• Linkalee@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    31·
    14 hours ago

    Protip: The reason Velveeta and American cheeses melt so well is because sodium citrate is added to them. You can buy this yourself as a powder, and then add it to actually-good cheeses to give them the same properties.

    • socsa@piefed.socialEnglish
      14·
      10 hours ago

      You can also just melt nearly any cheese into a roux to make a mornay sauce if you are careful about it, which is the secret to both mac and cheese and queso sauce. Sodium citrate helps to keep it from breaking but is not strictly necessary in most cases.

      Edit - yes, cheese and milk

      • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
        6·
        10 hours ago

        This sounds fancy, so to make it a bit less daunting:

        • roux - flour and fat (typically butter), usually in equal amounts by weight
        • béchamel sauce - roux + milk, often with nutmeg for flavoring
        • mornay sauce - béchamel sauce with grated cheese

        When making the béchamel sauce, add the milk a very small amout at a time to prevent clumping, and mix well over medium heat between additions.