Selecting Cheese

Selecting Cheese

The chemical composition of a cheese determines its functional properties, which dictate how it will be used in food preparation. Some of these functional properties are shredability, meltability, oiling off, blistering, browing, and stretchability.

Shredability. Not all cheeses shred uniformly, which may be important to food service operations interested in cost control. On average, 4 ounces of shredded cheese are equivalent to approximately 1 cup in volume. It may be possible to use less when using aged cheeses because of their stronger flavor. Grating or chopping cheese increases the surface area and thereby increases the ease and speed with which cheese melts.

Meltability. Aged or ripened cheeses such as cheddar and Swiss tend to melt and blend more easily when heated than the less-ripened cheeses. Processed cheese, which contain added water and emulsifiers, can be heated without the fat separating, blend more smoothly, and melt more easily than natural cheeses. The higher the fat and moisture content of a cheese, the greater its meltability. Problems may result when using lower-fat cheeses, because they separate more easily when exposed to high heat, and their higher protein content makes them toughen as they are heated. For these reasons, they are not always good candidates for use in cooking.

Oiling Off. One drawback to using higher-fat cheeses is their greater tendency to “oil-off”, which occurs when some free fat is released and glistens on the surface. The shiny sheen of an oil on pizza may not be appetizing to people, and this is one of the reasons mozzarella cheese, which does not tend to oil off, is used in pizza production.

Blistering. Blistering is another unsightly side effect, with the number and size of the blisters depending on the cheese’s age: large blisters tend to form when using excessively aged cheese, while numerous, small blisters may be a sign that the cheese has not been aged very long.

Browning. The browning of cheeses during heating, a result of the Maillard reaction, is desirable, but only up to a certain point. Too much browning occurs if there is an excess of sugars, amino acids, or lactose in the cheese.

Stretchability. The functionality of a cheese also differs based on how well it stretches. The stretchability of a cheese depends on its concentration of calcium phosphate and is protein network structure. A tough, grainy texture results from the presence of too much calcium, while texture turns excessively soft when undergoing too much protein breakdown during aging.