Sodium citrate: the secret ingredient for incredibly smooth and creamy mac & cheese. Forget processed cheese singles or Velveeta! Whether you’re aiming for a dairy-free, lower-calorie version, or even a completely vegan mac & cheese, sodium citrate is the key to achieving that perfect velvety texture. This versatile ingredient allows you to customize your mac & cheese to your exact preferences.
Sodium citrate is a food-grade crystalline salt derived from citric acid fermentation. It’s sometimes referred to as “sour salt,” and a small bag will last a surprisingly long time. Commonly used as an emulsifier, preservative, and buffer in various food products, you likely consume it regularly without even realizing it. For our purposes, we’ll focus on its remarkable emulsification properties in mac & cheese.
Let’s begin with a simple experiment: melt a slice of American cheese and compare it to melting cheddar cheese. The American cheese melts smoothly, while the cheddar separates into fat, protein, and water. This difference is due to stabilizers like sodium citrate present in American cheese. Now that we have access to sodium citrate, we can recreate that smooth melt with any cheese we choose.
To illustrate, let’s add sodium citrate to grated cheddar cheese and microwave it. The cheddar without sodium citrate separates, while the cheddar with sodium citrate melts into a smooth, pourable sauce. This experiment reveals the simple formula for a velvety cheese sauce: choose your cheese, measure its weight, add half that weight in liquid (adjusting slightly depending on the liquid), then add 2-3% of the cheese’s weight in sodium citrate. Gently heat and stir until combined.
This newfound knowledge empowers you to create a quick beer cheese sauce. Combine shredded cheddar cheese, beer, and sodium citrate in a container. Add mustard, garlic powder, and smoked paprika, microwave, stir, and repeat until perfectly melted. Enjoy this delicious dip with chips or pretzels.
Now, how does this apply to mac & cheese? Sodium citrate eliminates the need for traditional thickeners like roux, cornstarch, cream, eggs, or milk. For a simple stovetop version, cook macaroni, drain excess water (leaving some for the sauce), stir in sodium citrate, then add cheese and mix until it melts into a creamy sauce. This is mac & cheese in its purest form.
Mac and cheese with sodium citrate
For a vegan option, cook the pasta, add sodium citrate and sliced vegan cheese (plus any desired seasonings like adobo and chili), then stir and melt as before. The result is a smooth and creamy vegan mac & cheese. While the flavor of vegan cheese varies, the velvety texture achieved with sodium citrate is undeniable.
Sodium citrate can also enhance traditional mac and cheese recipes. Aged cheeses, typically prone to separating due to their high fat content, can be incorporated smoothly with the help of sodium citrate. Cook the pasta, combine butter, mustard, milk, and sodium citrate, then add the aged cheese and another cheese like Colby Jack. The result is a rich and creamy mac & cheese.
Vegan mac and cheese with sodium citrate
No matter your preference, sodium citrate is a valuable addition to your pantry. Whether creating dairy-free, vegan, or enhanced traditional versions, it’s the key to unlocking the perfect velvety texture in your mac & cheese. It’s an inexpensive ingredient with a multitude of uses, ensuring smooth and creamy results every time.
