Frederic Melton
American cheese is a processed cheese product that is designed to be extremely meltable. Its high meltability is due to its high moisture content, which is achieved by blending real cheese with extra milk, milk protein micelles, and chemical salts. This results in a very low melting point, creating the signature gooey texture that American cheese is known for. The addition of chemical salts, such as sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate, also helps to prevent the cheese from separating and maintains the emulsion of fat and water. While American cheese may not have the most intense flavor, its meltability makes it a popular choice for grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of cheese | Processed cheese, usually a young cheddar-style |
| Ingredients | Real cheese, extra milk, milk protein micelles, chemical salt, sodium citrate, sodium hexametaphosphate |
| Temperature | 90°F |
| Texture | Gooey, stretchy, glossy, lava-like |
| Consistency | Solid and handleable |
| Taste | Less intense flavor |
| Method | Grate the cheese, cook on low heat, add milk or cream |
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What You'll Learn
American cheese is a blend of several ingredients
Starting with a young cheddar-style cheese, American cheese is crafted by blending it with additional milk to increase the water content. This added moisture plays a crucial role in lowering the melting point of the cheese, making it more prone to melting and creating that desirable gooey texture.
The blend also includes milk protein micelles, which bolster the protein structure of the cheese. This strengthened protein network helps the cheese maintain its emulsion, even as temperatures rise and the individual caseins begin to break down. This prevents the cheese from separating or becoming greasy, ensuring a smooth and homogeneous melt.
Chemical salts, such as sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate, are another essential component of American cheese. These salts act as emulsifying agents, facilitating the bonding of fat and water within the cheese. Sodium citrate, derived from citrus fruit, is particularly effective at maintaining the emulsion, resulting in a cheese that melts uniformly without breaking down into clumps or pools of oil.
The combination of these ingredients in American cheese creates a product that is exceptionally meltable and resistant to breaking. While this meltability may come at the cost of a less intense flavor profile, it is beloved for its ability to transform grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers into oozy, stretchy delights.
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The melting point depends on the ratio of water to fat
The meltiness of cheese is determined by its ability to maintain its emulsion when the protein network begins to collapse due to heat. This, in turn, depends on the ratio of water to fat and the strength of the protein network. A cheese's ability to melt well is influenced by its moisture content. High-moisture cheeses melt faster and more evenly than low-moisture varieties.
Young, high-moisture cheeses like mozzarella, Taleggio, brie, Gruyère, Emmental, and Jack are reliable melters. The water in super-young goat cheese, for example, helps it melt easily. On the other hand, older cheeses are lower in moisture and higher in fat, which makes them less meltable.
American cheese is a processed cheese product made from a blend of natural cheese, whey, milk solids, cream, and emulsifiers. It is designed to be extremely meltable and nearly impossible to break. The moisture level in American cheese is carefully controlled during processing to ensure a consistently soft and pliable product that melts beautifully. The high moisture content in American cheese lowers its melting point, allowing it to soften and spread quickly when exposed to heat.
Emulsifying salts like sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate can be added to cheese to improve its meltability. These salts bond with water and fats, stabilising the emulsion and preventing separation when heated.
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Emulsifying salts prevent the cheese from separating
The meltability of American cheese is due to its high moisture content, which gives it a low melting point. This is achieved by blending real cheese with extra milk and milk protein micelles, as well as a chemical salt that helps prevent proteins from tightening.
Emulsifying salts, such as sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate, are added to cheese to prevent the separation of its components. These salts are emulsifiers that help maintain the balance of water and fat in the cheese. In cheese production, natural cheeses are mixed with water and emulsifying salts, heated, and then dried to form a powder. This mixture, called cheese feed, must remain stable at 60 °C for one hour during processing. The addition of emulsifying salts ensures that the cheese feed remains stable and does not separate.
Sodium citrate, derived from citrus fruit, is particularly effective at emulsifying cheese. When added to cheese and liquid, it bonds with both the water and fats, creating an emulsion. It also softens the proteins and replaces some of the calcium bonds, which normally hold the proteins together. This allows the fats and proteins to melt simultaneously, resulting in a smooth, melty texture.
