Melted cheese with gelling agent problems.

[kostbill]

I really really like the taste of my melted cheese, I am using many different cheeses and it is fantastic.

Most of the times I am going with 100% liquid to 100% cheese and 4% sodium citrate, as the calculator suggests. It works every time.

 

There are flaws however:

- The sauce does not have a body it is almost as it has no gelling qualities at all. It is only a think emulsion, it does not stick on the macaroni, unless it gets cold.

- It is way too flavorful, I would like it to be more mild.

 

So I am trying to make a thinner sauce and then add a gelling agent, such as iota or kappa carrageenan.

Here I have two problems.

 

1. when I alter the rate of liquid to cheese, say 150% liquid or more, to 100% cheese, my sauce does not come together.

It will be in a weird state, not like when trying to heat the cheese in plain water, where the fat leaks out, but something

like water coming out of the cheese.

The cheese will be melted but uneven, the thickest part will sink in the pot and the upper layers will be like cheesy water, but the fat will not leak.

*Sometimes* this can be solved by adding more sodium citrate, about double the initial quantity (another 4%).

 

2. The procedure I am following for the iota carrageenan is simple, water, iota, hand blender, pot, sodium citrate, heat

and then add cheese.

Frustrating result: grainy as sand. No idea what is wrong.

 

Any help in any of these two issues??

 

Thanks.