Saratoga Farms is a well-known brand among emergency preppers, and their freeze dried cheeses are a top-notch choice to add to a prepared pantry. (You might want to learn what other items should not miss from a prepper’s emergency food supply when SHTF in full gear: The Prepared Pantry: 3 Month Food Supply.) The key role of emulsifying agents in Easy Cheese is to create a uniform cheese spread by altering the structure of casein micelles in the cheese. Casein micelles have a diameter ranging from 15 to 20 nanometers and are composed of flexible aggregates alpha-, beta-, and kappa-casein. The alpha- and beta-casein are kept in place by “colloidal calcium phosphate-mediated cross links” covered with a kappa-casein outer layer. [4] The outer layer on the casein's surface has glycosylated hydrophilic tails that are negatively charged and is stable in solution due to Van der Waals interactions. All of the negative charges causes the casein micelles to initially repel each other and provides stability to the matrix by protecting the alpha- and beta-caseins. [9] Processed cheese spreads, like Easy Cheese, have a moisture content that ranges from 44 to 60%, while its milk fat content must be greater than 20%. [4] Milk proteins are needed for processed cheese spread production, and contains two main types: casein, which accounts for at least 80%, and whey protein, which can further be classified into α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin. The manufacturing of processed cheese spreads uses natural cheese with a composition that ranges from 60 to 75% intact casein. [5] Water [ edit ] Thank goodness for the Internet. Enola Gay at Paratus Familia had the solution. Can it! Can cheese? Really? She showed how to can hard cheeses and that got me to thinking about canning the Velveeta too. I researched and researched, and found several ways to do that as well. I wound up with what I think worked best for me. So first I’ll show you how I canned the hard cheeses, and then the Velveeta. Talk about handy. You can’t believe how wonderful it is to have canned cheeses. You can shred and slice the hard cheese and the Velveeta is just as good as if it were in the box. I suppose at this point I should throw in the disclaimer that I haven’t found anything that indicates the government watchdogs have given their seal of approval to this, but then, they don’t like us canning apple pie filling either. From everything I have read, these canned cheeses last up to two years. It is important that you sterilize your jars. Here, I am using the 8 oz size because there are just two of us and that is perfect for two people. First I wash them in hot, soapy water and then place in a large pot to bring to a boil. Then I remove them to place upside down on a dry towel. It is important to use wide mouthed jars for easy removal of the cheese.

Since price is always a consideration, we’ve also taken that into account and have included estimates in each review on what you can expect to invest in this pantry staple. This one comes in a jar instead of a can but it really is the same concept. You won’t want to pass up this Tostitos brand queso with a hearty flavor. This is a simple option that comes in a 15-ounce container, sealed with a lid much like a canned option. It’s affordable and delicious.Thanks to canning and freeze drying technology, it’s possible to find cheese products that have a long shelf life and still taste great without needing to be refrigerated. In this helpful article, we’ve rounded up the best and most popular canned cheese products available and rated them based on flavor, price, and shelf life. Whey products in processed cheese spreads increases the viscosity of the overall product due to the “intermolecular interactions between adjacent protein molecules with the formation of weak transient networks” formed from the conglomerate cheese mass. [10] The protein concentration within the cheese matrix is directly proportional to the viscosity of the solution due to their interactions with hydrated protein molecules. Therefore, the continuous phase of the oil-in-water emulsion has a greater contribution to the viscosity of the cheese product over than the discontinuous phase. [7] Flow properties [ edit ]

This one has been a popular canned nacho cheese for many years. It has a good medium flavor that has just a little zest to it without being spicy and also has good overall flavor. This brand has been used for concession stand nachos for a very long time and it continues to be a popular choice.Why not save yourself some time and just use canned cheese for nachos when you are in the nacho making mood? This particularly canned nacho cheese is made in cans with a BPA-free lining. They come ready to simply heat and serve so you don’t have to worry about cooking the sauce for preparation. Also, the containers will take up more space in your storage area than a dehydrated product. This could be the right choice for you if you have a significant amount of room and a larger budget for your food prep. Talking about canned cheese without mentioning Easy Cheese is impossible. It has an almost cult following in the U.S. The people can’t seem to get enough of the cheese product that you can spray directly into your mouth. I liked how versatile this cheese sauce is – apart from using it on nachos, it also goes well with dishes like burritos, enchiladas, soft tacos, and even on top of burgers or hot dogs. The fact that it is made from real cheddar cheese and cooked before canning made me confident about the quality of the product, as it didn’t result in that tinny flavor some canned goods have.