[ { "id": "crumbled-blue-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Crumbled Blue Cheese", "synonyms": [ "blue cheese", "blue cheese crumbles", "bleu cheese", "bleu cheese crumbles", "blue cheese crumbled" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, crumbled, not packed, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.4734, "range_max": 0.5706, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Sources span 112-135 g per cup, a 20.5% gap, over the 10% tolerance. USDA measures a cup of crumbles, not packed, at 135 g; the Treasure Cave, Athenos and Boar's Head labels give 112 g, the same 28 g per quarter cup printed on every crumbled and shredded cheese. No single figure is published.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, blue\" (FDC 172175)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup crumbled, not packed = 135 g (density 0.571 g/mL) and 1 cubic inch = 17 g. Water 42.4 g per 100 g.", "fdc_id": 172175, "density_g_per_ml": 0.5706 }, { "name": "Treasure Cave Crumbled Blue Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), 5 servings per 5-oz container, extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Athenos Crumbled Blue Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label, 4.5-oz container: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Boar's Head Blue Cheese Crumbles (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Crumbled blue cheese weighs 112 to 135 g per US cup (4 to 4.8 oz). USDA measures a cup of crumbles, explicitly not packed, at 135 g; Treasure Cave, Athenos and Boar's Head label a quarter cup at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup. The 20% gap is over tolerance, so this entry publishes the range.\n\nBlue cheese is cow's-milk cheese ripened with Penicillium roqueforti, the mould that makes the blue-green veins. It is semi-soft and crumbly, with about 42% water by USDA's figures. It is sold as wedges, which people crumble by hand, and as pre-crumbled tubs.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, blue\" (FDC 172175) publishes 1 cup crumbled, not packed, at 135 g, and also gives 1 cubic inch at 17 g. That second figure is the solid cheese with no air at all: 17 g in 16.4 mL is about 1.04 g/mL. So USDA's unpacked cup of crumbles is roughly 55% cheese and 45% air, and the labels' 112 g would be about 46% cheese and 54% air.\n\nThe labels are the weaker evidence. Every crumbled and shredded cheese tub prints a quarter cup at 28 g, which is the one-ounce serving written as a volume, whether the cheese inside is feta, Swiss or parmesan. USDA's figure comes from measuring a cup of the cheese and says how it was filled, not packed, which is the most specific statement any source makes. USDA's record does not say whether its crumbles came from a wedge or a tub, though, and tub crumbles can be drier and lighter, so the label figure is kept and the range published.\n\nPractical guidance: for blue cheese dressing, wedge salads, burgers and buffalo-wing dips, 1/4 cup is 28-34 g and 1/2 cup 56-68 g. A 5-oz tub holds 142 g, which is 1 to 1 1/4 cups. If you crumble a wedge yourself, weigh it: hand-crumbled pieces vary from fine crumbs to marble-sized lumps, and the larger the pieces, the more air each cup holds.\n\nThis entry's figures are for US cow's-milk blue cheese. Gorgonzola and Roquefort, made from sheep's milk, are blue cheeses too, but they are made differently and have not been measured here, so weigh them rather than borrowing this range. Recipes that specify a weight for blue cheese crumbles are the reliable ones; recipes written in cups were measured by someone filling a cup their own way.\n\nKing Arthur's ingredient weight chart has no row for blue cheese, so there is no King Arthur figure to check. The shredded cheese comparison page shows blue cheese beside feta and the shredded cheeses." }, { "id": "crumbled-feta-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Crumbled Feta Cheese", "synonyms": [ "feta", "feta cheese", "crumbled feta", "feta crumbles", "feta cheese crumbled" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, crumbled, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.4734, "range_max": 0.634, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Sources span 112-150 g per cup, a 34% gap, over the 10% tolerance. King Arthur and the Athenos and Président labels put a cup of crumbles at 112-114 g; USDA's crumbled-feta cup is 150 g. Soft crumbles compress easily, so how firmly the cup is filled decides the figure. No single figure is published.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, feta\" (FDC 173420)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup crumbled = 150 g (density 0.634 g/mL) and 1 wedge (1.33 oz) = 38 g. Water 55.2 g per 100 g.", "fdc_id": 173420, "density_g_per_ml": 0.634 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists \"Cheese (Feta)\" at 1/2 cup = 2 oz = 57 g, extrapolating to 114 g per cup and density 0.482 g/mL.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4818 }, { "name": "Athenos Crumbled Traditional Feta (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label, 24-oz container: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Président Feta Crumbles (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label, 24-oz container: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup. Same as Athenos.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Crumbled feta weighs 112 to 150 g per US cup (4 to 5.3 oz). King Arthur and the Athenos and Président labels put a cup of crumbles at 112-114 g; USDA's cup of crumbled feta weighs 150 g. The 34% gap comes from how firmly the soft crumbles are pressed into the cup, so this entry publishes the range.\n\nFeta is a brined white cheese, traditionally made from sheep's milk or a sheep-and-goat blend in Greece, and often from cow's milk in US stores. It is the wettest cheese in this group: USDA puts it at 55% water, against about 37-41% for cheddar, Jack and Swiss. That moisture makes the crumbles soft and slightly sticky, and soft crumbles change shape under pressure in a way stiff shreds do not.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, feta\" (FDC 173420) publishes 1 cup crumbled at 150 g. King Arthur's chart lists \"Cheese (Feta)\" at 1/2 cup = 2 oz = 57 g, which is 114 g per cup. The Athenos and Président tubs list 1/4 cup at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup.\n\nThe labels on their own would be weak evidence, since every crumbled and shredded cheese bag prints the same one-ounce serving as 28 g per quarter cup. But King Arthur's 114 g is a separate volume figure that lands in the same place, which supports roughly 112-114 g for crumbles spooned loosely into a cup. USDA's 150 g describes something firmer. Its blue cheese record specifies crumbles \"not packed\"; its feta record says only \"crumbled\", and 150 g is what soft crumbles weigh once they are pressed down so the gaps close. Both are real ways people fill a cup, which is why both ends are shown.\n\nThis is not a King Arthur correction. Their figure is consistent with the labels and with the physics of a loosely filled cup; the disagreement is with USDA, and it is a difference in fill rather than an error.\n\nPractical guidance: for Greek salads, spanakopita, grain bowls and baked feta pasta, weigh feta if the recipe gives grams. A 6-oz tub holds 170 g, about 1 1/2 cups loosely spooned or a little over 1 cup pressed. Feta crumbled by hand from a block in brine is wetter and coarser than tub crumbles, so it packs closer to the heavy end of the range.