sodium citrate

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline or granular, water-soluble, odorless solid, Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 ⋅2H 2 O, having a cool, saline taste: used in photography, in soft drinks, and in medicine chiefly to prevent the coagulation of blood.

Example Sentences

“American cheese is made with sodium citrate, an emulsifying salt that keeps the cheese creamy and smooth when melted,” she said.

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Sodium citrate — a food-safe salt that binds the cheese and cream together into that iconic velvety texture Kraft first developed back in the 1910s.

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Yes, there are other options to achieve similar results — such as calling for sodium citrate to use with unprocessed cheese to get the same texture — but I thought calling for a block of Velveeta — which already contains sodium citrate — would be more accessible.

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Paul Adams, the senior science research editor at Cook’s Illustrated, has written about the stabilizing powers of sodium citrate, an ingredient found in processed cheeses like Velveeta.

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Though you could go out and buy sodium citrate, using a smidgen of Velveeta in your sauce does wonders for keeping it indelibly smooth and bound, like movie-theater nacho cheese.

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