The Easy Olive Oil Hack That Prevents Cheese From Sticking To A Grater

If you've ever made pizza or mac and cheese at home, you know that grating the cheese is the hardest part of the recipe. Whether it crumbles instead of shreds, sticks to the back of the grater, or clumps together, cheese can give you a lot of grief before it makes you full and happy. Of course, using pre-grated cheese may seem like the convenient solution to this problem, but have you ever noticed that the result is often gloopy and stodgy? That's because store-bought shredded cheese contains anti-caking preservatives that prevent it from melting properly. 

Why are blocks of cheese sometimes so tricky to grate? The friction of sliding the cheese along the grater makes it go soft and sticky. One way to prevent this is to first briefly freeze your block of cheese. Just 15 to 20 minutes can help the cheese firm up for smoother grating, A Homemade Living advises, but be aware that freezing cheese for any longer can negatively affect its texture in the long run. From here, yet another convenient hack lets you grate cheese faster and sans sticking, and it only requires a humble pantry staple: olive oil.

When you're ready to grate, TikToker @HowDoesShe's tried and tested hack is spritzing the inside and outside of the cheese grater with olive oil. If you don't have oil spray on hand, you can also use a baking brush to spread a thin layer of olive oil onto both sides of your grater. This lubricated layer prevents the cheese from sticking and helps the strands fall into your bowl without worry. They also won't clump together, which will help you sprinkle them evenly over your lasagna, tacos, or other dish.

Don't worry about the olive oil "contaminating" the cheese or altering its flavor; all this trick does is allow you to get more cheese and less waste without any extra work. What's more, you won't have to risk cutting the tips of your fingers while trying to peel off strands of sticky cheese from the grater. And best of all, you're sure to get a creamier and better tasting dish without the frustration caused by gloopy cheese. From here, just be sure to avoid the one mistake that will ruin your cheese grater.