The Unexpected Ingredient You Need If Your Shredded Cheese Is Getting Clumpy

Cheese is arguably one of the most delicious things on the planet and it can instantly transform so many dishes. Cheese ice cream, anyone? While pre-shredded cheese is easy and convenient, there are many good reasons to shred your own: A fresher taste, more control over texture, and lower cost. However, one problem with shredding your own cheese is that it tends to clump together, especially if you're storing it for later. Store-bought varieties combat clumping by adding cellulose to shredded cheese , but this in itself has caused some controversy, mainly when brands use it as a filler or mislead about its inclusion in products.

Fortunately, you don't need any fancy tricks or ingredients when shredding your own cheese because you can easily prevent clumping with something almost everyone has in their pantries: cornstarch. Yep, preventing cheese from clumping is just one more thing cornstarch can do, and using it is super easy. After shredding your cheese, place it in a bag or bowl and sprinkle a tablespoon or two of cornstarch over the shreds. Then, just give it a shake to let the cornstarch evenly coat the shreds and you're good to go.

Cornstarch prevents shredded cheese from clumping by coating the shreds and acting as an anti-caking agent. It is also useful for absorbing moisture, which can cause the cheese to spoil faster. Moreover, it is essentially flavorless, so you won't notice it's there even if you eat the cheese on its own!

When you're shredding your own cheese, it pays to shred extra and store it for later so that you always have some ready to go. However, even if you prevent your cheese from clumping with cornstarch, you must store it properly if you don't want it to spoil quickly. 

If you know you'll be using the extra cheese within a few weeks, you can store it in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag or airtight container. Shredded hard cheeses can last three to four weeks in the fridge as long as they are protected from air and moisture. 

Now, if you have a lot of shredded cheese and need to keep it longer, you can freeze it to keep it fresh. Freezing shredded cheese is a great way to preserve it for later, though it can change the texture of the cheese over time. To freeze your cheese shreds, place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag and lightly press out as much air as possible. Once frozen, your shredded cheese will last three to four months before it begins to lose its quality. When you're ready to use your frozen shreds, let them thaw in the fridge overnight, or, if possible, you can add it directly to what you're cooking if it needs to be melted.