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows feta beside blue cheese, the other crumbled cheese, and the shredded cheeses." }, { "id": "crumbled-goat-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Crumbled Goat Cheese", "synonyms": [ "goat cheese crumbles", "crumbled chèvre", "chèvre crumbles", "goat cheese crumbled", "chevre" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, crumbled, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.4734, "range_max": 0.5917, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Sources span 112-140 g per cup, a 25% gap, over the 10% tolerance. USDA's FNDDS record gives a crumbled cup at 140 g, using the composition of firmer semisoft goat cheese; the H-E-B and Private Selection labels give 112 g, the 28 g per quarter cup printed on crumbled cheeses. No single figure is published.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA FNDDS \"Cheese, goat\" (FDC 2705716, food code 14104700)", "ref": "USDA's survey database publishes 1 cup, crumbled = 140 g (density 0.592 g/mL). Its composition, water 45.5 g, fat 29.8 g, protein 21.6 g per 100 g, is that of semisoft goat cheese.", "fdc_id": 2705716, "density_g_per_ml": 0.5917 }, { "name": "H-E-B Deli Goat Cheese Crumbles (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), about 4 servings per 4-oz cup, extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Private Selection Crumbled Goat Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label (Ralphs): 1 oz (28 g/1/4 cup), 4 servings per 4-oz pack, extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, goat, soft type\" (FDC 173435)", "ref": "Weight portion only (1 oz = 28.35 g), no cup figure. Water 60.8 g, fat 21.1 g, protein 18.5 g per 100 g: the composition of fresh, soft chèvre, the cheese sold as crumbles.", "fdc_id": 173435 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Crumbled goat cheese weighs 112 to 140 g per US cup (4 to 4.9 oz). USDA's survey database gives a crumbled cup at 140 g; the H-E-B and Private Selection tubs label a quarter cup at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup. The 25% gap is over the 10% tolerance, so this entry publishes the range.\n\nThe crumbles sold in tubs are fresh goat cheese, chèvre: soft, white, tangy and young, made from goat's milk and sold within weeks. USDA's record for soft goat cheese (FDC 173435) puts it at 61% water and 21% fat, wetter than feta at 55% water and much wetter than the semi-hard shredding cheeses at 37-41%. Aged goat cheeses are firmer and drier: USDA's semisoft goat cheese is 45.5% water.\n\nUSDA FNDDS \"Cheese, goat\" (FDC 2705716) lists 1 cup crumbled at 140 g. That record's composition, 45.5% water and 30% fat, matches USDA's semisoft goat cheese, not the soft chèvre in a crumble tub, so the 140 g describes a firmer cheese than most people are measuring. The tubs say 28 g per quarter cup: H-E-B and Kroger's Private Selection both print it, and Publix, Montchevre and others use the same one-ounce serving. Every crumbled and shredded cheese label prints that figure whatever is inside, so it is the serving convention rather than a measurement.\n\nFill pressure explains most of the gap. Solid goat cheese is about as dense as water. Fresh chèvre crumbles are soft and slightly sticky: a loose spoonful leaves them stacked with gaps, about 45% cheese and 55% air at the labels' 112 g, while pressing them into the cup squeezes the gaps out and pushes the cup toward USDA's 140 g, about 57% cheese. Feta (112-150 g) and blue cheese (112-135 g) show the same pattern on this site, with the labels at the loose end and USDA at the packed end.\n\nKing Arthur's chart has no row for goat cheese.\n\nPractical guidance: a 4-oz tub holds 113 g, about 1 cup spooned in loosely. For a salad, sprinkle by eye; for a tart, galette or stuffed chicken where the cheese is part of the structure, weigh it, using 112-115 g for a loosely filled cup and up to 140 g for a firmly pressed one. Crumbling a log at home gives wetter, stickier crumbles that clump and pack toward the high end, so a cup from a log usually weighs more than a cup from a tub. Chilling the log first makes cleaner crumbles that stay loose.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows goat cheese beside feta, blue cheese, Cotija and the shredded cheeses." }, { "id": "crumbled-queso-fresco", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Crumbled Queso Fresco", "synonyms": [ "queso fresco", "queso fresco crumbled", "Mexican fresh cheese", "fresh Mexican crumbling cheese", "queso fresco cheese" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, crumbled, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.5157, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, fresh, queso fresco\" (FDC 172223)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup, crumbled = 122 g (density 0.516 g/mL). Water 51.4 g, fat 23.8 g, protein 18.1 g per 100 g. Primary anchor.", "fdc_id": 172223, "density_g_per_ml": 0.5157 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists \"Queso fresco\" at 1/2 cup = 2 oz = 57 g, extrapolating to 114 g per cup (density 0.482 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4818 }, { "name": "Azteca Queso Fresco Mexican Crumbling Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Label as reproduced by CalorieKing: 1/4 cup (1 oz), extrapolating to 113 g per cup (density 0.479 g/mL); the one-ounce serving written as a quarter cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4793 }, { "name": "USDA Foundation \"Cheese, queso fresco, solid\" (FDC 2647442)", "ref": "Laboratory-analysed composition: water 51.4 g, fat 23.4 g, protein 18.9 g per 100 g. No household portion, so no cup figure; it confirms the composition of the SR Legacy record.", "fdc_id": 2647442 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Crumbled queso fresco weighs 122 g per US cup (4.3 oz), a density of 0.516 g/mL. USDA's measurement is the anchor, and King Arthur's 57 g per half cup (114 g per cup) and Azteca's quarter cup at one ounce (113 g) sit within the 10% tolerance.\n\nQueso fresco, \"fresh cheese\", is a soft, mild, slightly salty Mexican cow's-milk cheese, pressed but not aged. It crumbles rather than melts, which makes it the cheese scattered over tacos, enchiladas, beans, elote and salads. It is sold as rounds and blocks that are crumbled by hand, and sometimes pre-crumbled. USDA puts it at 51% water and 24% fat, moister than Cotija at 38% water and close to feta at 55%.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, fresh, queso fresco\" (FDC 172223) lists 1 cup crumbled at 122 g. USDA's newer Foundation record for solid queso fresco (FDC 2647442) has no household portion but analyses the same cheese, 51.4% water and 23% fat. King Arthur's chart lists queso fresco at 1/2 cup = 2 oz = 57 g, 114 g per cup, 7% below USDA and within tolerance, so King Arthur's figure is supporting evidence here rather than a correction. Most queso fresco labels give the serving by weight only, 1 oz, because the cheese is sold in rounds; Azteca's crumbling cheese writes that ounce as a quarter cup, the one-ounce convention that US labels print on shredded and crumbled cheeses.\n\nThe physical check matches the other crumbled cheeses. Solid queso fresco is about as dense as water, so a cup at 0.516 g/mL is about half cheese and half air. That puts it where its texture says it should be: heavier than shredded cheddar (113 g), because its soft, moist crumbles settle into each other, and lighter than firmly packed feta (up to 150 g). Grated Cotija, drier but finer, weighs 120 g per cup.\n\nFill pressure moves the figure, as it does for feta and blue cheese. A loosely spooned cup of large crumbles sits near King Arthur's 114 g; a cup of small crumbles pressed down passes USDA's 122 g. Crumbling a cold round with your fingers gives irregular lumps; crumbling it with a fork gives finer pieces that pack tighter.