Who grates cheese anymore?

[gunsandbanjos]

I accidentally got into a conversation with a woman I don’t know at work today and whilst regaling us with the fact that she never chops anything and buys all veg pre chopped, she seemed aghast that anyone bothers to grate cheese and why would you when you can buy it pre grated.

Maybe because it’s covered in potato starch, expensive and not great quality?

Am I the only cheese grater left?

The DCs love pre-grated cheese. I'd rather have no cheese than that nonsense.

Am I the only cheese grater left?

No you are not and your friend is an idiot.

Ready prepped/chopped cheese, veg and fruit, pre-boiled eggs etc have their place but anyone who uses them habitually has more money than sense or taste.

Depends what you want to use the butternut squash for, but I just roast it first and then cut it etc. Saves messing about as it's perfectly manageable when soft.

KurriKurri I have problems with my hands too and have discovered that you can use a potato peeler to get the skin off a butternut squash before you chop it, makes it a bit easier.

I do. I can't stand the ready grated cheese it feels and tastes different.......

I have been known to buy grated 'pizza cheese' when DCs are making pizza but other than that I always grate a decent cheddar. If I need a smallish amount I grate with a handgrater but if I need a lot I use the grating disc on my food processor.

I do buy prepared stir fry veg but everything else I peel and chop myself.

I sometimes buy the ready grated mild cheddar for pizza. I am usually an extra mature person only but the mild cheddar gives a nice creamy flavour on pizza and the texture is better too, more stringy! Maybe it's the starch they coat it with?

Kurri, cook your butternut squash with the skin on - either in the oven or microwave and peel once cooked. I do this with swede too.

We grate!

I use something like this (there are several... ehm grater sizes you could put in) for large-ish portions. but I also use it to make carrot salad etc.

We had a hand version of that as a kid - much less work than a normal cheese grater- but I’ve never found another one.

And it’s not worth putting cheese in a Magimix unless you’re doing a large quantity.

I was totally expecting to come on here and disagree with you as I though you were the non-grater! YADNBU! Still grate cheese here - and (gasp!) Peel and chop our own veg

Happy to grate our own cheese apart from mozzarella which I buy pre-grated for when we make own pizza. Also chop my own veg 😊

Thankyou Quarterpast and Esspee - I'll try those tips :)

I buy the ready grated for melty things where the quality isn't as much of an issue (quesadillas, cheese sauce for lasagne, etc.) and decent stuff for everything else. Since having kids I have come to detest aspects of cooking - this is one way I stop the hate taking over completely!

Ready prepped/chopped cheese, veg and fruit, pre-boiled eggs etc have their place but anyone who uses them habitually has more money than sense or taste

Or is disabled and finds them an absolute godsend.

I don’t buy grated cheese but I love the frozen packs of chopped carrot, celery and onion (together) from Waitrose. Great base for pretty much everything.

I buy ready chopped butter nut squash. Grated cheese never!

I grate! I have two graters and a cheese planer (if that's the right word). I occasionally buy grated mozzarella but otherwise it's always block cheese.
I don't but chopped vegetables. They stay fresher and retain their goodness better if you keep them intact until you cook them. I am a fan of frozen veg though, especially peas and spinach.

Why is pre-chopped veg yuck, SilverySurfer? It's exactly the same veg as unprepared veg.

If I ever become Prime Minister I shall ban pre shredded cheese, and I will make Britain grate again.

We grate!
I have a machine a bit like this one in the Lakeland sale now £20 - which I use for anything over about 50g as it makes my hands hurt

DH uses the slicer for potato dauphinoise

I also use it to grate carrots etc to hide them better in with mince - the DC know I do it now but say they prefer less lumpy bits

Best thing I ever bought!

Sometimes when i am feeling lazy but mostly always grate my own.

I an a secret late-night devotee of American housewife CostCo hauls on YouTube and they always buy HUGE bags of pre-grated and/or pre-sliced cheese, then go on about how they always choose organise because the taste is so much better. It fascinates me

I find the martyrdom and hand wringing over pre prepped food ridiculous. Life is busy, take the convenience. We, along with many others, get all our dinners from hello fresh. It’s all prepped, just a bit of chopping or whatever. It suits us.

It's not the same Valerie. It dries out because of the larger surface area. M &S are reported as selling a cauliflower 'steak' for £2. It's basically a slice of cauliflower. An entire cauliflower is half the price of that.
Obviously though, for those people who can't prepare veg it's great.