I found only two sources in Brussels for “citrate de sodium”:
- pharmacy: €50 for 250g
- in a packet of lemon chicken flavoring in an Asian shop
I’m not going to pay €50 to a pharmacist in order to make a smoother macaroni and cheese. I’m also not interested in bringing in flavored Asian sauces. One option would be to go to the American section of a large grocery store and buy a Kraft mac & cheese kit. Fuck that. I boycott Kraft Heinz. Probably would not find Velvita, but if I did it’s a bit off to be making mac & cheese from scratch and then having to resort to a kit of sorts anyway.
Is there a better option?
It seems fondue with cheese is a thing here. How are people emulsifying their cheese for that?
Update: it’s apparently European additive “E331” which groups 3 different things. Are they about the same for emulsifying cheese? Note as well that it’s not in the emulsifier grouping of additives for some reason.
UPDATE: The one drug store in Brussels (Grande Droguerie du Lion) has the stuff. It’s cheap enough (€23/kg) and you can ask for any quantity (e.g. 50g) as they scoop it onto a scale anyway.
4 Comments
Eeyore_Syndrome@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 7d
You can synthesize your own by mixing Lemon Juice + Baking Soda = Sodium Citrate.
As long as you don't use too much, you shouldn't even taste the lemon.
For real though, I always just make a Béchamel sauce with butter or bacon grease (if I make my Bacon Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese) and flour to make a roux.
Cook the roux like ~5 mins and finish with Milk, cook till desired thickness, whilst stirring and add cheese to melt-in. And season to desired taste before adding to whatever.
matelt@feddit.uk · 2 pts · 7d
Personally I emulsify my cheese fondue with a bit of cornstarch mixed in white wine. Do you absolutely 100% need sodium citrate to make mac and cheese? It seems a bit overkill to me.
My mac and cheese approximation consists in a liquidy béchamel sauce with a handful of cheese of the day. Perhaps try your recipe without sodium citrate and see if you like it?
autonomousPunk@belgae.social · 2 pts · 7d
I use cornstarch in stir-fries quite a bit by dissolving in sherry. It’s a good thickener. I didn’t realise it could emulsify cheese. I came across a post or article recently that mentioned cornstarch for mac and cheese but I was skeptical. Maybe I should try it.
I have never used sodium citrate. I was just reading about it because my mac & cheese always comes out as a clumpy mess.
arctanthrope@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 7d
not sure if this is available in Belgium like it is in the US, but cream cheese often has ingredients like guar gum or xanthan gum that help with the texture of cheese sauces. that's what I do for "homemade" mac&cheese, a small dollop of cream cheese in addition to whatever other cheese(s) I'm using, and it helps it melt and become smooth and homogenous