In a well-aged cheese, all of these elements are in careful,
stable balance. But heat throws the whole thing off.
Everything may seem to be going all right at first—the
cheese gradually softens, turning more and more liquid.
Then, suddenly, at around 90°F, the liquefied fat comes
together into greasy pools and separates from the water and
proteins. As you continue to stir the melted cheese, the
proteins—which are suspended in whatever water hasn’t yet
evaporated—glue themselves together with the help of
calcium into long, tangled strands, forming the stretchy
curds that you find in string cheese or stretched mozzarella.
What was once whole and well has now completely
separated into fat, protein, and water, and unless you’ve got
a $5,000 homogenizer on hand, it ain’t coming back
together.
Cheese products like American and Velveeta have
stabilizers added to them, along with extra liquid and
protein, to keep them stable. I microwaved a small chunk of
American cheese on a plate next to a block of extra-sharp
cheddar. The American stayed smooth, while the cheddar
broke. Perhaps we can learn some lessons from the former.
nandana
(Nandana)
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