Bushra Griffith
American cheese is specifically designed to be extremely meltable and nearly impossible to break. It has a high moisture content and is made with sodium citrate, which gives it a low melting point. When making queso, adding American cheese can prevent the cheese sauce from breaking and becoming lumpy, grainy, or greasy. This is because American cheese has a stable emulsion of dairy fat and water, held together by a protein network that does not easily break down when heated. Therefore, adding American cheese to other cheeses can help keep them from separating.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese type | American cheese |
| Cheese properties | High moisture, high fat, contains sodium citrate |
| Cheese texture | Smooth, silky |
| Cheese combination | Yes, with semi-firm melting cheeses like low-moisture mozzarella, Comté, fontina, Gruyère, and Manchego |
| Cheese preparation | Grate or shred, chop or slice finely, moisten with water |
| Cooking technique | Start with liquids, heat liquids first, then add cheese |
| Additives | Starch, acid (tartaric acid from white wine), thickeners |
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What You'll Learn
American cheese is designed to be meltable
American cheese is specifically designed to be extremely meltable. Its high moisture content and the addition of sodium citrate make it nearly impossible to break. When melted, it provides texture and colour, while other cheeses can be added for flavour and stretch.
When heat is introduced to cheese, the protein structure breaks apart, and the emulsion breaks. The fat globules come together into a greasy pool, and the proteins congeal to form a stringy mess. American cheese, however, is designed to withstand this process and not separate.
The key to a smooth, luscious cheese sauce is to use a combination of cheeses, with American cheese as the base. This is because American cheese has a high moisture content, which helps it melt smoothly without breaking. In one recipe for queso, Sohla El-Waylly used equal parts cheddar and Jack cheese, resulting in a lumpy, grainy dip that quickly separated. By replacing the cheddar with American cheese, she created a dip that remained creamy and homogeneous, without fat separation.
Other tips for creating a smooth cheese sauce include adding starch or thickening the base liquid. This physically impedes fat molecules from joining up and making the sauce greasy. Adding acid, such as wine, can also prevent the cheese proteins from clumping together and turning stringy. Grating the cheese before melting also increases the surface area, encouraging a more even texture and faster melting.
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The role of sodium citrate in American cheese
American cheese is specifically designed to be extremely meltable and nearly impossible to break. It has a very low melting point, which makes it perfect for grilled cheese sandwiches or cheeseburgers. This is due to the excess liquid added to the cheese. However, this meltability comes at the cost of a less intense flavor.
A 2006 study by the American Dairy Science Association found that the concentration of sodium citrate used as an emulsifying salt in pasteurized process cheddar cheese manufacturing greatly affected the textural and melting properties, even when the pH value was similar. The study concluded that a small quantity of sodium citrate, around 0.25%, was insufficient to achieve the desired texture and melting properties.
To make a cheese sauce with sodium citrate, one can follow these general steps:
- Slowly warm the liquid and whisk in the sodium citrate, bringing it to a gentle simmer.
- Whisk again to ensure the sodium citrate has completely dissolved.
- Gradually add your cheese, continuing to whisk until it has melted.
The ratio of liquid to sodium citrate is important, with a recommended ratio of 85% liquid to 4% sodium citrate, based on the total weight of the cheese.
In conclusion, sodium citrate plays a crucial role in the texture and melting properties of American cheese, making it a key ingredient in achieving the desired smooth and creamy texture.
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Moisture content and its effect on cheese melting
The moisture content of cheese is essential to its identity. It determines a cheese's texture, flavour, and culinary versatility. High-moisture cheeses are creamy and smooth, while low-moisture varieties are firm and crumbly. Higher moisture often results in milder flavours, as water dilutes the concentration of fats and proteins. Conversely, low-moisture cheeses have bolder, more intense flavours.
High-moisture cheeses melt beautifully, while low-moisture cheeses like Parmesan are better suited for grating. The water content in high-moisture cheeses like mozzarella, Taleggio, brie, Gruyère, Emmental, and Jack makes them reliable melters. However, their high moisture content also makes them highly perishable, requiring storage in brine or vacuum-sealed packaging.
The balance of water and fat in cheese must be maintained for it to melt smoothly. When heat is applied, the protein structure breaks apart, and the emulsion breaks. The fat molecules slip free and come together into a greasy pool, while the proteins congeal into a stringy mess. This is why drier, aged cheeses often separate into clumps or break when melted.
American-style cheeses have a lot of excess liquid added to them, resulting in extremely low melting points. This makes them extremely gooey when melted, but it also comes at the cost of a less intense flavour. American cheese also contains sodium citrate, which contributes to its meltability. When making a cheese sauce, some recipes call for liquids to be heated first and then adding the cheese to help it melt smoothly.
