Grated Cheese

smlewis00

smlewis00

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5 Jan 2014
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Do you grate your own cheese? Or do you buy it already shredded? I have found it to be a lot cheaper to grate it myself.
When I am in a hurry I will occasionally pick up a bag of shredded cheese at the grocery store. However, I prefer to grate it myself because it is cheaper and I feel it tastes better.
What do you think? Is it cheaper to grate cheese yourself? Or do you like to buy it already shredded and avoid the hassle?
 
It really depends on how much and what type I need. Usually I buy the normal cheese and use it for sandwiches etc. and grate part of it if necessary.
If I know that I'll specifically need grated cheese and won't be needing normal one, then I go for a tiny pack of grated cheese.

So it all comes down to what I need at the moment.
 
I always used to buy a block of cheese but recently have found the cost per kilo of pre grated cheddar has dropped so it is cheaper per kilo than in block form.
 
I prefer to grate it myself, especially if I am making something like a mac and cheese. The pre-shredded stuff often comes with a lot of additives that the cheese is tossed in to keep it from sticking together, but I'm also convinced this stuff interferes with it melting into cheese sauces properly too. If a cheese to too soft to grate, I will either freeze it for a bit or just skip the grating all together and cut it into a fine dice instead. Besides, it's just more versatile overall to have it in block form.
 
Generally, I grate my own. If I have a few bits and pieces of cheese that are no good for anything else, I'll grate them and pop them in a ziplock bag in the freezer until I need it. However, Lidl here in Spain do a 4 cheese ready grated version that's very tasty, so I always keep some in for when I'm in a hurry. Last week I did some filled jacket potatoes, and because we had visitors and I didn't want to spend too much time in the kitchen, I used the ready grated stuff. Everyone said how nice it tasted!
 
I usually grate my own as that way I can use the same block of cheese for different uses (e.g for grated cheese, cheese slices ect). However, I do like the convenience of pre grated cheese and buy it occasionally from time to time if it's on sale.
 
Whilst I can't eat cheese anymore, I would never consider purchasing pre-grated cheese because of my experience with pre-sliced cheeses which always tasted plastic to me. Even now, when I am cooking for others with recipes involving cheese, I still grate the cheese for these recipes.
 
I usually buy it shredded, but I do have a tool to shred it at home. It's pretty easy to do it at home, and indeed way cheaper. I do love to get fresh cheese and shred it, because usually when you buy it shredded it's already older cheese and you lose the freshness.
 
It is better to buy and grate yourself. Most supermarkets and manufacturers shred all the substandard or old cheese so you would not notice any texture deviations or more easily dismiss a difference in taste. This is also the reason why it is sometimes cheaper to buy.
 
I buy the big blocks of ungrated sharp cheddar for any use that shredded isn't needed for. I also buy huge bags of shredded for the dishes that call for it. Cheese is a main ingredient in my house since my husband started the very low to no carb diet.
 
I prefer freshly grated cheese as much as possible. Pre-grated ones just taste a little bit like cardboard to me and I can't enjoy it as much especially if the cheese is a prominent ingredient. I'd only consider buying it already grated if ever the recipe I was using it for would cook it down enough to drown out the cardboard taste.
 
I buy several blocks of cheese a month and shred it myself with my salad shooter. It's cheaper and to me tastes better. I shred cheese for pizza and tacos mostly. Easy and fun.
 
In my area, there is no difference in price between grated and block cheese. It is the same price for a 2 pound block of cheese as it is for a 2 pound bag of shredded cheese. I have never noticed a bad taste with the grated. Also, maybe it's just me but I feel like when I grate my own cheese, it doesn't yield quite as much as if I would have just bought the bag of cheese. I'm sure it is just a mind thing but there you go. I usually use already grated cheese in my recipes and then use the block cheese for snacks like with crackers.
 
I prefer buying a block of cheese and I just grate it myself whenever I need it for recipes that needs the use of grated cheese.
 
My mom and I grate our own cheese. We don't like the grated ones that can be bought in supermarkets because they taste different and tend to be too dry. :)
 
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