What are the benefits if you shred cheese yourself? Shredding cheese can help you avoid some nasty stuff and save money along the way.
Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to bypass the handy bags of shredded cheese in the supermarket case and shred your own.
Shredded Cheese
This mission is a little ironic, because although I’ve been mostly shredding my own cheese for a year or two now, in my new state in life, using bagged shredded cheese is one of those compromises I’ve just had to make.
I don’t think commercially shredded cheese will kill us or even really hurt our digestion, unlike some other compromises I’m trying not to make, so it’s an easy one to slide back into while at the in-laws’.
On the other hand, shredding my own cheese does enhance the flavor of dishes, avoid any additives in bagged cheese, and even may be a more frugal option.
What Are the Additives in Shredded Cheese?
Why bother shredding your own cheese just to avoid the few extra ingredients on the shredded cheese bag?
I was first pushed toward shredding my own cheese long before I had ever heard of soaking grains or raw milk. A friend said that she always shreds her own because of what cellulose is. It grossed her out. I had to look into the issue.
Cellulose, which is the most common extra ingredient in pre-shredded cheese, is used as an anti-caking agent so the cheese doesn’t all stick together in the bag.
It’s made of wood (sometimes cotton).
And I am not a beaver. Or a termite.
According to Wikipedia, cellulose is used in:
- cellophane
- rayon (fabric)
- wallpaper paste
- insulation
- paper, card stock
- …and cheese
What a list! As you might guess from the first five uses, cellulose is largely indigestible. Want a bite?
(There’s some other stuff in there, too, if you’re really interested.)
Shred Your Own Cheese for the Taste
Shredding your own cheese really does make a different in the finished dish: meltier, cheesier, and much more full of flavor than when using pre-shredded cheese in a recipe.
How to Shred Cheese at Home
The first time I tried shredding a whole block of cheese, I used the knuckle-grinding standing hand grater method. Not only did it take forever, but I needed to find the Band-Aids when I was finished. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to keep up the habit consistently.
I highly recommend something with a little more machine power and less “chef power” if you have the option.
Instructions:
- Place block of cheese into freezer 10-30 minutes (this step helps even softer cheeses become harder and easier to grate)
- Either use a hand grater and get a good upper body workout, OR
- Cut into large chunks that can be fed into a food processor with a shredder attachment. (recommended)
Tip: Try to shred cheese when you’re about to use the food processor for a savory dinner dish like chickpea wraps or black bean burgers anyway. If you shred the cheese first, you don’t have to wash the food processor twice! - Once shredded, simply store in the freezer in a plastic zippered bag (a hard-sided box would be fine if you have the space.)
The shredded cheese can be used directly from the freezer for either cooked or cold purposes. It thaws quickly – for example, if you sprinkle some on a salad or wrap, it will likely be thawed by the time you get drinks and dressings rounded up.
Shredded cheese will last a few days to a week in the refrigerator, but it will have a problem starting to stick together since you didn’t add any cellulose. 
Timesaver: When the bag goes empty, put it back in the freezer empty and reuse it for the next batch of cheese.
For shredding cheese to put directly into soups or as an accent to a meal, especially for something like a block of Parmesan, try using a microplane grater right at the table. The shreds are so thin that most people find you can use less cheese with the same amount of flavor.
Parmesan, by the way, was a huge holdout for me. I was using the green can stuff long after I was shredding my own sharp cheddar. Readers were even chastising me for it!
When I finally gave a real chunk of Parmesan a try, not only was it fun to feel fancy at dinner, I found that Parmesan cheese lasts halfway to forever in the fridge. I didn’t need to worry about it going bad, which was a huge help. I’m a convert! I could even still make my homemade Caesar dressing easily by tossing a chunk into the mini food chopper (like this one) that I was using for garlic and emulsifying anyway.
Frugal Too? Does Shredding Your Own Make More Cheese?
I’m really not positive, and maybe there’s much to be said for settling, but based on these photos I took a long, long time ago (this Monday Mission has been lying in wait for over two years!), it sure looks like shredding an 8-oz. block of cheese nets you more than buying 8 ounces of shredded cheese in a bag.
Also, since the cheese lends so much more flavor to the dish, you can certainly use a bit less in certain recipes.
