Should you chill your cheese before grating it? Learn the important reason why this simple step can make the process much cleaner and easier.
1 Answer
Yes, refrigerating cheese before grating is highly recommended. Cold cheese is firmer and easier to grate, resulting in finer, more even shreds and less clumping.
Detailed Explanation:
When cheese is at room temperature, its fats soften, making it sticky and difficult to grate. This leads to the cheese crumbling, clumping together, and producing uneven shreds. Refrigerating the cheese for at least 30 minutes, or even longer for softer cheeses, firms up the fats. This allows the grater to create clean, distinct shreds that are less likely to stick together. The colder temperature also helps prevent the cheese from melting slightly from the friction of grating, which can also contribute to clumping. For best results, ensure the cheese is thoroughly chilled but not frozen solid, as extremely hard cheese can be difficult to grate as well.
Pro Tip:
Lightly coat the grater with cooking spray before grating the chilled cheese. This will further reduce sticking and make the grating process even smoother, especially for softer cheeses.