Cheese is one of the most used ingredients worldwide. No matter our age or country, most of us love to eat cheesy foods. It is, without a doubt, one of the most amazing additions to any meal.
Among all the cheeses, shredded cheese has become one of the most loved cheeses in western food culture. Whether it’s for topping or as a main ingredient, from pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and casseroles, all the way to salads, shredded cheese has become a key ingredient for some of the most delicious dishes.
With an increased demand for cheesy foods, most restaurants have added some sort of cheese orientated dishto their menu. However, once you add a cheese item to your menu, you need to have enough cheese in stock to meet customer demand, which can be challenging for some restaurant owners. There is always the risk of cheese being wasted, as it can get damaged quickly if not stored properly. Buying shredded cheese in small amounts is also not as practical when running a restaurant; you can’t afford to run to the store to get the cheese every time you run out and buying in large quantities possesses the risk of cheese being wasted.
So, what’s the solution? Buy shredded cheese in bulk or in small amounts? We all know buying things in bulk from your distributors costs less. So, it’s always good to buy cheese in bulk, but you need to know how to take care of that cheese without wasting a single ounce, and it all comes down to storing your cheese properly.
How to store shredded cheese correctly at your restaurant?
We all want our cheese to stay fresh as long as possible. If it’s a hard cheese, we can cut the mould off it and store the remaining cheese, but shredded cheese is different. So, here are some tips for storing your shredded cheese properly and keeping it fresh.
Freeze It
The best way to preserve any food is by freezing it, but your freezing technique needs to differ depending on the food. To store shredded cheese, you need to keep in the coldest part of the freezer, i.e., lowest shelves or back.
Freezing cheese inactivates microbes like yeast, bacteria and moulds that are present in the cheese. Inactivating microbes increases the shelf life of cheese and prevents it from getting damaged, and when we thaw the cheese, the microbes become active again, giving cheese the same taste and texture.
However, freezing cheese for too long, can create ice crystals within the cheese and make it drier and crumblier. So, don’t keep your cheese in the freezer for too long.
Store in Small Portions
Another great tip for storing shredded cheese is storing them in small portions. Never freeze all your cheese in a single container. You will need to defrost the cheese in order to use it and freeze the leftovers again. Freezing and defrosting cheese, again and again, will degrade the quality of the cheese. So, store in small portions and defrost only the amount of cheese required.
Don’t Wrap Shredded Cheese Too Tightly or Too Loosely
Natural cheese emits a natural odour so wrapping shredded cheese too tightly is not a good idea. A tight wrap won’t leave room for the cheese to breathe, making it smell like ammonia or plastic. However, if you wrap shredded cheese too loosely, there is a high chance that your cheese will dry out and become hard. So, it’s essential to perfectly wrap it – tight enough to prevent it from drying and loose enough for it to breathe.
Use Cheese Bags or Cheese Paper
Wrapping shredded cheese in plastic can make it smell like plastic too. The best thing to wrap cheese in, is a cheese bag or cheese paper specially designed to store cheese. It helps to keep the cheese fresh for longer and protect it from air exposure while still allowing it to breathe.
Label the Date
DO NOT forget to label your bag of shredded cheese before putting it in the fridge. You should know how long the cheese has been in the fridge and use the old stock first so that no cheese gets wasted.
You might be wondering where to purchase the best shredded cheese in Australia and the answer is Pure Dairy. If you want to deliver consistent and delicious food to yourcustomers, then the Mexi Shred Blend from Pure Dairy is your answer. They sell the best Mexi Shred Blend, and they use no “extra” ingredients in their blend, no nasty additives and preservatives.