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I recently came to the exact same conclusions as you did! Cellulose, I mean, they say it’s harmless, but they don’t do it because it’s good for you, or good for the cheese. It’s good for the packaging. So, why eat someone’s packaging decisions? The most compelling reason in the taste, though. Hands down.
I couldn’t agree more! Since I’m happy to sprinkle shredded cheese on anything from a taco to a salad, I rarely have to store mine in the fridge. But when I’ve had a huge excess, I have frozen it, and I support what you’re saying: works beautifully.
What is with the alarmist attitude about cellulose?
Cellulose is present in ANY plant and is harmless by itself. If you’ve eaten any kind of vegetable or fruit, you’d get plenty of cellulose in you.
Considering that everyone loves rambling about eating more veggies and getting more fiber (i.e. cellulose), I honestly don’t see what the issue is with having a minuscule amount of cellulose added to cheese.
(There are reasons for shredding cheese yourself — saving money — but having cellulose is not one of them.)
Good point, Anna – what about the natamycin that is in shredded cheese now? That one gives me more pause lately to be honest…
Thanks,
Katie
I found your post while looking for something natural I could use as an anticaking agent in my grated cheese because it tends to clump if stored in large bags in the freezer.
Just a correction on cellulose. Cellulose is a plant material. It is present in all plant material, not just wood. It’s integral in our diet – we call it fibre and it helps with regular bowel movements.
Actually Cellulose is part of every plant material down to the romaine lettuce you eat for lunch. The “indigestible” property of cellulose is essential to act as a dietary fibre. Just because it is used to make other things you would not eat does not mean that it isn’t good for you…
I had to stop buying pre-shredded cheese when the “natural mold inhibitor” natamycin was added to the cheese. It’s actually an antibiotic that I am allergic to. I soon found that the cheese I grated myself was much more pleasing to my family. It tastes better and has a better texture when making nachos and pizza.
If you want to take it to another level, buy a block of mild cheddar when they are on sale and store on a cool shelf of your pantry for 30-60 days. You will have some very nicely priced sharp cheddar on your hands. Tilamook is good for this and so is Kirkland cheese from Costco. I have been doing this for years. Everyone raves!
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Did anyone look up what cellulose is? It’s a major, natural component of ALL PLANT MATERIAL! These plants have been deceiving us for centuries, by putting cellulose into what we all thought were wholesome, natural vegetables! Please stop eating vegetables RIGHT NOW because this stuff is totally nondigestible and therefore it must be bad for you!
Be sure to check the labels, because the sneaky plant kingdom frequently disguises cellulose content as healthy-sounding “dietary fiber”. Even research studies funded by large corporations are saying that fiber is good for you and prevents cancer! I guess you just can’t trust anything you read these days.
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I splurge on raw milk italian parmesean! It lasts FOREVER because it is so incredibly strong! You only need to use a tiny bit to get a wonderful flavor!
why the dissing of cellulose? it’s in all plant matter, and we eat our veggies/greens, right? of course it’s indigestible! cellulose is dietary fiber which is fantastic. i don’t get it. is it only being dissed here b/c it was added to shredded cheese? surely people aren’t meaning to diss it in general????
Kendra,
Maybe because it’s from trees this time?
Katie
It is from trees because it is in higher concentration and easier to isolate. That is why wood is so hard. Cellulose is the same material once isolated no matter what is the source.
I was just in the kitchen fixing your homemade baked fries, and had a thought about this particular post. I use a lot of garlic, at one point I purchased a squeeze bottle of minced garlic in olive oil – truly the only reason I got it was for the bottle. One of my best friends taught me to purchase the ropes of fresh garlic bulbs, and mince them all in one day. You then store them in the fridge for quite a while longer than even the whole fresh garlic… Now that my bottle is nearly empty, I am looking at whole fresh garlic to mince and put into the bottle… as with shredding your own cheese, it can be cheaper, or not, but the difference in flavor makes the effort (and the stinky hands) well worth it. <
Apparently yall have a lot more free time to shred cheese than I do. I’d do it if I had the time because of all the reasons you all say, but working full time, and 2 kids, and the house etc I have better things to spend my free time doing than shredding cheese.
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