There's An Easier Way To Shred Cheese With Your Box Grater

While you can always buy shredded cheese to complement a dish, freshly grated dairy comes without the additives the store-bought version possesses to keep it from clumping together. Pre-shredded varieties work if you are experimenting with the quesadilla toaster hack, but if you plan on making a homemade mac and cheese or topping a French onion soup, grating it yourself is often the way to go for smoother results. The problem for many is they don't want to suffer the scraped knuckles that often come with the simple task of grating cheese. However, a little outside-the-box thinking can turn this sometimes daunting chore into a worry-free affair.

The handle at the top of a box grater suggests to many folks that you ought to hold the device upright and shred the cheese vertically. This gets the job done, but not before you inevitably run your knuckles against the sharp holes as you go. A better way to shred cheese involves the same tool, just used in a less obvious way.

Instead of holding the box grater upright, lay it on its side. This way, you only have to be concerned about your fingertips scraping against the metal, which is easier to prevent than keeping your whole hand from coming in contact with each swipe. Avoiding battered fingers is enough reason to employ this technique, but there are other advantages that make this switch valuable.

Shredding cheese with the grater on its side does more than save your knuckles from annoying abrasions. By laying it sideways, you have an open pocket of sorts inside the grater where the product will remain after it has been shaved off the block. This practically eliminates the headache of trying to corral the cheese on a plate as you shred it.

You'll also save some energy using this method. By working horizontally, you'll only need minimal assistance from your free hand to stabilize the grater, as opposed to keeping it constantly steady as the force of your other hand puts sideways pressure on it. Maintaining stability this way also lessens the chance you will run your fingers into the sharp metal grooves.

Another tactic to consider is applying a light layer of cooking spray to make grating cheese easier. A touch of oil will help produce uniform shreds that are less like to stick together. It should also make clean-up simpler. This can make the grater a bit slippery if you're holding it upright, but when laid on its side, it is much easier to get long, shreds of cheese for your effort.