How to keep grated cheese (in the can) from clumping-up?

[MichaelD]

Grr. My grated cheese is all clumped up. It's the standard Kraft Grated Parmesaen in the can.

It's great the first time you open it; it's all nice and powdery-fine and goes on easily. But then you have to refrigerate it after it's been opened and that's when the problems start. :|

I know it most probably gets clumpy b/c of the moisture in the fridge...I seal the can as tightly as I can. What about putting like, Saran Wrap over the top? Think that would work?

I hate clumpy grated cheese! :| You go to shake some out over a pizza and all these golf-ball size lumps roll out and bounce all over the damn floor...then of COURSE they explode...now I have to clean!! GRRRR!

 

[wfbberzerker]

shake the can?

 

[Orsorum]

Life just can't get much worse than this.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker
shake the can?

Yeah, I do that before I open it. Sometimes, I'll take a butter knife and st@b the cheese for a minute or so. Damn that sounds funny! But that's a PITA.

 

[djheater]

Well, here's a suggestion you won't take.

By "real" parmesan and one of those hand graters and grate it fresh. That's what we do, if you're feeling adventurous try a little 10mo Provolone instead.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: djheater
Well, here's a suggestion you won't take.

By "real" parmesan and one of those hand graters and grate it fresh. That's what we do, if you're feeling adventurous try a little 10mo Provolone instead.

Ahhh, the good old days...I remember them fondly. I may just take your suggestion. The only problem is that REAL cheese molds up in a few days...

 

[djheater]

When I was a kid my ma managed a gourmet deli, I worked there at the sandwich and cheese counter.

The mold that grows on hard cheeses is in no way harmful, though it does taste quite strong. The cheese is very dense and does not allow the mold to penetrate more than a few mm into it, therefore you can slice of the obvious mold and still eat it. The exception to this is cream and soft cheeses, they're porous enough to allow a significat amount of mold to enter and would probably upset your stomach if you ate a large portion.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Zakath15
Life just can't get much worse than this.

*insert rain*

 

[dolph]

Originally posted by: djheater
When I was a kid my ma managed a gourmet deli, I worked there at the sandwich and cheese counter.

The mold that grows on hard cheeses is in no way harmful, though it does taste quite strong. The cheese is very dense and does not allow the mold to penetrate more than a few mm into it, therefore you can slice of the obvious mold and still eat it. The exception to this is cream and soft cheeses, they're porous enough to allow a significat amount of mold to enter and would probably upset your stomach if you ate a large portion.

he may like the taste of canned parmasean, sometimes that's just what you dig.
i bought a few ounces of a parmigiano-reggiano like cheese that's made in argentina not too long ago. pretty tasty stuff, not quite the real mccoy but very good nonetheless.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: dolph

Originally posted by: djheater
When I was a kid my ma managed a gourmet deli, I worked there at the sandwich and cheese counter.

The mold that grows on hard cheeses is in no way harmful, though it does taste quite strong. The cheese is very dense and does not allow the mold to penetrate more than a few mm into it, therefore you can slice of the obvious mold and still eat it. The exception to this is cream and soft cheeses, they're porous enough to allow a significat amount of mold to enter and would probably upset your stomach if you ate a large portion.

he may like the taste of canned parmasean, sometimes that's just what you dig.
i bought a few ounces of a parmigiano-reggiano like cheese that's made in argentina not too long ago. pretty tasty stuff, not quite the real mccoy but very good nonetheless.

Mmm, Parm-Reg mix@!!!!!! DUDE, that is the stuff. Mmmm, make some Baked Ziti with that stuff. Heaven.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: djheater
Well, here's a suggestion you won't take.

By "real" parmesan and one of those hand graters and grate it fresh. That's what we do, if you're feeling adventurous try a little 10mo Provolone instead.

Ahhh, the good old days...I remember them fondly. I may just take your suggestion. The only problem is that REAL cheese molds up in a few days...

hasn't molded up on me. you must be doing something wrong.

and cheese clumps up. if it didn't clump, it wouldn't be cheese.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: djheater
Well, here's a suggestion you won't take.

By "real" parmesan and one of those hand graters and grate it fresh. That's what we do, if you're feeling adventurous try a little 10mo Provolone instead.

