American cheese is just mild cheddar and colby jack, with an emulsifier added to help it blend together and melt smoothly. You can literally make bootleg American cheese by shredding the two together, adding an emulsifier (like sodium citrate) and heating until they melt.
That same emulsifier is what makes it so good for burgers. Aged cheddar tends to melt into clumps, and tends to get greasy as the milk fat separates out of the solids. The emulsifier helps the cheese solids and oils stay together, making it less clumpy and greasy.
Yup. Some brands may mix other cheeses in for taste, but it’s basically just those two cheeses and an emulsifier. A little bit of butter may help them melt more smoothly too, but it depends on how dry the cheddar is to begin with. Younger cheddars will melt easier, and may not need butter at all.
I love different types of cheese, but on a burger the more important thing is the quality of the beef. Only time I don’t mind American cheese. Plus it melts just right.
For those who are not aware, ^^this^^ is how you turn cheese into american cheese. (Though I think they just use milk or water, not butter. Maybe it wouldn’t taste like shit if they used butter)
Cow Milk is white.
Orange cheese is colored with annato. (Yes, yellow cheddar is colored with annato or other coloring. Same with yellow American cheese)
Natural unaged cheese color is the same as milk, white or a light off white.
well, i live in central europe, where cheese is still a natural product (unlike whatever the hell is called “cheese” in america), and i’ve never seen cheese that’s the same color as milk (on the inside, below the crust). it’s mostly yellow or yellow-white.
I think the key word was unaged. Cheese tends to become yellow when aged, starting very quickly. But stuff like cottage cheese and mozzarella are indeed milk colored
Being in Europe may just mean your cows are fed differently or a different breed.
Here in the US there are also laws about using raw milk vs pasteurized, so typically most milk and milk used for cheese making must be pasteurized, so I think that may cause it to be lighter colored cheese compared to raw milk cheese.
I would be more offended at being served American “cheese”.
Many people swear by american cheese on burgers, but I just can’t do it. Cheddar is far superior.
American cheese is just mild cheddar and colby jack, with an emulsifier added to help it blend together and melt smoothly. You can literally make bootleg American cheese by shredding the two together, adding an emulsifier (like sodium citrate) and heating until they melt.
That same emulsifier is what makes it so good for burgers. Aged cheddar tends to melt into clumps, and tends to get greasy as the milk fat separates out of the solids. The emulsifier helps the cheese solids and oils stay together, making it less clumpy and greasy.
I put Roquefort and St-Felicien on my burgers, doesn’t really melt but the taste is fantastic.
Or cut a little shallot onion, some cream and melt it all in a saucepan.
Really? Always thought the taste was so artificial. I’m going to try making it sometime and go from there
The power of suggestion and branding cuts both ways
Yup. Some brands may mix other cheeses in for taste, but it’s basically just those two cheeses and an emulsifier. A little bit of butter may help them melt more smoothly too, but it depends on how dry the cheddar is to begin with. Younger cheddars will melt easier, and may not need butter at all.
So its just a dried cheese sauce?
I love different types of cheese, but on a burger the more important thing is the quality of the beef. Only time I don’t mind American cheese. Plus it melts just right.
Some nice mature cheddar, proper stuff from the west country.
Not too mature, need it to melt properly
Combine with butter and sodium citrate to make any cheese meltable.
For those who are not aware, ^^this^^ is how you turn cheese into american cheese. (Though I think they just use milk or water, not butter. Maybe it wouldn’t taste like shit if they used butter)
I assume if it’s on a burger it’s sliced cheese. Was is it white? Do they bleach it?
Cow Milk is white. Orange cheese is colored with annato. (Yes, yellow cheddar is colored with annato or other coloring. Same with yellow American cheese)
Natural unaged cheese color is the same as milk, white or a light off white.
well, i live in central europe, where cheese is still a natural product (unlike whatever the hell is called “cheese” in america), and i’ve never seen cheese that’s the same color as milk (on the inside, below the crust). it’s mostly yellow or yellow-white.
I think the key word was unaged. Cheese tends to become yellow when aged, starting very quickly. But stuff like cottage cheese and mozzarella are indeed milk colored
yeah i somehow completely forgot about them lol, you’re right
You are aware that many of your foods still have food coloring right? There are many natural food colorings.
Well you can compare photos and recipe ingredients here: https://cheesemaking.com/collections/recipes
Being in Europe may just mean your cows are fed differently or a different breed. Here in the US there are also laws about using raw milk vs pasteurized, so typically most milk and milk used for cheese making must be pasteurized, so I think that may cause it to be lighter colored cheese compared to raw milk cheese.
American cheese is barely cheese, and I don’t just mean krafts singles
Then you are just ignorant. It’s a big country with many food cultures.
You are incorrect.
this is one of those hills in willing to die in though.
better to die in this hill than eat American milk based products
Tell that to the people making craft cheddar in Vermont, they’ll have your head.
Instead of getting my head they should try getting some good cheese