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[hughver]

I've ordered the melting salts from Amazon and will try to incorporate them into other cheese sauces. Guideline seems to be add salts at 2-3% of the liquid weight. My first attempt will be an Alfredo sauce with sous vide shrimp. 

[bregent]

Right, but the 2-3% is total of liquid plus cheese weight, correct?

[MustangBob]

Right, but the 2-3% is total of liquid plus cheese weight, correct?

Yes, that's correct.  I've been following the Modernist Cuisine formula with fun and tasty results.  They recommend 4% of the "liquid weight" for the amount of sodium citrate to add. That works out to roughly 2% of the "sum of liquid weight plus cheese weight."  Almost any cheese you like can be made into a smoothly melting cheese using only 3 ingredients: your cheese of choice, your liquid of choice, and a small amount of sodium citrate. The resulting flavor and smooth texture will be great.

For example, when making a smooth cheese sauce for Mac & Cheese, consider the weight of the cheese to be 100%, then they recommend the weight of the liquid should be 93% of the weight of the cheese, and the weight of the sodium citrate should be 4% of that liquid weight (which is approximately the same as 2% of the sum of the liquid weight plus cheese weight). The formula is very forgiving so there's no need to be extremely precise.

This method of making a silky and non-separating cheese sauce is very easy.  No need to make a roux or a bechamel sauce which masks the pure flavor of your favorite cheese.  Just whisk a teaspoon or two of sodium citrate into your liquid of choice, heat the liquid and blend in your favorite grated cheese with a stick blender, regular blender, or whisk. This results in a smooth, creamy texture that doesn't become grainy, greasy, or separated. You can also add in any flavors you enjoy like Rotel with green chile or Pico de Gallo.
You can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat it the next day to enjoy the smoothest cheese sauce ever!

For other types of cheese sauces, you can control the final "thickness" of the cheese sauce depending on your ratio of liquid to cheese.  If you weigh your cheese and then measure the liquid (water, milk, beer, wine, stock, etc.) as a percentage of that cheese weight, you will get:

Cheese plus 0% to 35% liquid weight = firm, use for making "American" cheese slices for burgers, etc.
Cheese plus 35% to 85% liquid weight = thick and flowing cheese sauce, good for dips and queso.
Cheese plus 85% to 120% liquid weight = thin cheese sauce, good for fondues, mac & cheese, etc.
Cheese plus 120% liquid weight or more = continues to become a thinner and thinner sauce.

Caution:  Sodium Citrate is NOT the same as Citric Acid.  Use Sodium Citrate for the results above.

[BC Buck]

Right, but the 2-3% is total of liquid plus cheese weight, correct?

Yes, that's correct.  I've been following the Modernist Cuisine formula with fun and tasty results.  They recommend 4% of the "liquid weight" for the amount of sodium citrate to add. That works out to roughly 2% of the "sum of liquid weight plus cheese weight."  Almost any cheese you like can be made into a smoothly melting cheese using only 3 ingredients: your cheese of choice, your liquid of choice, and a small amount of sodium citrate. The resulting flavor and smooth texture will be great.

For example, when making a smooth cheese sauce for Mac & Cheese, consider the weight of the cheese to be 100%, then they recommend the weight of the liquid should be 93% of the weight of the cheese, and the weight of the sodium citrate should be 4% of that liquid weight (which is approximately the same as 2% of the sum of the liquid weight plus cheese weight). The formula is very forgiving so there's no need to be extremely precise.

This method of making a silky and non-separating cheese sauce is very easy.  No need to make a roux or a bechamel sauce which masks the pure flavor of your favorite cheese.  Just whisk a teaspoon or two of sodium citrate into your liquid of choice, heat the liquid and blend in your favorite grated cheese with a stick blender, regular blender, or whisk. This results in a smooth, creamy texture that doesn't become grainy, greasy, or separated. You can also add in any flavors you enjoy like Rotel with green chile or Pico de Gallo.
You can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat it the next day to enjoy the smoothest cheese sauce ever!