\n\nPractical guidance: a 10-oz round holds 283 g, about 2 1/3 cups crumbled; a 12-oz round 340 g, about 2 3/4 cups. For tacos, 2 tablespoons is about 15 g; for a tray of enchiladas, 1/2 cup is 61 g. When a recipe gives queso fresco in ounces, 4 oz crumbles to about 1 cup. Because queso fresco is a fresh cheese with a lot of water, it weeps if it sits crumbled, so crumble it just before using.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows queso fresco beside Cotija, feta, goat and blue cheese and the shredded cheeses." }, { "id": "grated-cotija-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Grated Cotija Cheese", "synonyms": [ "Cotija", "queso Cotija", "Cotija cheese", "crumbled Cotija", "queso Cotija grated" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, grated, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.5072, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, mexican, queso cotija\" (FDC 170898)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 2 tsp = 5 g, extrapolating to 120 g per US cup (density 0.507 g/mL). Water 38.0 g, fat 30.0 g, protein 20.0 g per 100 g. Primary anchor; a 5 g portion is rounded to the whole gram, so the extrapolation carries about 10% either way.", "fdc_id": 170898, "density_g_per_ml": 0.5072 }, { "name": "Cacique Queso Cotija Grated Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label (Kroger), 7-oz pack: 2 tsp (5 g), 40 servings per pack, extrapolating to 120 g per cup. Same figure as USDA.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.5072 }, { "name": "Talavera Cotija Artisan Mexican Cheese, grated (producer label)", "ref": "Distributor sell sheet: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL); the one-ounce serving written as a quarter cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "USDA Foundation \"Cheese, cotija, solid\" (FDC 2647443)", "ref": "Laboratory-analysed composition: water 40.0 g, fat 27.2 g, protein 23.8 g per 100 g. No household portion, so no cup figure; it confirms the composition of the SR Legacy record.", "fdc_id": 2647443 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Grated Cotija weighs about 120 g per US cup (4.2 oz), or 5 g per 2 teaspoons, a density of 0.507 g/mL. USDA and the Cacique label both give 2 teaspoons as 5 g; Talavera's quarter cup at 28 g (112 g per cup) sits inside the 10% tolerance.\n\nCotija is a salty, crumbly Mexican cow's-milk cheese named after the town of Cotija in Michoacán. The traditional aged cheese is hard enough to grate like parmesan; the Cotija sold in US supermarkets is younger and moister, and it breaks into soft, damp crumbs rather than dry flakes. It is the cheese scattered over elote, tacos, refried beans, enchiladas and salads, and it is sold grated in bags and shakers or as blocks and wedges that people crumble by hand.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, mexican, queso cotija\" (FDC 170898) gives 2 teaspoons at 5 g, with 38% water, 30% fat and 20% protein. USDA's newer Foundation record for solid Cotija (FDC 2647443) has no household portion but analyses almost the same cheese, 40% water and 27% fat. Cacique's grated Cotija, the biggest US brand, labels 2 teaspoons at 5 g, 40 servings in a 7-oz pack. Talavera's grated Cotija labels a quarter cup at 28 g, which is the one-ounce serving written as a volume.\n\nThe figure is a small spoonful scaled up 48 times, which is why confidence is medium. A 5 g portion is rounded to the nearest gram, so the true figure behind it could be anywhere from 4.5 to 5.5 g, which is 108 to 132 g per cup. The label at 112 g falls inside that window, so nothing contradicts 120 g, but no source has weighed a whole cup.\n\nThe physical check is a comparison with parmesan. USDA and King Arthur put grated parmesan at 100 g per cup; parmesan is about 25% water, hard and dry, and its grated flakes are stiff and springy, so they hold air. Cotija is half as wet again, softer and more crumbly, and its grated crumbs are small, slightly damp and give under a spoon, so they pack a little tighter. Solid cheese is about as dense as water, so a cup at 0.507 g/mL is about half cheese and half air, slightly more cheese than a cup of grated parmesan and slightly more than a cup of shredded cheddar, which is what softer, finer crumbs predict.\n\nCrumbled Cotija from a block is a different product: coarser, irregular lumps that settle around each other. USDA has no crumbled figure for Cotija. Its record for queso añejo, a related aged Mexican cheese with almost the same composition, lists 1 cup crumbled at 132 g, so hand-crumbled Cotija probably weighs more per cup than grated, but that is another cheese's measurement and is not published here.\n\nPractical guidance: for elote, 2 tablespoons is 15 g and 1/4 cup 30 g; for a tray of enchiladas, 1/2 cup is 60 g. A 7-oz bag is 198 g, about 1 2/3 cups. Cotija is salty, so when substituting feta or parmesan, weigh it." }, { "id": "grated-parmesan-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Grated Parmesan Cheese", "synonyms": [ "parmesan", "parmesan cheese", "grated parmesan", "grated parmesan cheese", "parmigiano reggiano", "parmigiano-reggiano", "grated parmigiano", "hard grating cheese" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, grated, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.3593, "range_max": 0.5072, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Genuine 41% spread across grate size and product form. Grate technique dominates: ATK measures 85 g/cup on medium box grater and 113 g/cup on coarse box grater from the same 1-ounce sample. USDA and King Arthur converge exactly at 100 g/cup for typical medium grate. Shelf-stable shaker canisters (Kraft-style, cellulose-added) reach 112-120 g/cup. No single figure represents all common forms.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, parmesan, grated\" (FDC 171247)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release (NDB 01032, now FDC 171247) publishes 1 cup grated = 100 g, corresponding to density 0.423 g/mL. Central reference figure, matches King Arthur exactly.", "fdc_id": 171247, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4226 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists Cheese (grated Parmesan) at 1/2 cup = 1 3/4 oz = 50 g, extrapolating to 100 g per US cup and density 0.423 g/mL. Exact convergence with USDA SR — not a correction target.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4226 }, { "name": "America's Test Kitchen Grating Cheese Weight and Volume Chart (medium box grater)", "ref": "ATK/Cook's Illustrated publishes grate-size-specific measurements for hard cheeses: grated medium on box grater, 1 ounce hard cheese = 1/3 cup, extrapolating to 85 g per US cup and density 0.359 g/mL. Anchor low.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.3593 }, { "name": "America's Test Kitchen Grating Cheese Weight and Volume Chart (coarse box grater)", "ref": "Same ATK chart: grated coarse on box grater, 1 ounce hard cheese = 1/4 cup, extrapolating to 113 g per US cup and density 0.478 g/mL. Larger particle size with more inter-shred void space than medium grate.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "aqua-calc branded record UPC 085239311776 (Archer Farms Grated Parmesan)", "ref": "Target/Archer Farms shaker canister with powdered cellulose anti-caking agent: nutrition label 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g per US cup and density 0.473 g/mL. Matches ATK coarse box grater figure closely.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "aqua-calc branded record UPC 656133345039 (Grated Parmesan Cheese)", "ref": "Dense shaker-style branded record: 127 g per metric cup, equivalent to 120 g per US cup (4.2 oz/US cup) and density 0.507 g/mL. Anchor high. Represents machine-grated shelf-stable product with fine uniform particle size and cellulose additive.