Cheese: What causes cheese sauce to have a gritty texture? | Sara Moulton (2024)

FAQs

Cheese: What causes cheese sauce to have a gritty texture? | Sara Moulton? ›

Here's what she said: “I think some kinds of cheese just do this but it could be that overheating the cheese has denatured the protein. Some cheeses are improperly aged and in addition, contain emulsifiers or coagulants that break down when heated causing a gritty texture.

Q: "Every time I make homemade mac and cheese the sauce is smooth at first but then gets grainy (paste-like) as it cools. What am I doing wrong?" A: "Your ratios—from your roux to the fat content in the cheeses that you're using—may be a little off," Rach says. "You also just may be overcooking it."

Grana-style cheese refers to Italian cheese with a granular texture, like Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano. When these cheeses are broken up in the mouth or between fingers their grainy texture is very noticeable.

It's actually a bit of basic chemistry. As cheddar cheese ages, good bacteria breaks down the lactose into lactic acid. Lactic acid and the natural calcium in milk combine to create calcium lactate, which then transforms into those flavorful cheese crystals you know and love!

If the roux doesn't simmer long enough, the flour in the roux will remain grainy.

Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points make for mouthwatering, creamy cheese sauces. Cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options.

Lowering the fat content of the cream too much tends to cause grainy texture and a crumbly body, while increasing the fat content excessively tends to cause excessive smoothness and stickiness.

They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged. Calcium lactate crystals form naturally during the aging process and are most commonly found in aged cheddars, including Smoked Medium Cheddar.

In cheeses like Cheddars, those crunchy bits are more commonly calcium lactate. This is where lactic acid and calcium combine to form calcium lactate crystals.

There's a way to save gritty cheese sauces, and you likely already have it in your fridge: lemon juice. A squirt of lemon comes to the rescue of ruined sauces in a pinch. All you have to do is cool the broken sauce, add a tablespoon of lemon juice (or white wine, if you don't mind the flavor), and whisk vigorously.

Why does my alfredo sauce taste gritty? ›

According to Livestrong, one of the reasons why your alfredo sauce gets grainy is because your pre-bagged cheese contains anti-caking agents. The purpose of the anti-caking agents is to prolong parmesan's shelf-life and prevent the cheese from clumping in a high moisture environment.

Acid-curd cheeses aren't suitable for melting. They contain an acid that dissolves the calcium glue that keeps casein proteins together. As the milk heats, the acid curds become closer to one another, and the water content decreases. Without the calcium glue, the cheese will continue to solidify and will not melt.

Overcooking the cheese mixture can lead to graininess. Remove the cheese mixture from heat as soon as it reaches the desired consistency.

Add Cornstarch or Arrowroot

Instead, make a slurry by mixing a tablespoon or two of the starch with just enough gravy to form a thin paste, stirring well to get the slurry smooth and lump-free before whisking it into the gravy.

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

Blend or whisk the sauce

Or, try transferring everything into a bowl and whisk furiously until you have achieved an emulsified state once again. If the mixture hasn't separated too badly, you may get away with a little vigorous blending or whisking. Pour the broken sauce into a blender and blend until smooth.

When you heat cheese to too high of a temperature the emulsion breaks and the curds are released by the whey. The grainy texture of your sauce is the curds. Next time you make macaroni and cheese, make the bechamel sauce and turn off the heat.

They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged. Calcium lactate crystals form naturally during the aging process and are most commonly found in aged cheddars, including Smoked Medium Cheddar.