Gianni’s Cheesy Grilled Cheese

How does the pH of cheese affect the stretchiness of the grilled cheese sandwich?

Gianni Williams 

December 8th, 2019

Background Information

The early recipe for grilled cheese sandwiches consisted of mixing grated cheese with a binder such as a sauce like mustard, salad dressing, or white sauce then melting it all together between two buttery toasted slices of bread. Originally, the grilled cheese sandwich was called a “Toasted Cheese Sandwich”. During World War II, navy cooks prepared countless “cheese filled sandwiches” to feed seamen. The most popular cheese to use for the grilled cheese sandwich was cheddar cheese, but as the grilled cheese became more popular people have began to make the classic American dish with different kinds of cheeses other than just cheddar to achieve the perfect grilled cheese. 

Based on scientific food articles, in order to get the perfect grilled cheese the pH of the cheese is very important. The ideal cheese to use to get the stretchy pull is a cheese with a pH of 5.3 to 5.5. During the cheese making process, milk curdles resulting in the removal of whey and leaving behind casein proteins which determines the cheese’s texture. Because acids make the clumping of the molecules in the cheese possible, the acidity of the cheese determines to stretchy and gooeyness of the cheese. 

Hypothesis

The lower the pH of the cheese used to make the grilled cheese sandwich, the stretchier the grilled cheese sandwich will be.

Procedure

The independent variable for this experiment was the cheese. The ingredient amount, methods, and cooking temperature stayed the same throughout the entire experiment.

Trial 1: Provolone Cheese; 5.5-6.0 pH

Trial 2: Cheddar Cheese; 5.3-5.4 pH

Trial 3: American Cheese; 5.2 pH

1. Cut enough slices of cheese to cover the entire slice of bread
2. Repeat step one on the second slice of bread, then put the two slices of bread together
3. Set the temperature of the stove to medium high to heat the pan
4. Add a tablespoon of butter to the heated pan
5. Wait for the butter to melt almost completely before adding the two slices of bread
6. Neatly put the sandwich into the heated pan of butter
7. Wait for the sizzling to end before you flip the sandwich, making sure that the sandwich is toasted on each side
8. Repeat the steps listed two more times using two different cheeses

Data/Results

Results for provolone grilled cheese sandwich: 

This cheese was the stretchiest. The cheese kept its form even when melted. Each bite of the provolone grilled cheese had its own cheese pull as well. 

Results for American grilled cheese sandwich:

This cheese was not stretchy at all. When I cut the sandwich in half and pulled it apart, there was no cheese pull

Results for cheddar grilled cheese sandwich:

When melted, this cheese began to pour out the sides of the sandwich. When I cut into the sandwich and pulled it apart, it had a slight stretch.