For other types of cheese sauces, you can control the final "thickness" of the cheese sauce depending on your ratio of liquid to cheese.  If you weigh your cheese and then measure the liquid (water, milk, beer, wine, stock, etc.) as a percentage of that cheese weight, you will get:

Cheese plus 0% to 35% liquid weight = firm, use for making "American" cheese slices for burgers, etc.
Cheese plus 35% to 85% liquid weight = thick and flowing cheese sauce, good for dips and queso.
Cheese plus 85% to 120% liquid weight = thin cheese sauce, good for fondues, mac & cheese, etc.
Cheese plus 120% liquid weight or more = continues to become a thinner and thinner sauce.

Caution:  Sodium Citrate is NOT the same as Citric Acid.  Use Sodium Citrate for the results above.

Need to give this a try. Going to find some Sodium Citrate on line today. Looking at your recipe this is what I take form it .Correct me if im wrong.

100% weight of cheese   16oz
93% wipping cream   14.88oz
4% liquid weight =.5952oz Sodium Citrate
How do you measure that small amount of Sodium Citrate?

[hughver]

How do you measure that small amount of Sodium Citrate?

This is how I do it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HCKQG7G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bentley]

[BC Buck]

Metric system is a tool of Satan.

[Bentley]

All I know is...it is much easier for me to measure 16g then .59oz.

[KNIGHTDAD]

I have a cousin that owns a family cheese factory. In fact he owns the whole operation from start to finish, owns land and grows the feed for his cattle, has own grade A dairy, transports to his factory, even owns his own distribution. He started it when fuel and milk prices spiked but the large opperations like Kraft, Medowgold and Goodrich refused to pay the producers a penny more for their milk. It was his way to cut his costs and leave something for his kids. He does open vat processing, highly labor intensive, it’s the reason only he and two commercial producers in Canada use that process, but it produces a superior product. We’ve never had a problem with the melting of his cheese. It may be because the open vat process leaves the cream in where the others remove it and sell it for ice cream. On a side note, anything labeled as American is processed, even if it’s labeled as “Real American”. Dave does sell his screwup batches that are not of quality to carry his label to large cheese producer for use in making of American.

[pmillen]

Dave does sell his screwup batches that are not of quality to carry his label to large cheese producer for use in making of American.

Well...that's discomforting.

[SparkyLB]

I have a cousin that owns a family cheese factory. In fact he owns the whole operation from start to finish, owns land and grows the feed for his cattle, has own grade A dairy, transports to his factory, even owns his own distribution. He started it when fuel and milk prices spiked but the large opperations like Kraft, Medowgold and Goodrich refused to pay the producers a penny more for their milk. It was his way to cut his costs and leave something for his kids. He does open vat processing, highly labor intensive, it’s the reason only he and two commercial producers in Canada use that process, but it produces a superior product. We’ve never had a problem with the melting of his cheese. It may be because the open vat process leaves the cream in where the others remove it and sell it for ice cream. On a side note, anything labeled as American is processed, even if it’s labeled as “Real American”. Dave does sell his screwup batches that are not of quality to carry his label to large cheese producer for use in making of American.

"Processed" has quite a broad and non-regulated definition.  Processed is generally accepted to mean either taken out of its original form somehow, or mixed with chemicals (usually to stabilize and lengthen shelf life).  The American cheese behind the deli counter, and swiss, and cheddar, and manchego, and others are considered by most NOT to be processed, but I think your statement above can be easily taken out of context.  When you say processed, you mean processed in what way? 

[TechMOGogy]

I am not afraid to say...

[Bentley]

I never know if people are serious or not...I love that stuff!

[mo-kid]

Amazing! just when you think there's nothing else to cooking, smoking or eating..... this information is totally fascinating.
For the record, I'll try anything once or twice...even the easy cheese spread on crackers...lol   

thanks guys for another great thread!!

[yorkdude]

I am not afraid to say...

You can count me in as a believer also, fantastic on the vegetable thins, chicken in a biscuit among others and another favorite, bacon crackers if you can find them.
AND, it is getting that time of the year for those kinds of gatherings............................
Sharp though please!