Canned grated Parmesan Cheese.

[hippywife]

I know, I know. Lots of folks don't like it and won't use it. But there are some things I still like to use it for either because it works out better like, in my meatballs instead of just a whole mess of bread crumbs, or in my wedding soup because it gives me the taste I recall from my childhood. Just the way it is.

Something I've noticed, however, is that even the higher priced stuff ain't what it used to be. I like lots of it in my wedding soup. I can remember when I was a kid that it would melt in my soup and become stringy and stick in a glob to my spoon. I would have to scrape it off with my teeth. None of it does that anymore. It still flavors the soup but whatever quality it did have, just isn't there any longer.

[grasswire]

1. cheap S.O.B.s

Ruining everything, they are! Nothing is safe anymore.

Where's it made now? Can you tell from the can?

[Warpy]

2. It no longer melts because they reduced the butterfat

content of whatever they make it out of these days.

You want it to melt, use the real thing.

[MagickMuffin]

3. I buy my Parmesan Cheese located in the dairy case, in the plastic tubs

DiGiorno is the brand name I buy. They usually sell grated, and shredded. I sometimes buy both, but prefer the shredded.

Perhaps the shredded Parmesan will give you better results. Hope this helps, give it a try for future recipes.

:hi:

[Callalily]

4. Yes, thats how I buy

my grated parmesan cheese (and parmesan reginano and romano) too, although I buy BelGioioso.

Very tasty.

[Warpy]

19. The only reason I use the pre shredded stuff

is to do a half and half shredded Parm and cornmeal coating on tofu for deep frying. The pre shredded stuff is mixed with a little cornstarch to keep it from clumping and works a little better than fresh grated Parm.

Otherwise, it's the little nubbin of cheese and the microplane, thanks.

[Vinca]

5. It's probably the added melamine.

:sarcasm:

[NashVegas]

6. The Higher-Priced Stuff Ain't What It Used to Be, Indeed

It used to be that the high-priced stuff was the imported stuff. Your supermarket would grate it in-house and put it in those little tubs.

Now, more American companies want in on those higher prices the same way they wanted in on the higher prices in organics. So they pre-package it, which also saves the grocer productivity time.

If there's a CostCo or a Whole Foods near you, you can get good imported Parm at a price not far above the high-priced US-made versions. At WF, the compromise is the lesser-aged Parm that you find in the refrigerated gourmet section.

[yellerpup]

7. I like to buy a big chunk at Costco.

It may cost $20 or so, but It lasts me almost a year and that includes lots of pesto making and meatballs, too. A friend of mine has a cheese shop and she taught me that the way to keep a hunk of good Parm is to rewrap it in wax paper every time (or every other time) you take it out for a spin. Take it out of the plastic wrap right away and wrap it in wax paper. I keep my romano in the same plastic zip-lock bag with the Parm, but wrapped in it's own wax paper, and I keep the zip-lock bag in the bottom part of the fridge. It keeps for a looooong time with no spoilage and that great, nutty, flavor doesn't fade. You just grate it off the block every time you use it, so you can grate it large or fine as the situation demands. Happy holidays! :hi:

[wryter2000]

8. That's where I get mine

It's awesome. I put it on everything but ice cream.

[yellerpup]

13. If you made pesto ice cream you could have Parmesan sprinkles.

:hi:

[Mind_your_head]

9. Yep - that's what I do too

Just keep a big hunk of parmesan and romano in the fridge and use a handgrater like this one whenever my recipe calls for either. It's quick and easy and the little hand grater cleans up super fast.



Hard cheeses like parmesan and romano keep for a long time and if they should start getting a little spot of mold, it's safe to just cut it off and the rest of the piece is fine. I didn't know about the wax paper, I'm gonna try that. Thanks for the tip yellerpup.

I gave up on the canned grated "cheese" long ago (just take a look at the LONG ingredient list on the back of the can as well as the fact that the Kraft and similar brands aren't even refrigerated. They sit on a shelf near the jarred pasta sauces. To me that just screams artificial "cheese-FOOD" that I don't care to put in my family's diet).

The ingredient list for my wedge of real romano says: Romano cheese (pasteurized part-skim cow's milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes. That's it! No preservative or other 'unknown/mystery' ingredients. Try the real stuff Hippywife, you'll be very happy with the result - it'll probably be more like the result you're used to remembering. :hi:

[yellerpup]

14. I'm glad you mentioned trimming the mold.

You can't do that with all cheeses, but with Parmesan and romano, mold doesn't permeate the whole block. I keep a box grater nearby for large bore, a vegetable peeler for shavings and a microplane for fine finishing touches. :hi:

[Tab]

10. At least shoot for the deli-section grated Cesaro Pecorino Romano

I grew up too on the Kraft "green can" parmesan (as I think they called it), but honestly it's like cardboard.

I prefer fresh, but I'm satisfied for many uses (noodles with butter, say) with the Cesaro Pecorino Romano that you can find in the deli cheese shelf section.

I've pretty much abandonded parmesan in and of itself, unless I have no choice, and the green can stuff under all circumstances (make no mistake, I ate the green can stuff for tge first two decades of my life).

[hippywife]

11. Okay! Okay! Okay!

I get it...can the can. I guess it is too much to ask to have one of the few good things about your childhood to carry into your adult life. Hummmph! x(

[Stinky The Clown]

15. There, there, there ........

Use whatever you wish. I understand. I have a soft spot for KraftInACan. That and some off-name canned ravioli sustained me when I lived aboard ship in da Navy.

[hippywife]

16. *sniff*

Thanx, Stinky. I feel much better now. :hug:

[NashVegas]

17. Now Now

After this thread was started I did some research on the brands we find in the deli-tubs. One of them (DiGiorno) is actually Kraft-in-a-tub.

[hippywife]

18. There isn't much

that corporate agriculture and food producers haven't bought up and turned to shit with the aid of "food science." :mad:

[Duer 157099]

12. Has anyone else noticed the slivered (?) parm at Costco?

A few months ago I noticed it and got some. Now I like it more than the shredded or whole (I find I am more likely to use it - lol, no kidding - I don't like shredding cheese)

It is just so much more satisfying using those large curls! Not economical, mind you...

It's what I use in chicken ceasar's salads now, and top pizzas with. Maybe cuz it stays put easier?

edit: "Shaved" - that's what it is - really thinly shaved slices. The "Cello" brand Reggiano-Parm