Sodium citrate vs. SHMP

For various cheese sauces/products, it's unclear to me when to use sodium citrate alone (as mac-and-cheese from MC/MCAH) vs. in combination with SHMP (as in chefsteps' nacho cheese sauce). Are there any basic guidelines? Thank you.

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Comments

adey73

I'd like to know that too as SHMP at food Grade is impossible to get in the UK unless you're buying a 25kg bag delivered on a pallet.

michaelnatkin

I don't have the exact numbers in front of me, but I asked @Ben this the other day - the reason we use both is they are active in different pH ranges.

Brendan_Lee_56950

Here's the modernist pantry description

Sodium Hexametaphosphate [SHMP] (E425i) is a sequestrant, which allows gelling agents to be hydrated at much lower temperatures. It is the highest performing sequestrant available. And unlike sodium citrate, it has no taste at the concentrations used for gel hydration.

com-chefsteps

reposting mod Ben's link from the recipe page: http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/2000/02/understanding-process-cheeses.aspx

ajcampelli

Thanks for the responses. The link above indicates that SHMP simply provides a stronger emulsion, though it is rarely/never used alone. I haven't been able to find anything more about the pH restrictions mentioned by Michael, but I would be curious to learn more.

If it's simply a question of emulsion stability, I'm not sure I understand why (e.g.) cheddar cheese sauce requires more stability than mac-and-cheese.

Thanks again.

Brendan_Lee_56950

Depends on the type of cheese I suspect, the older the cheese the harder it is to keep it emulsified in a sauce.