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You really cannot claim to know a particular cheese if you can’t tell if it melts or not.
Now, if you know about spring cheese and perhaps still use it in some of your dishes, you also deserve to know one of its important features and that is if it is melt able or not. But does string cheese melt?
Yes, string cheese melts, but only under certain conditions. How well does it melt and what are the factors to put in place when melting it?
We’ll get to find out this and more as you read on.
What Is String Cheese?
You can easily describe string cheese by simply taking a cue from its name. Like you must have guessed, string cheese is a stretchy form of cheese with a stringy texture.
Its stretchy form and stringy texture can be traced to the production stage where the producers have it heated and stretched out.
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Does String Cheese Melt?
String cheese does melt, but unlike some other cheeses that are naturally melt able, for the string cheese, certain factors like the right temperature need to be in place for melting to take place. Even at that, there is still a degree of melt that can be recorded as it hardly melts completely.
What Factors Affect A Cheese Melt Ability?
The melt ability of cheese differs from one brand to another. Now that we have registered the fact that the string cheese will not melt except certain conditions are met and even at that, might not completely melt, it is only fair that we reveal the why it is so.
Below are some of the factors that limit a cheese ability to melt:
1. Degree of fat content
The degree of fat and fatty properties contained in cheese is in most cases, is synonymous to its melting abilities.
What this means is that a cheese low in fat would not easily melt like the fatty one. You would also find the texture of a melted fatty cheese to be extremely smooth.
2. Little moisture quantity
When looking for a melt able cheese, ignore the moisture content at your own risk. Fact is, a cheese moisture level plays a huge role in determining if it will easily melt or not.
Cheese with very low moisture content actually do contain closely knit proteins which makes it super difficult to melt. Even if you have it heated, they will take a considerable longer time to melt as opposed to those with a very high moisture content.
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How Well Will A String Cheese Melt?
The extent to which string cheese will melt and how quickly it will melt is totally dependent on the right temperature and methods used also, on the size of cheese you intend to melt.
Melting in large chunks is not advised as the desired result will not be met. The string cheese would become soft but might not melt completely as it always maintains it shape even when heated.
Instead, have it put in the microwave string by string. Ideally, the string cheese should not take more than 5 minutes of high heat to melt. Like earlier stated, pause from time to time and allow it cool off before you resume.
How Can String Cheese Be Melted?
A lot of people make use of the microwave in melting spring cheese but, the oven is just as effective in melting it too.
How To Melt Spring Cheese Using The Oven
Using the oven to melt the spring cheese is super easy. You only have to place the cheese on top of a dish and not place directly into the oven so as for it not to burn.
You would also need to check up on the cheese quite often just to be sure that it’s melting evenly and not burning up. How do you know if it is melting right?
To be sure it is melting evenly, you will observe its color change to a golden brown one. When added to meals, it makes it look vibrant and colorful.
How To Melt String Cheese Using Microwave
The microwave is a more popular way of melting string cheese. This is because, unlike the oven where you cannot place just the cheese directly into it to melt, you can with the microwave.
Now, even though its popular, there are certain techniques unknown to a lot of people that is very crucial to melting it the right way. One of which is the fact that you need set the microwave to run for short periods of time while leaving it to cool in between.
The reason for doing so instead of just setting a long timer is because the cheese melts evenly at a slower pace and that additional cooling period aids in making the melting process successful.
One last tip to note though when using the microwave is to ensure that you rid the cheese of its entire packaging before putting it in the microwave to prevent a hazard. The packaging which might be nylon or foil like, might not be safe for use in the microwave.
What is the best substitute for string cheese?
The closest substitute to the string cheese just has to be the mozzarella. Wonder how did we arrive at this conclusion? Let’s look at it this way; the string cheese sits perfectly well in most of the dishes that the mozzarella is used to prepare.
The string cheese can be used in making pizza, Macaroni and cheese, lasagna burgers, hot dogsetc, all of which the mozzarella is used for as well.
The string cheese is often times preferred to the mozzarella because of its unique salty flavor.
See Also: What Meat Goes Well With Mac And Cheese?
Conclusion
The string cheese does not fall into the category of cheese brands with an excellent melt ability. It will melt though under the right temperature but, would not melt completely. We are sure you now know what to expect when melting it.
Remember not to have it melted in large chunks to enable it melt quicker. As a matter of fact, having it sliced or grated before melting will give you a better result.
