Outdoor Cheesecloth Uses That Will Boost Your Farm Profit

Cheesecloth is renowned for its immense cheese making options. Over the years, it has proven to be one of the items that every home needs. Well, its versatility makes it useful not only in the kitchen but also in the farm. In fact, you may have more to do with this fabric in the garden than in the kitchen.

Having said that, its important to not that different types of cheesecloth will serve different purposes. The cheesecloth that is best suited to sprout seeds may not be the best to make compost tea. However, it doesn’t hurt to experiment. You will learn and probably discover something that no one did. Here are amazing outdoor cheesecloth uses in the farm that you never knew.

1.      Keeping Off Critters From The Farm

All your effort, time and resources will go to waste if you do not have a reliable way of stopping critters from invading your farm. With the use of cheesecloth, you can deter these critters from invading your farm. All you need is a stick and a piece of cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth to a stick and add a little ammonia. This will keep the critters at bay effortlessly.

2.      Making Compost Tea

Growing healthy foods naturally is now the order of the day. If you have tried green farming, you probably use compost tea. Having cheesecloth in your farm will make it easier for you to make the compost tea. You just need to have some natural fertilizer in its liquid form and a piece of cheesecloth.

3.      Cheesecloth For Traditional Row Cover

Most plants, especially vegetables need to be covered to protect them from natural elements and insects. The use of cheesecloth as row covers comes in handy in ensuring that you are protecting your crop. The cheesecloth will be reusable thus can be used for several seasons. Having cheese cloth will leave you at an advantage as you can extend the season in fall and spring.

4.      Support Young Trees And Shrubs

Young shrubs and trees need support while being established in seedbeds or after transplanting. Cheesecloth is quite soft and friendly. It can therefore be used to make strips that can come in handy in tying the trees and shrubs to maintain the upright position. You may also use cheese cloth strips to keep older shrubs in place during winter thus avoid heaving.

5.      Making Shades/Screens

Greenhouse farming is very profitable but only if you can control bugs from entering the greenhouse. In the course of lifting the covers to allow light into the greenhouse, bugs may enter and wreak havoc. One of the sure ways of ensuring that this doesn’t happen is having cheesecloth hanging at the greenhouse window.

6.      Garden Mulching

Mulching is very essential in water conservation. Many farmers have a rough time trying to retain water in their soil simply because they do not have the appropriate mulching material. Well, cheesecloth will play the trick for you.

 

7.      Sprouting Micro Greens

Micro greens are essential in salad making. Getting them from the market isn’t cheap thus the need to hack a trick of making them at home. All you need is a jar and a piece of cheesecloth. Replace the top insert of the jar with the piece of cheese cloth to make a home-sprouter. Soak the seeds (beans) and rinse them twice per day. In a few days sprouts will emerge and you will have fresh and healthy micro greens for your salads.

8.      Deter Deer

Cheesecloth may be used to deter deer from entering the farm. Deer tend to destroy farm produce by eating the soft shoots. Tie some strong scented pieces of soap with a cheese cloth and hand them at different corners of the farm. This should be enough to scare away the deer.

9.      Prevent Leafy Green Vegetables From Bug Infestation

Insects are quite essential in pollination but it’s not every plant that needs pollination. Leafy green plants may not need these insects. They can thus be covered with cheesecloth to keep off the insects. This will produce high quality leafy vegetables that will fetch good returns in the market. This is a healthy way of controlling these insects.

10. Strain Berries To Make Jellies And Jam

Once your berries are ready, you can easily make jams and jellies from the comfort of your home. Cheesecloth will help you strain the jam to get high quality finishes.

Conclusion

Cheesecloth has hundreds of uses. This may explain why it has been in existence for years and still remains to be a darling for many. You will find it in almost every home and it not only in the kitchen but also in the farms.

We have just discussed the basic outdoor uses of cheesecloth but you can be sure that there are a more uses. You can also explore more cheese cloth uses in our detailed publication. This is indeed one of those items that you will need round the clock. Having it will save you money and also play a major role in boosting your returns.

Just ensure that you are getting the right cheesecloth for the specific purpose as different cheese cloths will have different features and characteristics.

 

Tips On How To Clean Cheesecloth Safely

Everyone wants to make the best of their cheesecloth. One of the sure bets of getting value for your money is using and re-using the cheesecloth. This will only be possible if you can safely clean the cheesecloth after every use. Cheesecloth, especially food-safe cheesecloth, is not just any other fabric. It needs specialized cleaning.

Never cleaned cheesecloth before? Well, we’ve got your back. We’ll share some tips on how to clean cheesecloth safely and save you that extra coin. The secret behind re-using cheesecloth is always keeping it clean. This simply means thoroughly cleaning it after every use and ensuring that it is dry before storing. Cheesecloth is made of loose weave fabric that makes it easy to clean and dry. Let’s help you understand how you can clean and recycle reusable cheesecloth.

