Yes. Pre shredded cheese has cellulose added. We buy block parm, mozz & cheddar jack & shred.

Absolutely. Pre-shredded cheese doesn't melt because it has cornstarch added to it. You're paying twice the money for something that doesn't work.

If you have trouble shredding Mozzarella cheese, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes to make it a bit firmer, although I very frequently put sliced cheese on pizza, and the sliced cheese that you can buy is better than the pre-shredded cheese.

I agree.....but sometimes when that shredded stuff in the bag is on sale, I will buy it...it's so easy to add to a plate of chips for a good snack.
Also the quality of the cheese you buy in a block will be better.

I bought blocks of mozzarella today. Thank you for the tip about putting it in the freezer for a few minutes before shredding.

I think from now on I will just buy blocks for all the cheese I buy.

I do sometimes buy preshredded cheese from Trader Joe's or occasionally Whole Foods, but it melts just fine! I wonder what they do differently? The bigger problem is that if moisture gets in, mold will grow between the shreds.

Oh, but that's not mozzarella. I generally use fresh mozzarella, and if I can't be bothered shredding it, which is messy, I'll just cut it or pull knobs off of it. It's very moist and melts all over no matter what shape it starts.

If I want more than one little bag's worth, however, I do buy blocks and put them through the Cuisinart, again, being very careful not to let moisture in.

What I don't like doing is shaving just a little at a time off a block. The block always goes moldy if I do that, whether from just being exposed, or from the dreaded moisture. :)

How do y'all store your blocks in the fridge? Plastic wrap?

I wrap mine in plastic wrap and then put it in a Foodsaver bag and vacuum seal it. I've not had cheese get moldy that I store this way. I use the 8" bags instead of the 11" one, start them fairly long, and then I am able to reuse them.

Mine don't stay around that long. If it's from Trader Joe's I open, dry off and rewrap in plastic because their cheese is likely too get moldy fast. Regular blocks, I put in a ziplock after opening. I only get mold on non-TJ's if I manhandle them a lot. I bought too much for a project some months ago, so vacuum sealed the overs and put them in the freezer. I've used one since. This works just fine. Good way to stock up on purpose, too. :) Cheese keeps best when wrapped tightly. Air it out when you get ready to serve it. If it's too airy in the fridge it'll pick up odors besides the moisture and mold spores.

I was in a rush and used shredded romano or parmesan, and it did not melt into what was supposed to be a cheese sauce for the shrimp linguini. It was in lumps!

I always buy blocks of Romano & shred it at home. But I often buy the pre-shredded cheddar & mozarella at Aldi and it melts just fine. The guys like it for a quick nachos snacks. It costs the same as block cheese (pre-shredded is not always more expensive) so it's a no-brainer because it's less mess & clean up. I prefer block cheese and load up on it when the Amish store has the cheese ends from the cheese factory. That's a hit or miss situation so I fall back on the Aldi cheese.

Periodically, my local grocery store will have a big bag (5 lb) of Tillamook shredded cheddar on sale for a good price. When they do, I buy 3 and freeze them. I also will buy shredded part-skim mozzarella when it is on sale for quick pizza. It is the same price as blocks and works out better for us then ordering out and works when I just need to get dinner on the table. For a more refined cheese like Parmesan or Romano, I will buy the blocks because then it is more important to me.

I buy shredded cheese when we're having a family party. Because of food sensitivities, I usually make some sort of taco/tostado/nacho bar. That's when I'll buy shredded cheese, sour cream in a squeeze tube, and shredded lettuce. Everyone can dress up the main dish however they want. Then my husband and I eat the leftovers the next day.

I haven't had a problem with grocery store shredded cheese not melting properly if it's sprinkle on top of something. I make sure to not let it cook too long or else it will get crispy rather than melty. Probably due to the added cellulose. I've also not had a problem with it going bad quickly. I figured it was the cellulose that kept it drier than normal, so it stayed good longer. I just used some this week in an impromptu tuna noodle casserole. It melted fine in the casserole while heating up in the microwave.

The only problem I've encountered is overcooking as I mentioned above. I could see it clumping in a sauce if it was heated too quickly and at too high a temperature. But that's a problem with regular, home-shredded cheese too.

I like to use fresh mozzarella for pizza & lasagna because of its lower salt content. It's so soft and moist, though, that I don't try to slice or grate it. Instead, I chop it and squeeze excess moisture out with a paper towel.

"When they do, I buy 3 and freeze them."

When you go to use the cheese is it affected at all by the freezing/defrosting process?

Lucille, not when it is already shredded. If buying blocks of cheese, one should shred them before freezing though.

How long do blocks last in the refrigerator vs the freezer? I bought three blocks, should I just shred/freeze two of them? Or will they keep a good amount of time wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator?

I've never done it myself, but I know people who just cut the big blocks into quarters and freeze them that way.

Oh my gosh -- I buy pre-shredded cheese all the time -- it is usually the exact same price as the block cheese at Kroger. I have never had a problem with it melting. The convenience can't be beat...

I buy block cheese, shred and spread it out on a cookie sheet with waxed paper, then into a freezer container once frozen. One thing I find tricky is cutting the rind off of cheeses like manchego & romano without losing any of the cheese - it doesn't peel right off like the goat gouda I get. Suggestions appreciated - unless a very sharp knife is the only suggestion?!

Moisture has nothing to do with cheese molding. A perfectly dry wheel will mold if there are mold spoors present....and air!

I think that moisture does affect the molding rate. Mold spores are found almost everywhere, I think warmth and moisture helps the spores grow.

Well the mold that grows on cheese can't grow in a perfectly dry atmosphere. But, the cheese itself has moisture and any extra dampness on the outside has nothing to do with the mold growth.
My husband ran a nationally known cheese company that both made blue cheese and packaged other cheeses. The thing that inhibits mold growth is absence of air.

Linda, I'm sure you're right on the technicalities, but in my experience, handling cheese with damp hands, putting cheese in a damp wrapper, etc., promotes the rapid growth of whatever mold spores are present. Wrapping the cheese tightly helps for sure, but keeping it dry helps more. Perhaps that's a side correlation rather than a direct causation. Maybe the damp brings in the mold spores. I don't know. Keeping it dry, for whatever reason, works.

Everywhere else, moisture encourages mold. I'm thinking that extra moisture in cheese should be no different. If it is different, my curiosity is piqued, why should that be so?

I shred cheese myself. For mozzarella, I just chop it up, but good to know about the freezer chill down method.

Your damp hands contain mold spoors.....wash your hands...dry them well and don't touch anything that may have mold spoors before touching the cheese.
Cheese makers wash their cheeses...rinse the wheels.
Perhaps you are not getting the wrapping down tightly on the surface of the cheese.
Cheese is moist.....just is. When thinking of dampness encourages mold, you are thinking of shower curtains and locker rooms...Always damp...just part of what they are...the only way to keep them mold free is to keep mold spoors away, or keep them air tight....just like cheese.

FWIW, air contains mold spores too.

I never buy shredded cheese (if I can help it) & I store cut cheese in wide mouth glass jars. 2nd best is to leave it in the opened pkg - or rewrap in waxed paper - & wrap that in foil. I believe glass & foil keep foods from absorbing off odors. Plastic is not airtight; it breathes.

If mozzarella is too soft for grating easily, I often just use a cheese slicer & rip the slices up to distribute & fit as necessary.