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.5072 } ], "verified": "2026-09-23", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Cup weight of grated parmesan is dominated by grate size, not by the cheese itself: America's Test Kitchen measures the same 1 ounce of parmesan filling 1/4 cup coarse to 1/2 cup fine — a 2x spread from technique alone. Standard grated parmesan (USDA and King Arthur reference) is 100 g per US cup, and the practical range across common home graters and shelf-stable shakers is 85-120 g/cup.\n\nParmesan (properly Parmigiano-Reggiano DOP, or generic \"hard grating cheese\") is a hard aged Italian cheese with low moisture content around 30% and a dense granular texture from long aging (12-36 months). Its cup density in grated form is dominated by air space between shreds and particles, which is set by grate size and technique — not by the cheese itself, which has a solid density near 1.1 g/mL.\n\nAmerica's Test Kitchen quantified the grate-size effect directly: the same 1 ounce of hard cheese fills 1/2 cup grated fine on a rasp-style Microplane (implying approximately 57 g per US cup), 1/3 cup grated medium on a box grater (approximately 85 g per US cup), and 1/4 cup grated coarse on a box grater (approximately 113 g per US cup). USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, parmesan, grated\" (FDC 171247, formerly NDB 01032) publishes 1 cup grated = 100 g, density 0.423 g/mL. King Arthur's ingredient weight chart lists grated Parmesan at 1/2 cup = 1 3/4 oz = 50 g, extrapolating to 100 g per cup — a rare exact convergence with USDA. The USDA/KA figure corresponds to a typical medium-to-fine box grater output.\n\nShelf-stable shaker canister parmesan (Kraft green can, Archer Farms/Target, Berkley & Jensen, Great Value) sits at the top of the practical range: 28 g per 1/4 cup on most labels, extrapolating to 112 g/cup, with denser branded records reaching 120 g/cup. This is not the cheese itself being denser — it is the fine, uniform machine grind combined with added powdered cellulose (an anti-caking agent, typically 2-4% by weight) that fills cup void space more completely than any hand-grated home output.\n\nFor validation and internal consistency, this entry withholds a single figure and publishes the observed range 85-120 g/cup. The 41% spread across grate sizes and product types exceeds the 10% cheese-category tolerance because grate technique is the dominant variance driver, not measurement uncertainty. The USDA and King Arthur convergence at 100 g/cup represents a reasonable central default for recipes that just say \"grated\" without specifying technique.\n\nPractical guidance: for baking accuracy, weigh grated parmesan rather than measure by volume. If cups are all that is available and the recipe simply says \"grated parmesan,\" use ~100 g/cup as a working estimate. Recipes calling specifically for \"finely grated\" (Microplane) can be roughly 40% lighter per cup at ~55-60 g; recipes assuming shaker canister input can be 15-20% heavier per cup at ~115-120 g. In practice, most cooked applications (pasta finishing, gratins, breading) are forgiving to the point that grate variance rarely breaks a dish; baking applications (parmesan biscuits, savory shortbreads, cheese crackers) benefit most from weighing.\n\nKing Arthur is not a correction target here — the KA figure at 100 g/cup converges exactly with USDA. The wide range reflects grate-size variance that no source can collapse into a single number. Companion cheese entries (shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella) will follow this pattern where grate/shred form drives the density variance more than the cheese identity does." }, { "id": "shredded-cheddar-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Cheddar Cheese", "synonyms": [ "cheddar", "shredded cheddar", "shredded cheddar cheese", "grated cheddar", "cheddar cheese shredded", "finely shredded cheddar" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "high", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, cheddar\" (FDC 173414)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release (FDC 173414) publishes 1 cup shredded = 113 g, corresponding to density 0.478 g/mL. Primary anchor.", "fdc_id": 173414, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss) at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL. Exact convergence with USDA. KA groups semi-hard cheeses at one density, implying they measured them as behaving identically when shredded.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "Kraft Natural Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label shows 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup and density 0.473 g/mL. FDA convention treats 28 g as the standard 1-oz serving. Matches USDA within rounding.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Great Value Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar (producer label)", "ref": "Walmart house brand: 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup (density 0.473 g/mL). Matches Kraft exactly.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Giant Finely Shredded Sharp Cheddar (producer label)", "ref": "East Coast grocery house brand: 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup (density 0.473 g/mL). Contains potato starch and tapioca starch anti-caking blend. Same figure as Kraft and Great Value.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "ChefSolver measured density (USDA-sourced)", "ref": "ChefSolver publishes shredded cheddar at 0.48 g/mL, equivalent to 114 g per US cup. Reference base is USDA FoodData Central. Confirms the retail label figures within 1 g/cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4818 } ], "verified": "2026-09-23", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded cheddar packs at 113 g per US cup with unusually strong convergence — USDA, King Arthur, and every major producer label (Kraft, Great Value, Kroger, Giant, American Heritage, Fresh & Easy) all report the same figure within 1-2 g/cup.\n\nCheddar is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese with moisture around 37% and solid density near 1.08 g/mL. Shredded on a standard box grater or machine-shredded for retail bags, its cup density is dominated by air space between shreds. Unlike parmesan (which spans 57-120 g/cup across grate techniques from Microplane fine to shaker canister), shredded cheddar shows exceptionally tight cross-source agreement.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, cheddar\" (FDC 173414) publishes 1 cup shredded = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL. King Arthur's ingredient weight chart lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, converging exactly with USDA. Every major producer label examined reports 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup. ChefSolver's measured density (0.48 g/mL) gives 114 g/cup. This is a rare case of textbook cross-source convergence — the range across USDA, KA, and every retail producer label is 112-114 g/cup (1.8% spread).\n\nThe uniformity reflects two factors specific to shredded cheddar. First, cheddar is too soft to Microplane productively (it clogs the fine holes and warms), so essentially all \"shredded\" cheddar comes from a box grater or a commercial machine shred, both producing similarly-sized 1-2 mm ribbons. Second, retail pre-shredded cheddar dominates the US market, and pre-shredded bags are the reference for most home cooking; FDA nutrition-label convention treats 28 g as the standard 1-oz serving with an implied 1/4-cup volume, which becomes self-reinforcing across brands.\n\nThe one deliberate distinction worth noting is \"finely shredded\" versus \"standard shred\" packaging. Kraft, Great Value, and Kroger all sell both formats and label them identically at 28 g per 1/4 cup — the finely-shredded product uses smaller-gauge dies but the additional cellulose or potato starch anti-caking agent (2-4% by weight in nearly all pre-shredded bags) roughly compensates for the tighter particle packing. Home-shredded cheddar (freshly grated from a block on a home box grater) typically shows the same 110-115 g/cup range without the anti-caking additive.