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The impact of temperature on cheese proteins
The Science of Cheese Proteins and Temperature:
At room temperature, many cheeses like cheddar or Monterey Jack maintain a stable emulsion of dairy fat and water, bound together by a network of proteins. However, when subjected to heat, this delicate balance is disrupted. The protein structure breaks down, causing the fat globules to coalesce and form a greasy pool, while the proteins themselves congeal into a stringy mess. This phenomenon is known as "The Melted Cheese Problem."
The Role of American Cheese:
American cheese is specifically designed to resist this problem. Its high moisture content and the presence of additives like sodium citrate give it an extremely low melting point, making it nearly impossible for the protein structure to break down during melting. This unique characteristic of American cheese can be leveraged to prevent other cheeses from separating when melted. By combining American cheese with other varieties, a stable buffer is created, allowing the blend to melt smoothly without fat separation.
Temperature's Influence on Cheese Texture:
Additionally, high-temperature treatments (HTT) of milk, such as pasteurization at temperatures above 72°C, can impact the formation of curds and the functionality of heated cheese. While HTT can enhance microbial inactivation, it can also induce physicochemical changes that inhibit casein aggregation, affecting the manufacture and quality of certain cheeses.
Strategies for Smooth Melting:
To achieve a smooth, homogeneous cheese melt, several strategies can be employed:
- Moisture Content: Younger, high-moisture cheeses like mozzarella, Gruyère, and Jack tend to melt more reliably due to their ability to maintain the balance between fat and water.
- Additives: Adding starch or thickeners can impede fat molecules from joining up, preventing separation and improving meltability. Acids, like tartaric acid from wine, can also prevent casein proteins from clumping together and turning stringy.
- Cooking Techniques: Recipes like queso or macaroni and cheese often call for heating liquids first and then adding the cheese. This approach helps regulate the temperature and prevent overheating, reducing the risk of protein structure breakdown.
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Using starch to improve cheese melting
When it comes to melting cheese, not all varieties are created equal. Some cheeses, such as chevre goat cheese, feta, halloumi, ricotta, and paneer, become softer with heat but do not melt smoothly. Aged cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano will melt but won't give you the stretchy, gooey texture you might desire.
To improve the meltability of cheese, adding starch or other thickeners can help impede fat molecules from joining up and make the water phase more viscous. Starch molecules absorb water and expand, thickening the liquid phase of the sauce. This action prevents proteins from binding into long strands and fats from separating and pooling. In pasta dishes, the starch comes from the pasta itself, so cooks use only a small amount of water to cook the pasta, increasing the starch concentration in the water. For cheese dips or sauces, cornstarch or flour can be added to serve the same function.
One way to make a cheese sauce is to create a roux, a mixture of flour and fats used to thicken sauces and enhance flavour and texture. To make a roux, melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, a little at a time, until well blended.
Additionally, introducing acid, such as tartaric acid from a tart white wine, can help prevent casein proteins from clumping together and turning stringy.
When selecting a cheese for melting, opting for a younger, high-moisture variety will generally yield smoother results. This is because, with time, the proteins in cheese break down and form tighter clumps, making it difficult for them to bind fat and water together smoothly. As a result, aged cheeses can become grainy or oily when melted, and may not provide the desired stretchiness.
Some recipes start with a béchamel, while others call for evaporated milk, and some go all-in on American or Velveeta. Velveeta includes sodium alginate, an emulsifying salt that helps the natural emulsifiers contained within cheese. To make a stable emulsion of melted cheese, you can use cornstarch and evaporated milk.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, American cheese is specifically designed to be extremely meltable and nearly impossible to break. It can be used as a stable buffer to keep other cheeses from separating.
American-style cheeses have a lot of excess liquid added to them, giving them extremely low melting points. They also contain sodium citrate, which contributes to their meltability.
Younger, high-moisture cheeses like mozzarella, Taleggio, brie, Gruyère, Emmental, and Jack are reliable melters due to their higher moisture content.
Harder, drier, and more aged cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, and cheddar tend to separate into clumps or break when melted due to their lower moisture content and tighter protein clumps. Acid-set cheeses like goat cheese, farmer's cheese, and ricotta also do not melt well.
To improve the meltability of a cheese that doesn't melt well on its own, you can grate or shred it to increase its surface area and encourage melting. Adding acid, such as wine in a fondue, can also help prevent clumping. Additionally, you can whisk the cheese into a béchamel sauce or use thickeners like starch to prevent fat separation.
