Buzz
I proudly champion processed cheeses. While Velveeta, Kraft Singles, and similar products may not make it onto a cheese platter, they have their moments—often found in a Crockpot queso dip, a grilled cheese, or topping a burger. They’re designed to melt perfectly and stay gooey and stretchy, something you don’t achieve with a block of aged cheddar. The secret to their texture lies in melting salts, specifically sodium citrate.
If the idea of ingredients with an IUPAC-style name gives you pause, don’t worry. Synthetic ingredients are perfectly fine (and in some cases, even necessary when purity and consistency are key), but you can actually create your own sodium citrate—and your own version of “processed” cheese—right in your kitchen. All it takes is lemon juice and baking soda.
What exactly is sodium citrate?
Sodium citrate is a type of melting salt. While you can buy it online, making it yourself is a lot more enjoyable. As I’ve discussed earlier, it’s the ingredient that keeps processed cheese smooth and flowing, preventing it from turning greasy:
If you’ve ever tried to melt a hard cheese like cheddar, you may have noticed it separates into a gloppy, greasy mess. Sodium citrate prevents this by acting as an emulsifier, lowering the cheese’s acidity (raising the pH) and making the proteins more soluble. This, combined with a little water, allows a solid block of cheese to transform into a creamy sauce that won’t separate or break.
Sodium citrate is available for purchase, but—as I learned from watching this video by Adam Ragusea—you can make your own melting salt with a simple acid-base reaction.
The reaction equation looks like this:
Citric acid (lemon juice) + Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) → Carbon dioxide (CO2) + Sodium citrate (Salt)
You’ll know the reaction is complete when it stops fizzing (those bubbles are carbon dioxide escaping), even after stirring. Once the fizzing stops, you’re left with sodium citrate in an aqueous solution. From there, you can add a little more liquid (water, milk, or beer work well), and then your chosen cheese. The sodium citrate will lower the pH of the cheese, allowing it to melt and blend into a gooey sauce. (I know you can also make cheese sauce using a roux, but this method is a great trick for those avoiding gluten, and it works wonders with sharper cheeses.)
Be sure that the acid-base reaction has fully completed
I tested Adam’s method three times, using pre-shredded mozzarella, sliced havarti, and pre-shredded “Mexican blend.” The final attempt was the most successful. They all have similar pH levels, but the shredded mozzarella turned out curdled, while the havarti was greasy, with a layer of liquid on top that wouldn’t emulsify.
There could be several factors at play here. Adam suggests using 50 milliliters of lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, but lemons aren’t uniform, and the acidity in lemon juice can vary. This means that slightly different amounts of baking soda might be needed to neutralize the acid, and the quantity of sodium citrate produced can also vary.
When I made the last batch of cheese sauce, I mixed the recommended amount of lemon juice and baking soda, stirred it until the fizzing stopped, and then repeated the process with small pinches of baking soda, continuing until I could add a pinch with no fizz at all. That’s when I knew the reaction was done.
Another tip is to add the cheese gradually, whisking (using a wire whisk, not a spoon) between each addition to ensure each portion melts completely before adding more. Stop when you achieve a smooth sauce, even if you haven’t used the full 200 grams of cheese. (Also, some pre-shredded cheeses have starch coatings that might interfere with the sodium citrate, but my most successful sauce was made with pre-shredded cheese, so don’t stress about it too much.)
Gooey Cheese Sauce (via Adam Ragusea)
Ingredients:
50 milliliters of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda + a few tiny pinches
80 milliliters of water, milk, or beer
200 grams of shredded cheddar cheese
Add the lemon juice and baking soda to a saucepan and stir. Keep stirring until the fizzing stops. Then add a tiny pinch of baking soda and stir again. Repeat until no fizz occurs when adding a small pinch of baking soda.
Pour in your chosen liquid and bring the mixture to a simmer. Add the cheese, a small handful at a time, whisking between additions to fully melt the cheese. Continue until all the cheese has been added and you’ve achieved a gooey, creamy cheese sauce.