Ahhh, the good old days...I remember them fondly. I may just take your suggestion. The only problem is that REAL cheese molds up in a few days...

hasn't molded up on me. you must be doing something wrong.

and cheese clumps up. if it didn't clump, it wouldn't be cheese.

There has to be a way to maintain it in a clumpless state! I mean, it's clumpless when you first open the can, right? Right. Hmm, maybe if I seal it in an airtight Tupperware thingee, no moisture will get in....you think it'll work?

 

[HappyPuppy]

MichaelD, is there anything in your life that is right or satisfactory? We all have our problems, but it sounds like you were born from the wrong end and then your life went downhill.

I've followed your travails and I sympathize with some of the stuff that has happened to you, but you don't seem to be able to handle any of life's little inconveniences without having a cow.

I'm not criticizing you, I'm just curious.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
MichaelD, is there anything in your life that is right or satisfactory? We all have our problems, but it sounds like you were born from the wrong end and then your life went downhill.

I've followed your travails and I sympathize with some of the stuff that has happened to you, but you don't seem to be able to handle any of life's little inconveniences without having a cow.

I'm not criticizing you, I'm just curious.

What's wrong with complaining about my cheese? If you complained about your sugar or flour I wouldn't criticize you.

I handle them by complaining about them. It's a lot healthier than getting up on the roof with the AR15 and just blasting away, you know?

 

[HappyPuppy]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: HappyPuppy
MichaelD, is there anything in your life that is right or satisfactory? We all have our problems, but it sounds like you were born from the wrong end and then your life went downhill.

I've followed your travails and I sympathize with some of the stuff that has happened to you, but you don't seem to be able to handle any of life's little inconveniences without having a cow.

I'm not criticizing you, I'm just curious.

What's wrong with complaining about my cheese? If you complained about your sugar or flour I wouldn't criticize you.

I handle them by complaining about them. It's a lot healthier than getting up on the roof with the AR15 and just blasting away, you know?

Touche. Complain away. My M60 is far deadlier than your M16, but it takes longer to hoist it to shoulder level.

I wish you a happy life.

 

[morkinva]

You need to put some kind of dessicant in there with the grated cheese. Like uncooked rice, or one of those bags of silica gel. The rice would probably sneak through the shaker holes, so maybe wrap the rice in a semi-permeable membrane.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: morkinva
You need to put some kind of dessicant in there with the grated cheese. Like uncooked rice, or one of those bags of silica gel. The rice would probably sneak through the shaker holes, so maybe wrap the rice in a semi-permeable membrane.

Yessir. I do that with my Salt & Pepper shakers! It works VERY well. I like the semi-permeable membrane idea...kinda like a miniature bag of Minute Rice with the bag w/the tiny holes in it...

 

[Uncle Mike]

Grr. My grated cheese is all clumped up. It's the standard Kraft Grated Parmesaen in the can.

It's great the first time you open it; it's all nice and powdery-fine and goes on easily. But then you have to refrigerate it after it's been opened and that's when the problems start. :|

I know it most probably gets clumpy b/c of the moisture in the fridge...I seal the can as tightly as I can. What about putting like, Saran Wrap over the top? Think that would work?

I hate clumpy grated cheese! :| You go to shake some out over a pizza and all these golf-ball size lumps roll out and bounce all over the damn floor...then of COURSE they explode...now I have to clean!! GRRRR!

I have the exact same problem with the exact same product. I usually take a table knife and break up the chunks when I take it out of the fridge.l just finished a bottle of Vitamin D,and it has one of those silica packets. I wonder if that would prevent clumping?

 

[Uncle Mike]

Well, here's a suggestion you won't take.

By "real" parmesan and one of those hand graters and grate it fresh. That's what we do, if you're feeling adventurous try a little 10mo Provolone instead.

I bought a chunk of the real deal Parmesan cheese,which cost an arm and a leg,and I didn't like it! I have been using the Kraft grated version all my life.

 

[FreshCrabLegs]

hehe.

What's up with the 13 year old necro?

Wonder if MikeyD upgraded to genuine parm?

 

[Elixer]

Grrr... didn't notice it was a necro...

Darn you necro!

 

[Spacehead]

The only problem is that REAL cheese molds up in a few days...

hehe.

What's up with the 13 year old necro?

Wonder if MikeyD upgraded to genuine parm?

Wonder how moldy it is by now?