You bought it to make your life easier for taco night, and now you are standing by the glow of the refrigerator at midnight, eating it by the handful. Shredded cheese is as convenient as it is delicious and saves you from breaking out the finger-nipping box grater.
Person adding shredded cheese to a taco shell, with a plate of cheese and chopped vegetables nearby
It’s also an accessible option for recipes that call for grated cheese, so people with disabilities and less manual dexterity can also add cheesy goodness to their meals.
Woman and child baking together at a kitchen counter, smiling and enjoying the activity
However, there is one problem with shredded cheese… anti-caking agents. But it may not be for the reason you think.
Shredded cheese spilling out from an opened package, showcasing a blend of textures, commonly used for melting in dishes like tacos or nachos
Manufacturers toss the cheese strands in absorbent powders, such as potato or corn starch, to prevent clumping. A more controversial anti-caking ingredient is powdered cellulose.
Over the years, some viral claims have warned against eating foods with this powdered cellulose because it can be derived from wood pulp. Food and health experts have thoroughly debunked these claims, saying that powdered cellulose is just an insoluble fiber that is safe to consume. In fact, it is the same organic compound that gives all green plants their shape!
A hand holding a bunch of fresh celery stalks in a garden setting
🧀 If the caking agents aren’t bad for you, what’s the problem?
While these caking agents aren’t a hindrance to your health, they DO impact one absolutely key aspect of cheese: ooey-gooey-ness. (Yes, that is the food science term for it.)
Child enjoying a gooey grilled cheese sandwich, stretching melted cheese between slices, sitting at a wooden table with a plate nearby
The anti-caking agents do such a good job preventing clumping that even once the cheese melts, the powders prevent cohesive melting. Our solution to this is simple: give your cheese a good rinse.
Shredded cheese in a colander with water being poured over it in a kitchen setting
🧀 Rinse my cheese?! Seriously???
Yes. You’ll want to rinse your shredded cheese before adding it to whatever you make for the best texture and optimal stretchiness. Simply dump the shredded cheese into a strainer/colander over a bowl or directly in the sink and cover the cheese with water.
Pre-shredded cheese being rinsed in a metal colander, with text advising to wash it
Remember to use COLD water when rinsing your cheese to prevent any accidental melting. Cold water will also help prevent clumping as the cheese dries.
Person washing a pot under running water in a kitchen sink
After a few seconds of rinsing, let the cheese drain for a moment, and you can add it directly to your recipe or lay the cheese shreds out on a towel (or paper towels) to dry completely. The amount of residue left behind from the cheese might surprise you…
A metal strainer is used to remove anti-caking agents from a powder over a glass bowl
Tasty did a side-by-side test of unwashed vs. washed shredded cheese, and the proof of this hack is in the pudding (or, should I say, the grilled cheese):
Hands pulling apart a grilled cheese sandwich, showing melted cheese stretching between the two halves
Look at that stretch!
We used the same exact ingredients and technique, but the sandwich with cheese that had been washed was sooooo melty and gooey.
Two hands pulling apart a grilled cheese sandwich, stretching the melted cheese between two toasted bread halves
Your roommates or family might make a face when you break out the colander to make a quesadilla. But, when they see the cheese pull on the finished product, they’ll 1,000% be asking for a bite.
But, if you’re still skeptical, try the hack for yourself with one of our hundreds of cheesy recipes — which you can access by downloading the free Tasty app for iOS and Android.
Smartphone displaying a dumpling salad recipe in the Tasty app, with text promoting the app download using a QR code
