Wraps & Liners

Cheesecloth

Loose-woven cloth for straining stock and bundling herbs

A loosely woven cotton cloth that strains stock and nut milk crystal-clear, bundles herbs and spices into a sachet, and presses moisture from cheese and yogurt. Layer it double for finer straining. Rinse and reuse, or use a fresh piece for clean jobs.

Cheesecloth is a loosely woven cotton gauze whose open weave is the whole point: it lets liquid pass while catching solids, which makes it the cook's go-to for straining stock and nut milk crystal-clear, bundling herbs and spices into a sachet, and pressing the whey out of homemade cheese and yogurt. Layer it for finer filtering, or wrap and squeeze to extract juice or moisture. Cheap, versatile, and reusable, it does straining and bundling jobs no sieve or bag does as well.

Types & varieties

Open weave (#10-#40)

Loose grades for bundling spices, basting, and coarse straining.

Fine weave (#60-#90)

Tight grades for crystal-clear stock, jellies, and nut milk.

Reusable cotton/muslin

Heavier washable cloth (a 'jelly bag' or nut-milk bag) for repeated straining.

Straining clear

Line a sieve with a double or triple layer of cheesecloth set over a bowl, then pour slowly and let gravity do the work — don't press, which forces sediment through and clouds the result. For stock, broth, and jelly this gives a clear, sediment-free liquid that a sieve alone can't.

Line a sieve with 2-3 layers for clarity
Pour slowly; let it drip rather than pressing (for clear liquid)
Squeeze hard only when you want maximum yield, not clarity

Bundling and pressing

Tie herbs and spices in a square to make a sachet or bouquet garni that flavors a pot and lifts out clean. Wrapped tightly and weighted or twisted, cheesecloth presses whey from fresh cheese, drains yogurt into a thick labneh, or wrings water from grated vegetables for fritters.

Common uses

Straining stock, broth, and jelly clearFiltering nut milk and cold-brew coffeeBundling a bouquet garni or spice sachetMaking fresh cheese and draining yogurt to labnehWringing moisture from grated vegetablesLining a colander to drain ricottaWrapping a turkey breast for self-basting

Tips & pitfalls

Double or triple the layers for fine, clear straining.
For crystal-clear stock, let it drip without pressing — squeezing pushes sediment through.
Rinse cheesecloth in cold water before its first use to remove loose lint.
Wrap and squeeze grated potato or zucchini to wring out water before frying.
Wash and reuse for stock, but use a fresh piece for delicate or dairy jobs.