While sodium hexametaphosphate can also emulsify cheese, it is not as effective as sodium citrate. It is better at calcium sequestering and is often used alongside sodium citrate to create a firmer, more sliceable final product. The combination of these two emulsifying salts can improve the texture and stability of the cheese, making it ideal for melting.
By using emulsifying salts, cheese manufacturers can control the melting properties of their products. This allows for the creation of American cheese that melts easily, providing the desired gooey and stretchy texture for grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
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Grating cheese creates more surface area for melting
Grating cheese is a great way to increase its surface area, allowing it to melt more effectively. When cheese is grated, its small pieces have a larger combined surface area compared to a single block of cheese. This increased surface area means that heat can be transferred more efficiently, promoting even melting throughout.
The melting behaviour of cheese is influenced by its composition, particularly the balance of water and fat content. Cheese is an emulsion, a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible, in this case, dairy fat and water. In cheese, these two substances are held together by a network of proteins. When cheese is exposed to heat, the dairy fat melts, transitioning from a solid to a liquid state. As the temperature continues to rise, the bonds between the casein proteins begin to break down, causing the protein structure to sag and stretch, resulting in a molten, lava-like consistency.
Younger cheeses with higher moisture content tend to melt more readily. Examples of such cheeses include mozzarella, Taleggio, brie, Gruyère, Emmental, and Jack. On the other hand, aged cheeses with lower moisture content, such as Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano, may separate into clumps or break when melted due to the tighter clumping of their proteins.
To enhance the melting process, it is recommended to grate the cheese and then cook it with milk or cream over low heat. This technique ensures that the cheese surfaces are evenly warmed, facilitating a thorough melting process. It is important to maintain a low temperature to prevent burning the milk or cream.
Additionally, the choice of cheese can impact the melting process. American cheese, for instance, is designed to be highly meltable due to its extra milk, milk protein micelles, and chemical salts that prevent protein tightening. This results in a lower melting point, creating an extremely gooey texture ideal for grilled cheese sandwiches or cheeseburgers.
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Heat liquids first, then add cheese to prevent separation
To get American cheese to melt, it's important to heat liquids first and then add the cheese to prevent separation. This is because the cheese will melt more evenly when added to a hot liquid, resulting in a smoother and more homogenous mixture.
American cheese is a processed cheese product that is designed to be extremely meltable. It is made by blending young cheddar-style cheese with extra milk, milk protein micelles, and chemical salt. The added liquids give it a very low melting point, making it perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches and cheeseburgers.
However, if you heat the cheese for too long or at too high a temperature, it can separate into a tough, stringy mass surrounded by a pool of oil. This is because the proteins in the cheese have broken down, causing the fat molecules to slip away and congeal separately.
To prevent this, it's important to heat your liquids first and then add the cheese. This could be milk, cream, or butter, heated slowly until just liquid. Then, turn off the heat and stir in your grated or sliced American cheese until melted.
Additionally, you can use emulsifying salts like sodium citrate or sodium hexametaphosphate to help prevent separation. These salts work by bonding with both the water and fats in the cheese, keeping them from separating.
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Frequently asked questions
American cheese is a processed cheese product, not a real cheese, and is designed to melt easily. It is made by blending young cheddar-style cheese with extra milk, milk protein micelles, and chemical salt. The extra liquid added to it gives it an extremely low melting point.
Younger, high-moisture cheeses like mozzarella, Taleggio, brie, Gruyère, Emmental, and Jack are reliable melters.
The stretchiness of melted American cheese comes from the breakdown of the protein structure. As the cheese is heated, the bonds that join caseins together start to break, allowing the protein structure to sag and stretch.
Grating the cheese allows the respective surfaces of the bits to be relatively evenly and thoroughly warmed, leading to an actual melting process. It is also recommended to heat the liquids first and then add the cheese.
Sodium citrate and sodium hexametaphosphate are great emulsifying salts that will prevent the cheese from separating.
