The Real Reason You Should Oil Your Cheese Grater Before Use

Most dishes are better with some variety of freshly grated cheese. But sometimes the experience grates on not only the cheese, but the nerves as well. If we're being totally honest, the phrase "mind-numbingly tedious" isn't too far off. So, it's not surprising that many people skip freshly grated cheese in favor of the pre-shredded variety. While such a product isn't necessarily bad, it sure isn't as fresh and delicious and devoid of preservatives in the same way that freshly grated cheese is.

In fact, pre-shredded cheese routinely contains a litany of ingredients designed to keep it from spoiling and sticking together. These can include preservatives like powdered cellulose, potato starch, and natamycin (for the mold issue). While none of these are inherently harmful, cheese purists probably prefer to avoid them. The good news is that it's easier than ever to avoid such preservatives by using one simple hack to make cheese grating quick and painless.

Here's a bit of excellent news in the quest for stress and mess-free grated cheese — you probably have the one necessary ingredient in your pantry already! All it takes is a thin coat of olive oil to take the hassle out of grating, according to Taste of Home.

Before shredding, simply spritz olive oil on both sides of the grater. Don't have a spritzer? Brush it on! Then, start grating and watch with no small amount of awe as the bits of shredded cheese fall effortlessly into the bowl. No longer will you have to risk cutting your fingers dislodging clumps of cheese from the grater in an aggravated frenzy. This also makes it easier to gauge exactly how much cheese has been grated, since half of it isn't stuck in the various nooks and crevices of the tool itself. Then there's the fact that clean-up is much, much easier, which is always a good thing!