Soft and semi-soft cheeses warm up as they rub against a grater. Their fat softens, so the cheese gets crushed and sticks in the holes instead of being cut. Chilling the cheese briefly in the freezer firms up the fat and produces clean, separate shreds. You can chill the grater itself for the same effect. Keep the chilling time short; cheese that freezes too much becomes brittle and crumbles.
Grating is a form of cutting: the grater’s sharp edges separate the cheese into thin strips. For this to work well, the cheese needs to be firm enough to cut. In soft and semi-soft cheeses, the fat is already soft at room temperature; friction warms it a little more, and the cheese gets crushed and spread instead of cut. The crushed mass fills the holes and clogs the grater. That is why the same grater works perfectly with hard cheese but clogs with soft cheese. Check the cheese’s temperature before blaming the grater.
The solution addresses the cause directly: firm up the fat. Chill the cheese briefly in the freezer before grating; 15 to 20 minutes is enough for most cheeses. The cheese does not freeze during this time; only its surface and fat firm up. When rubbed against the grater, it no longer gets crushed but separates into distinct shreds, leaving the grater clean. You can feel the difference from the first stroke. Leaving the cheese unwrapped during this time lets its surface dry slightly, making it even easier to grate.
Too much time has the opposite effect. Cheese left in the freezer too long freezes solid; then it breaks instead of being cut and comes through the grater as powder. Frozen cheese also crumbles when thawed. So the cheese is chilled, not frozen. If you are going to grate cheese that is already stored in the freezer, let it sit out for a few minutes to soften slightly. That is why it helps to know the difference between a brief chill and actually freezing the cheese. Setting a timer when you put cheese in the freezer is a practical habit.
The grater itself matters, too. A metal grater warms in your hand, and that heat transfers directly to the cheese; chilling the grater in the freezer for a few minutes also makes the job easier. Choose the hole size as well: soft cheeses clog a fine grater and pass more easily over a large-hole surface. Wash the grater immediately after each use because dried cheese is hard to remove from the holes. Use a brush to wash it; a sponge will not reach into the holes, leaving cheese residue behind.
There are other options, too. A thin coating of oil on the grater reduces sticking. For very soft cheeses, dicing or tearing by hand is more practical than grating. You can also use the grating blade of a food processor; the cheese should be cold for that, too. If you will not use the grated cheese right away, refrigerate it in a covered container. Hand-torn cheese also holds sauce better, so some recipes call for it deliberately.
Comments (2)
Mozzarellayı rendelemeye çalışırken hep hamur gibi oluyordu, on beş dakika dondurucuda bekletmek sorunu tamamen çözdü. Rendeyi de soğutmayı denedim, o kadar fark etmedi; asıl mesele peynirin kendi yağının sertleşmesiymiş.
Süreyi abartmayın uyarısı yerinde; unutup yarım saat bıraktım, bu sefer peynir rendede kırılıp ufalandı.