Melted cheese can be delicious. However, melted cheese can sometimes end up being a consistency you do not want, or it may even separate or burn. These outcomes can be avoided by following the right steps when melting your cheese. Below are the different ways to melt your cheese.
The Microwave Method
One of the most effective ways to melt cheese is in the microwave. To melt your cheese using the microwave method follow these steps.
Shred Your Eden cheese
You can shred your cheese using a knife, a box grater, or even a food processor. It is best to shred your cheese when it is still cold. Shredding it when it is warm will make it mushy. If you already have shredded cheese you can skip this part. Also, shredding your cheese will give you creamier and tasty cheese. To make the shredding much easier you can put the cheese in the freezer for 10 or so minutes in order to harden it.
Bring Your Cheese To Room Temperature
Once your cheese is grated, place it outside until it has room temperature. Doing so will lessen the amount of time you will heat it up before it melts. Over exposing your cheese to heat will cause the melted cheese to become rubbery or greasy, thus, the less heat you need to use, the better.
Put Your Cheese In A Microwave Safe Bowl
The next step will be to take a microwave safe dish and place your shredded cheese in there. Pile the grated cheese into the bowl and leave some room to spare. Note that you should not place your cheese on a plate because it will run off the plate when it has melted and you will have a mess to clean out of your microwave.
Place Your Shredded Cheese In The Microwave
Put the bowl of grated cheese inside the microwave and close the microwave door. Set your microwave to the lowest heat setting and leave your cheese to heat up for 30 seconds or so. Heating cheese at high temperatures will suck moisture and fat out of your cheese and the result will be a clumpy melted cheese.
The Stovetop Method
Another effective way to melt cheese is using a stovetop. The steps are as follows;
Shred Your Eden Cheese
Just like you would with the microwave method, shred your cheese. You can shred your cheese using a knife, a box grater, or even a food processor. It is best to shred your cheese when it is still cold.
Bring Your Eden Cheese To Room Temperature
The next step would be to bring your cheese to a room temperature. Once your cheese is grated, place it outside until it has room temperature. Doing so will also lessen the amount of time you will heat it up on the stovetop before it melts. Too much heat will cause the cheese to become rubbery the same way over exposing your cheese to heat in the microwave will cause it to become rubbery or greasy.
Heat Your Cheese Over Low Heat
After shredding your cheese put it inside a non-stick pot big enough to accommodate it. Put your pot of cheese over low heat on the stovetop. Always melt your cheese at the lowest heat possible so that you do not burn it. If you apply too much heat to your pot of cheese, you may lose the moisture and fat in the cheese, which may result in a lumpy or greasy texture.
Stir Your Cheese Frequently
Make sure you keep a close eye on your pot and watch the cheese closely. Stir your cheese frequently and do not leave your cheese unattended on your stove, since it can melt and burn very quickly. Stirring it regularly as it melts will keep it moving around the pot to ensure that the cheese is melted through evenly and it will prevent it from burning. When it is ready you can remove it from the stove.
The Steaming Method
You can apply this method to melt cheese if you have a double broiler. If you do not have a double broiler, you can make use of a pot/pan and bowls. Just put your shredded cheese into small oven-safe bowls. Divide your cheese into several small, heat safe bowls. The bowls will act as the top pan for a double broiler if you do not have one. Also, this method is perfect if you want to melt a small amount of cheese.
Heat Water In The Bottom Pan
Fill a saucepan or small pot with a bit of water and bring it to a boil on your stovetop. Once the water heats up reduce the temperature in order to keep the water simmering. If you are not using a double broiler use a steamer basket into a saucepan directly over the simmering water. Put the bowls inside the steamer basket with your grated cheese inside them. Let the water simmer for a few minutes while your cheese melts. Make sure that you check the cheese frequently so that the cheese will not melt too much. When the cheese is ready simply remove it from the stove.
Tips For Melting Cheese
Choose the right eden cheese
The problem with choosing cheese when you are shopping for cheese, is that you cannot really predict its melting behaviour by just looking at it or the nutritional information label. Different types of cheese melt differently, plus you cannot depend on similar cheeses to melt the same way. Each type of cheese behaves differently from other types of cheese for various reasons.
Be gentle with the heat
As much as choosing the right cheese to melt is important, you must pay attention to your heat when melting your cheese. Treating your cheese delicately as you melt it is important. Even though you can choose the right type of cheese for your dish, temperature that is too high or too much heating time can make the proteins tighten up, and mess up your dish altogether.
