The market · Acids and agents

Sodium citrate

The sodium salt of citric acid. In cheese sauce it ties up the calcium holding the cheese's proteins together, so cheese melts into liquid smooth and stable instead of turning stringy and greasy — the trick behind processed cheese, used on good cheese.

salty · faintly sour · melts cheese smooth

If you can't find it

Online, and some homebrew shops.

  1. 1Evaporated milk
    In a cheese sauce, a splash in place of the milk
    You lose some of the glassy smoothness.

Goes with

cheddarcomtémilkbeer

Knowing it

Where to buy
Modernist suppliers and online, food grade.
Worth knowing
Dissolve it at about 2–3% of the cheese's weight (some recipes go to 4%) in water, milk, beer or wine, bring to a simmer, and blend in grated cheese a handful at a time. Roughly as much liquid as cheese gives a pourable sauce; much less gives a sliceable cheese that melts perfectly on a burger. Too much tastes salty and faintly sour.

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