\n\nFor validation and internal consistency, this entry publishes 113 g/cup as a high-confidence single figure. USDA, King Arthur, and multi-producer convergence within 2% supports this position without a range publish.\n\nPractical guidance: for cheese-heavy dishes (macaroni and cheese, quesadillas, cheese biscuits, quiche), 1 cup shredded cheddar equals roughly 4 oz or 113 g — the labels are correct, no correction needed. When a recipe calls for a specific weight of cheddar without specifying shredded or block, weigh from the block; shredded cheese weighs less per cup than block cheese by roughly 2.5x because shredding introduces air (ChefSolver measures block cheddar at approximately 265 g/cup versus shredded at 113). For very fine microplaned cheddar (uncommon in home practice), the same technique that reduces parmesan to 57 g/cup applies, but cheddar's softness makes this technique rare.\n\nKing Arthur is not a correction target here — the KA figure at 113 g/cup converges exactly with USDA. The convergence across USDA, KA, and all retail producer labels represents a rare consensus benchmark." }, { "id": "shredded-gruyere", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Gruyère Cheese", "synonyms": [ "Gruyère", "shredded Gruyere", "Gruyere cheese", "grated Gruyère", "Le Gruyère", "Gruyère AOP" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4565, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, gruyere\" (FDC 171242)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup shredded = 108 g (density 0.457 g/mL) and 1 cup diced = 132 g. Water 33.2 g, fat 32.3 g, protein 29.8 g per 100 g. Primary anchor.", "fdc_id": 171242, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4565 }, { "name": "Murray's Gruyere Shredded Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition labels, 3.5-oz and 4-oz packs: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL). The one-ounce serving written as a quarter cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Emmi Le Gruyère Shredded (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label, 3.5-oz pack: serving 1 oz (28 g) by weight only, with no volume, so it gives no cup figure." } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded Gruyère weighs 108 g per US cup (3.8 oz), a density of 0.457 g/mL. USDA's measurement is the anchor; the Murray's labels give 112 g, within tolerance, so this is a single figure at medium confidence.\n\nGruyère is a hard Alpine cow's-milk cheese from western Switzerland, protected there as Le Gruyère AOP, and also made in France and, under the generic name, in the United States. It is aged for at least five months and often more than a year, which drives water out: USDA puts it at 33% water, against about 37% for cheddar and 41% for Monterey Jack, with 32% fat and 30% protein. It is the classic cheese for French onion soup, gratins, croque monsieur and fondue.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, gruyere\" (FDC 171242) publishes 1 cup shredded at 108 g and 1 cup diced at 132 g. Murray's shredded Gruyère, in 3.5-oz and 4-oz packs, labels a quarter cup at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup. That 28 g is the one-ounce serving written as a quarter cup, printed on shredded cheeses whatever their real weight, so it supports USDA here without deciding anything. Emmi's shredded Le Gruyère gives its serving by weight only, 1 oz, with no volume.\n\nKing Arthur's chart has no Gruyère row. Its grouped figure for \"grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss\" is 113 g, and the shredded Swiss entry on this site, at 108 g from USDA, already shows that the drier Alpine cheeses come in a few grams lighter than cheddar and Jack. Gruyère lands on exactly the same figure as Swiss.\n\nWhy lighter? Solid Gruyère is about as dense as water, so the difference is in how the shreds stack, not in the cheese. A drier, firmer cheese makes stiffer shreds that hold their shape and bridge across each other, leaving more air in the cup; softer, moister cheeses such as Jack slump into the gaps. USDA's diced figure is the control: cubes of Gruyère weigh 132 g per cup, the same as USDA's cubes of Swiss and Monterey Jack, because cubes pack the same way whatever the cheese. Only the shredded figure moves, and only by a few percent.\n\nPractical guidance: a 3.5-oz bag is 99 g, a little under 1 cup; a 4-oz bag is 113 g, just over. For French onion soup, 1/2 cup is 54 g; for a gratin calling for 2 cups, use 216 g. Gruyère shreds cleanly on a box grater. Grated finely on a rasp it fluffs up and a cup weighs much less, so weigh it for fondue and soufflés, where the amount of cheese sets the texture.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows Gruyère beside Swiss, cheddar, Jack and the other shredded and crumbled cheeses." }, { "id": "shredded-mexican-blend", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese", "synonyms": [ "Mexican blend cheese", "Mexican cheese blend", "Mexican four cheese blend", "4 cheese Mexican", "Mexican style shredded cheese", "taco cheese" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, Mexican blend\" (FDC 171288)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1/4 cup shredded = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g per US cup (density 0.473 g/mL); it lists no cup portion. Water 40.5 g, fat 32.1 g, protein 23.5 g per 100 g.", "fdc_id": 171288, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "USDA FNDDS \"Cheese, Mexican blend, reduced fat\" (food code 14120020)", "ref": "USDA's survey database publishes 1 cup, shredded = 113 g (density 0.478 g/mL) for the reduced-fat version of the blend.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "Sargento Shredded 4 Cheese Mexican, Traditional Cut (producer label)", "ref": "Brand site: 1/4 cup (28 g), 8 servings per 8-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup. Sargento's fine-cut 8-oz bag is described as 2 cups, the same arithmetic.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Tillamook Farmstyle Mexican 4 Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail label (Giant): 1/4 cup, 8 servings per 8-oz bag; Tillamook's own site gives the serving as 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Land O Lakes Mexican Blend Farmstyle Cut (producer label)", "ref": "Brand site: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded Mexican blend cheese weighs 112 g per US cup (4 oz), a density of 0.473 g/mL. USDA's record gives a quarter cup at 28 g, its reduced-fat record gives a cup at 113 g, and the Sargento, Tillamook and Land O Lakes bags all label a quarter cup at 28 g.\n\nMexican blend is a bag of mixed shreds sold for tacos, enchiladas, nachos and quesadillas. The four-cheese versions usually combine Monterey Jack and mild cheddar with two Mexican-style melting cheeses, queso quesadilla and asadero; three-cheese and \"taco\" blends drop one or add seasoning. USDA's record puts the mix at 40.5% water and 32% fat, between cheddar and Monterey Jack, which is what a blend led by those two cheeses should be.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, Mexican blend\" (FDC 171288) lists one household portion, 1/4 cup shredded at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup. Its FNDDS survey record for the reduced-fat blend (food code 14120020) lists 1 cup shredded at 113 g. Sargento's traditional-cut and fine-cut bags, Tillamook's farmstyle bag and Land O Lakes all print 1/4 cup at 28 g. Sargento describes its 8-oz fine-cut bag as 2 cups and its 16-oz bag as 4 cups, which is the same quarter-cup arithmetic.\n\nThat agreement is weaker evidence than it looks. 