.
While we are talking about cellulose… Sawdust is made of cellulose, and cellulose is added to shredded cheese to keep it from clumping. Clickbait sites like not to mention that all plants contain cellulose, and it’s nothing to stress about. Now, when you see articles with scary headlines about supermarket cheese containing “sawdust,” you know the truth behind the headline.
Send your domestic questions to Helpme@Home-Ec101.com.
Recently ran across a product called Cheese Paper in a kitchen specialty shop and while I did't buy it, I did start using wax paper to wrap my cheese BEFORE storing it in a ziplock bag and it really prolongs the quality of the cheese. The chef in the store begged us not to let the plastic have contact with the cheese. I just couldn't disappoint her.
Cheese paper is great. If you can't find it, waxed paper makes a very fine substitute. (It's what I generally use.)
GREAT tip 🙂
cool tip! never would have occurred to me to try that! Thx!
Two great tips, thanks. I confess I've just been shredding and putting it into a reusable plastic container…and didn't even mind it this way as long as whatever I was adding it to later caused it to melt.
I've just been shredding and putting it into a reusable plastic container…and didn't even mind it this way as long as whatever I was adding it to later caused it to melt.
Thanks! I'd never heard of cheese paper before, I'm going to give that a try.
Me too never heard of that. Maybe its expensive?
I'm just crazy to try it out! I love shredded cheese.. nom nom.. FarmVille
I had not heard of using waxed paper before. I will try that on the brick of mozz in my fridge.
omg. i never tried that. i’m 12 yrs old and i love to cook. my mom really do’t do anything. she tries to help but i tell her no. she has cancer of the blood. i never tried this technique. ill go and try it now.
For years I wrap my cheese in paper towels and put in a freezer baggie whether it’s going in the fridge or freezer. When I take it out or take a piece out I rewrap it with a new paper towel. My cheese will last for a few months this way. Never moldy. Easy peasy.