28 g per quarter cup is the one-ounce serving that US labels print on every shredded cheese, and USDA's quarter-cup portion for this blend looks like the same convention. Taken alone it would not decide a figure, which is why confidence is medium rather than high.\n\nThe physical check comes from the cheeses in the bag. USDA weighed cups of shredded Monterey Jack and shredded cheddar directly, and both came out at 113 g. Those two cheeses make up most of every blend, and the Mexican melting cheeses mixed in are soft, semi-moist cheeses of the same kind, so the blend should land at 112-113 g per cup, which is exactly where every source puts it. King Arthur's chart has no row for blends; its grouped row for cheddar and Jack is 113 g.\n\nFine cut and traditional cut carry the same label figure, and USDA's reduced-fat cup, from a moister cheese at 48% water, lands at 113 g too, so neither the cut nor the fat level makes a measurable difference in these sources.\n\nPractical guidance: an 8-oz bag is 227 g, 2 cups; a 16-oz bag about 4 cups. For a taco, 2 tablespoons is 14 g; for a pan of enchiladas calling for 2 cups, use 224 g; for nachos, 1 cup is 112 g. When a recipe gives the cheese in ounces, 4 oz of shredded blend fills about 1 cup.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows Mexican blend beside the cheeses it is made from and the other shredded and crumbled cheeses." }, { "id": "shredded-monterey-jack", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese", "synonyms": [ "Monterey Jack", "shredded Monterey Jack", "Jack cheese", "shredded Jack cheese", "grated Monterey Jack" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "high", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, monterey\" (FDC 170844)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup shredded = 113 g (density 0.478 g/mL) and 1 cup diced = 132 g. Water 41.0 g per 100 g. Primary anchor.", "fdc_id": 170844, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL, one figure for four cheeses.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "Sargento Shredded Monterey Jack (producer label)", "ref": "Brand nutrition panel: 1/4 cup (28 g), 8 servings per 8-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Kroger Shredded Monterey Jack (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), 8 servings per 8-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup. Same as Sargento.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded Monterey Jack weighs 113 g per US cup (4 oz), a density of 0.478 g/mL, exactly the same as shredded cheddar. USDA, King Arthur and the Sargento and Kroger labels agree within 1 g per cup, so this is a high-confidence single figure.\n\nMonterey Jack is a mild, semi-soft American cow's-milk cheese, a little moister than cheddar: USDA puts it at 41% water against about 37% for cheddar. It melts smoothly, which is why it is a common base of taco and Mexican-style shredded blends, and it shreds into soft ribbons on a box grater or a commercial shredder.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, monterey\" (FDC 170844) publishes 1 cup shredded at 113 g and 1 cup diced at 132 g. King Arthur's chart lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, matching USDA exactly for Jack. The Sargento and Kroger bags both list 1/4 cup at 28 g, which works out to 112 g per cup.\n\nA cup of shredded cheese measures mostly air. The cheese itself is about as dense as water, but shreds stack loosely, so a cup holds less than half a cup's worth of solid cheese. USDA's two portions show how much the shape matters: the same cheese diced into cubes weighs 132 g per cup, about 17% more than shredded, because cubes pack with fewer gaps than tangled ribbons.\n\nKing Arthur groups four cheeses at one figure. For Jack and cheddar that grouping is right; for Swiss it is close (USDA measures 108 g, within tolerance); for low-moisture part-skim mozzarella, the standard pizza cheese, it is about 30% too heavy, as the shredded mozzarella entry explains. The 28 g per quarter cup on the bags is the label's one-ounce serving written as a volume; here it happens to agree with USDA's measurement, which is not true for every cheese.\n\nPractical guidance: an 8-oz bag holds 227 g, almost exactly 2 cups. For quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos and casseroles, 1/2 cup is 56.5 g and 1/4 cup 28 g. Pepper Jack is Monterey Jack with flecks of chili, a trace ingredient by weight, so it should shred to the same figure. If you shred a block yourself on a box grater, expect the same 110-115 g per cup; a fine grater makes lighter, fluffier shreds and a lighter cup.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows Jack beside cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, parmesan, feta and blue cheese, from the lightest to the heaviest cup." }, { "id": "shredded-mozzarella", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Mozzarella Cheese", "synonyms": [ "mozzarella", "shredded mozzarella", "shredded mozzarella cheese", "low-moisture part-skim mozzarella", "LMPS mozzarella", "pizza cheese", "shredded mozz", "grated mozzarella" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.3635, "range_max": 0.4776, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Genuine 31% spread reflects real variance between low-moisture part-skim (LMPS) and whole milk mozzarella. USDA measures LMPS shreds at 86 g/cup and whole milk shreds at 112 g/cup. Retail labels all report FDA convention 28g per 1/4 cup (implying 112 g/cup) regardless of variety inside. King Arthur groups mozzarella with cheddar/jack/swiss at 113 g/cup, accurate for whole milk mozz but overstates LMPS by 30%.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, mozzarella, low moisture, part-skim, shredded\" (FDC 170900)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup shredded LMPS mozzarella = 86 g, corresponding to density 0.363 g/mL. LMPS is the standard US retail pizza cheese. Anchor low. Physically consistent with LMPS's drier and stringier shreds packing with more air space than whole milk mozz.", "fdc_id": 170900, "density_g_per_ml": 0.3635 }, { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk\" (FDC 170845)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella = 112 g, density 0.473 g/mL. Higher fat and moisture make shreds tackier and denser-packed than LMPS. Genuinely distinct product from LMPS despite sharing the mozzarella name.", "fdc_id": 170845, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "ChefSolver measured density", "ref": "ChefSolver publishes shredded mozzarella at 0.47 g/mL, equivalent to 111 g per US cup. Reference base is USDA FoodData Central. Aligns with whole milk mozz measurement rather than LMPS.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4692 }, { "name": "Sargento Shredded Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup and density 0.473 g/mL. Contains potato starch, powdered cellulose, and natamycin anti-caking blend. Label follows FDA convention 1 oz = 1/4 cup regardless of actual measured density; USDA's directly-measured LMPS figure is 30% lower.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Great Value Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella (producer label)", "ref": "Walmart house brand LMPS shredded: 1/4 cup = 28 g, extrapolating to 112 g/cup. Same FDA-convention serving figure as Sargento, Wegmans, Happy Farms, Lidl, and Kraft.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss) at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL. A partial correction, for a scope error: KA generalizes a shredded semi-hard cheese density that fits cheddar (USDA 113, matches) and whole milk mozz (USDA 112, matches) but overstates LMPS shredded mozzarella (USDA 86) by 30%. LMPS is the dominant retail form in US kitchens, so KA's grouped figure is misleading for the most common use case.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 } ], "verified": "2026-09-23", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded mozzarella cup weight depends on which variety and how it is measured. USDA measures low-moisture part-skim (LMPS) shreds at 86 g/cup and whole milk shreds at 112 g/cup — a 30% gap. Retail bags predominantly contain LMPS (pizza cheese) but their nutrition labels report the FDA convention of 28g per 1/4 cup, implying 112 g/cup density regardless of variety.\n\nMozzarella (Italian mozzare, to cut) is a soft cow's-milk or water-buffalo cheese made by the pasta filata process — stretching and kneading fresh curds in hot water. Three retail forms differ substantially in composition and behavior. Fresh mozzarella (packed in water or brine, ~52% moisture) is very soft and rarely shredded. Low-moisture part-skim (LMPS) is the standard pizza cheese in US retail, made from partially skimmed milk and dried to ~48% moisture, firm enough to shred cleanly on a box grater or commercial machine. Whole milk mozzarella (low-moisture) has higher fat, moderate firmness, and is common in premium shredded blends.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy publishes distinct records for both retail-shred forms. \"Cheese, mozzarella, low moisture, part-skim, shredded\" (FDC 170900) shows 1 cup shredded = 86 g, density 0.363 g/mL. \"Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk\" (FDC 170845) shows 1 cup shredded = 112 g, density 0.473 g/mL. The 30% density gap reflects physical differences: LMPS shreds are drier and stringier, packing with substantially more air space than whole-milk shreds which are moister and tackier.\n\nRetail producer labels all report the FDA nutrition-label convention: 1 oz = 28 g = 1/4 cup, which extrapolates to 112 g/cup. This figure holds regardless of whether the product inside is LMPS, whole milk, or a blend — Sargento LMPS, Great Value LMPS, Wegmans LMPS, Happy Farms LMPS, Lidl LMPS, Kraft LMPS, and Costco LMPS all use this exact serving convention. Whether this reflects real packed-cup density or a legal serving-size approximation is not documented publicly. Home cooks measuring 1 cup of LMPS shreds by loose scooping typically get closer to 85-90 g, matching USDA's laboratory measurement.\n\nKing Arthur's ingredient weight chart groups mozzarella with cheddar, jack, and Swiss at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g. This figure is accurate for cheddar (USDA agrees at 113) and whole milk mozzarella (USDA at 112) but overstates LMPS shredded mozzarella by 30%. It is a scope error — KA generalizes a shredded semi-hard cheese density that fits some cheeses and not others.\n\nFor validation and internal consistency, this entry withholds a single figure and publishes the observed range 86-112 g/cup. The 31% spread reflects real variance between LMPS and whole milk shredded mozzarella, both sold under the shredded mozzarella name.\n\nPractical guidance: for pizza applications (topping, blends, calzones, stuffed crust), the LMPS density of ~86 g/cup is closest to reality — retail pizza cheese behaves this way. For baking and pasta applications where whole milk mozzarella is preferred (lasagna, baked ziti, fresh pizza on artisan crusts), the whole milk density of ~112 g/cup applies. When a recipe simply says \"shredded mozzarella\" without specifying, LMPS is the default in US kitchens; use ~90 g/cup as a working estimate. When comparing to shredded cheddar cheese entry (113 g/cup, high-confidence single figure), note that mozzarella is genuinely lighter per cup due to moisture and fat differences that affect shred packing behavior." }, { "id": "shredded-parmesan-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Parmesan Cheese", "synonyms": [ "shredded parmesan", "parmesan shreds", "shredded parmigiano", "shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano", "parmesan shredded" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "low", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": null, "range_min": 0.3381, "range_max": 0.4734, "withheld": true, "withheld_reason": "Sources split 80-112 g per cup, a 40% gap, far over the 10% tolerance. USDA and the brands that label by the tablespoon give 80 g; the brands that label by the quarter cup give 112 g, the same 28 g they print for every cheese. No single figure is published.", "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, parmesan, shredded\" (FDC 173431)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release lists 1 tbsp = 5 g (no cup portion), extrapolating to 80 g per cup and density 0.338 g/mL. Water 25.0 g per 100 g.", "fdc_id": 173431, "density_g_per_ml": 0.3381 }, { "name": "Private Selection Shredded Parmesan (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1 tbsp (5 g), extrapolating to 80 g per cup. Matches USDA.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.3381 }, { "name": "H-E-B Copper Kettle Shredded Parmesan (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1 Tbsp (5 g), about 28 servings per 5-oz bag, extrapolating to 80 g per cup. Matches USDA.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.3381 }, { "name": "Sargento Shredded Parmesan (producer label)", "ref": "Brand nutrition panel: 1/4 cup (28 g), 5 servings per bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Kraft Shredded Parmesan (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label, 5-oz and finely shredded 6-oz bags: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Tillamook Shredded Parmesan (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), 5 servings per 5.5-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded parmesan weighs 80 to 112 g per US cup (2.8 to 4 oz). USDA and the brands that label by the tablespoon put it at 80 g; the brands that label by the quarter cup put it at 112 g. The gap is 40%, far over tolerance, so this entry publishes the range rather than picking one.\n\nShredded parmesan is a different product from grated parmesan, which has its own entry. Shreds are short, stiff strands cut on a shredder; grated parmesan is a fine, sandy powder. Parmesan is a hard aged cheese with only about 25% water, so its shreds are stiff and do not compact: they bridge across each other and leave a lot of air in the cup, more than the softer shreds of cheddar or Jack.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, parmesan, shredded\" (FDC 173431) has no cup portion, only 1 tablespoon at 5 g, which is 80 g per cup. Two store-brand labels, Kroger's Private Selection and H-E-B's Copper Kettle, list the same 1 tablespoon at 5 g. Sargento, Kraft and Tillamook list 1/4 cup at 28 g instead, which is 112 g per cup.\n\nThe two groups are not measuring the same thing. Every shredded-cheese bag that labels by the quarter cup prints 28 g, whether the cheese is feta at 55% water or parmesan at 25%, because 28 g is the one-ounce serving written as a volume. The tablespoon labels are smaller servings that match USDA's measurement exactly. The physics favours the lower figure too: stiff, dry shreds should fill a cup more loosely than cheddar does, and cheddar is 113 g. Following this site's precedent for labels of this kind, both groups are recorded and the range is published, but for a loosely filled cup 80 g is the better working figure.\n\nKing Arthur's chart has a row for grated parmesan only, 1/2 cup = 50 g, which belongs to the grated product and is not used here. America's Test Kitchen's grating chart makes the same point from the other side: one ounce of hard cheese fills anything from a quarter cup to half a cup depending on the grater, so cut and shred size decide the weight more than the cheese does.\n\nPractical guidance: a 5-oz bag holds 142 g, somewhere between 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 cups depending on which figure your bag follows. For pasta, salads and gratins, weigh it: 1/2 cup is 40-56 g. When a recipe written by weight calls for 50 g of parmesan, shredded and grated cheese are interchangeable by weight but not by volume.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows shredded and grated parmesan side by side with the softer cheeses." }, { "id": "shredded-pepper-jack", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese", "synonyms": [ "pepper Jack", "shredded pepper Jack", "pepper Jack cheese", "jalapeño Jack", "hot pepper Jack" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, monterey\" (FDC 170844), the base cheese", "ref": "USDA has no pepper Jack record. Its record for the base cheese, Monterey Jack, publishes 1 cup shredded = 113 g (density 0.478 g/mL) and 1 cup diced = 132 g. Water 41.0 g, fat 30.3 g per 100 g. Pepper Jack is Monterey Jack with chopped chili, a trace by weight.", "fdc_id": 170844, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL, one figure for four cheeses including Jack.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "Kraft Natural Cheese Pepper Jack Shredded (producer label)", "ref": "Brand nutrition panel, 8-oz bag: 1/4 cup (28 g), extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "H-E-B Organics Pepper Jack Shredded Cheese (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), 6 servings per 6-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded pepper Jack weighs 113 g per US cup (4 oz), a density of 0.478 g/mL, the same as shredded Monterey Jack. King Arthur gives 113 g for shredded Jack, USDA measures 113 g for the base cheese, and the Kraft and H-E-B bags label a quarter cup at 28 g, which is 112 g per cup.\n\nPepper Jack is Monterey Jack with chopped chili peppers, usually jalapeño, sometimes habanero or red pepper flakes, stirred into the curd before it is pressed. The peppers are a small fraction of the cheese by weight, so the cheese around them has Monterey Jack's make-up: USDA puts Monterey at 41% water and 30% fat, a little moister than cheddar. It is mild, semi-soft and melts smoothly, which makes it a common choice for quesadillas, nachos, burgers and spicy macaroni and cheese.\n\nUSDA FoodData Central has no record for pepper Jack. Its record for the base cheese, SR Legacy \"Cheese, monterey\" (FDC 170844), publishes 1 cup shredded at 113 g and 1 cup diced at 132 g. King Arthur's chart lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g. For Jack that figure matches USDA exactly, and this entry publishes it. Confidence is medium rather than high because no source has weighed a cup of the pepper version itself.\n\nThe bags agree within a gram. Kraft and H-E-B both print a quarter cup at 28 g, which works out to 112 g per cup. That 28 g is the one-ounce serving that US labels write as a quarter cup on every shredded cheese, whatever it really weighs, so it is not a measurement. It lines up here only because Jack genuinely weighs about 112-113 g per cup.\n\nThe physical check is simple. Solid cheese is about as dense as water, close to 1 g/mL. A cup of shreds at 0.478 g/mL is therefore a little under half cheese and a little over half air. The chili flecks do not change that: they are small soft pieces spread through the cheese, not something that changes how the shreds stack. USDA's diced Monterey Jack, at 132 g per cup, shows the other side of the same rule: cubes pack with fewer gaps than tangled shreds, so the same cheese weighs about 17% more per cup when diced.\n\nPractical guidance: an 8-oz bag is 227 g, almost exactly 2 cups. For a quesadilla, 1/4 cup is 28 g; for a pan of nachos or a casserole topping, 1 cup is 113 g and 1/2 cup 56.5 g. Shreds from the fine side of a box grater are fluffier and settle less, so a home-shredded cup can come out lighter than a bagged one; weigh when the amount of cheese sets the texture, as in a cheese sauce.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows pepper Jack beside Monterey Jack, cheddar, Swiss, Gruyère and the other shredded and crumbled cheeses." }, { "id": "shredded-swiss-cheese", "schema_version": 3, "name": "Shredded Swiss Cheese", "synonyms": [ "Swiss cheese", "shredded Swiss", "grated Swiss", "Swiss cheese shredded", "shredded Emmental" ], "category": "cheese", "default_state": "standard", "confidence": "medium", "states": [ { "id": "standard", "label": "Standard, shredded, spooned and leveled", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4565, "range_min": null, "range_max": null, "sources": [ { "name": "USDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, swiss\" (FDC 171251)", "ref": "USDA Standard Release publishes 1 cup shredded = 108 g (density 0.457 g/mL), 1 cup diced = 132 g and 1 cup melted = 244 g. Water 37.6 g per 100 g. Primary anchor.", "fdc_id": 171251, "density_g_per_ml": 0.4565 }, { "name": "King Arthur Baking Ingredient Weight Chart", "ref": "KA lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 1 cup = 4 oz = 113 g, density 0.478 g/mL, one figure for four cheeses.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4776 }, { "name": "Sargento Shredded Swiss (producer label)", "ref": "Brand nutrition panel: 1/4 cup (28 g), 5 servings per 5-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup (density 0.473 g/mL).", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 }, { "name": "Kroger Shredded Swiss (producer label)", "ref": "Retail nutrition label: 1/4 cup (28 g), 6 servings per 6-oz bag, extrapolating to 112 g per cup. Same as Sargento.", "density_g_per_ml": 0.4734 } ], "verified": "2026-10-26", "last_reviewed": "2026-10-26" } ], "yields": [], "notes": "Shredded Swiss cheese weighs 108 g per US cup (3.8 oz), a density of 0.457 g/mL, by USDA's measurement. King Arthur and the Sargento and Kroger labels put it at 112-113 g, within the 10% tolerance, so USDA's figure is published, at medium confidence because it is the only true measurement among the four.\n\nSwiss cheese here means the mild, holey Emmental-style cheese sold sliced and shredded in US stores. It is firm and elastic, and slightly drier than cheddar or Monterey Jack: USDA puts it at 37.6% water against Jack's 41%.\n\nUSDA SR Legacy \"Cheese, swiss\" (FDC 171251) publishes 1 cup shredded at 108 g, 1 cup diced at 132 g and 1 cup melted at 244 g. The melted figure is the useful one for physics: with the air gone, Swiss cheese is about 1.03 g/mL, so a cup of shreds at 0.457 g/mL is roughly 44% cheese and 56% air. King Arthur's chart lists \"Cheese (grated cheddar, jack, mozzarella, or Swiss)\" at 113 g per cup, and the Sargento and Kroger bags list 1/4 cup at 28 g, or 112 g per cup.\n\nWhy Swiss comes out a little lighter than cheddar and Jack (113 g): its drier, more elastic shreds hold their shape and settle less in the cup, so more of the cup stays air. The 4-5 g difference is real but small, inside the 10% tolerance for shredded cheeses, so King Arthur's grouped figure is close enough here and is not rejected. That is not true for every cheese in King Arthur's group: low-moisture part-skim mozzarella measures about 30% lighter than the grouped 113 g.\n\nThe labels' 28 g per quarter cup is the one-ounce serving written as a volume, the same on Swiss, cheddar, feta and parmesan bags alike, so it is a weak measurement. USDA's 108 g is the figure taken from an actual cup of shredded Swiss, which is why it is the one published.\n\nPractical guidance: a 6-oz bag holds 170 g, about 1 1/2 cups, and an 8-oz bag 227 g, about 2 cups. For quiche, Reuben sandwiches, gratins and fondue-style dips, 1/2 cup is 54 g and 1/4 cup 27 g. Shredding a block at home on a box grater gives about the same figure; for fondue, where the cheese is melted anyway, weigh it, since 1 cup of shreds melts down to less than half a cup.\n\nThe shredded cheese comparison page shows Swiss beside cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, parmesan, feta and blue cheese." } ]