Step by Step Guide on How To Clean Cheesecloth

Step1: Soak cheesecloth Immediately/Pre-Rinse

Soaking is an essential step in the cheesecloth cleaning process. Most of the foods solidify very fast once removed in the cooking liquid. This means that they will stick to the cheese cloth. Soaking ensures that the food particles do not stick to the fabric.

Try to remove all the visible food particles during the soaking stage. Soak, rinse until when the cheese cloth doesn’t have any food remnants. This will give you an easy time when cleaning your cloth.

Step 2: Clean Thoroughly

Clean the cheese cloth in a tub of water. Preferably, use hot water. This will not only clean the fabric but also kill the micro-organisms that may be in the fabric.

Rub the cheesecloth fabric thoroughly against itself. This should be done gently to ensure that you do not tear the fabric.

Inspect the cloth for stains and food remains. The cloth will be considered clean when all the food particles have been removed.

Meat, grease and oil tend to be very stubborn. These are best removed by boiling the cheese cloth in water. Ten (10) minutes should be enough to remove all the grease and oil.

Rinse the cheesecloth thoroughly.

Step 3: Let dry

Hanging the cheesecloth outside is the best way to let it dry. You however need to ensure that it’s not exposed to any contamination.

A hot dryer may be used to dry the cloth. This will be faster and ensures that the cloth doesn’t collect dirt and other contaminants.

Safe Cleaning Agents Used To Clean Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth cleaning is an activity that requires utmost care. The procedure and reagents used to clean the cheesecloth will definitely determine the quality of cheese produced. It is therefore important to ensure that you are using the right cleaning agents. Some of the approved cheesecloth cleaning agents include;

1. Food Certified Soaps

The national sanitation foundation (NSF) is mandated with development and certification of public health related programs. They set the standards through testing and certification on products and systems.

Soaps that have been certified by the NSF international will have the certification trade mark. These are user friendly. They can be used to clean cheese cloth as they do not contain any toxic chemicals.

2. White Vinegar

White vinegar has been used for decades as a cleaning agent. This may be used to remove stubborn stains in cheese cloth. Crusty bits that prove difficult to remove with plain water can be removed with ease using white vinegar.

When using white vinegar to clean cheesecloth, mix half (1/2) cup of the vinegar with one gallon of water. If the cheesecloth is very grimy, you may use up to one (1) cup of vinegar.

Vinegar alternatives include; lemon juice and baking soda.

3. NSF Certified Bleach

Not every type of bleach can be used to clean cheesecloth. It is recommended that you only use NSF certified bleach. This bleach normally has a label that indicates calcium hypochlorite. This is the solid, normally powdered, form of chlorine.

Borax may be used to clean stubborn stains in cheesecloth.

Tips For Using Bleach Or Chlorine To Clean Cheesecloth

  1. The bleach needs to be diluted. Only a small amount if chlorine/bleach is needed to sanitize the fabric. The recommended ration is (one) 1 teaspoon of chlorine to (one) 1 quart of water.
  2. Do not soak the cheesecloth for long. Chlorine based bleach becomes inactive very fast. You therefore just need to soak it for a few minutes. Rinse the cloth immediately.
  3. You can extend the life of your chlorine solution by storing it in a cool dark place.
  4. Chlorine with added fragrance is not food-safe and should not be used to clean cheesecloth.

4. Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is used to clean and sanitize cheesecloth as well as other food handling appliances. It is normally heated and will produce an odor, this odor isn’t harmful. Here’s how to use hydrogen peroxide to clean cheese cloth by heating and without heating.

Option 1: Heating Hydrogen Peroxide

  • Use a sauce pan to heat ½ C (4oz) hydrogen peroxide to a temperature of 660C (1500F).
  • Pour the warm hydrogen peroxide solution into a spray bottle using a funnel.
  • Hang the cheesecloth and spray the solution.
  • Let sit for at least one (1) minute.
  • Rinse the cloth thoroughly.

Option 2: Without Heating Hydrogen Peroxide

  • Measure ½ C (4oz) hydrogen peroxide.
  • Pour into a spray bottle using a funnel
  • Spray the hydrogen peroxide onto the hang cheesecloth
  • Let sit for at least 10 minutes
  • Rinse the cheese cloth with adequate water.

Conclusion

There are numerous guides on how to clean cheesecloth. However, it’s not every process that will be fabric friendly. We have narrowed down the options for you to help you select the method that will be food-safe and friendly.

Use any of the above cleaning agents to clean your cheese cloth in an easy and safe way. You can also learn how to effectively use your cheesecloth here. Enjoy every moment in your kitchen.

 

 

Effective Treatment Of Mastitis In Dairy Cattle

The treatment of mastitis in dairy cattle can take different dimensions. Treatment varies from the use of antibiotics to the treatment without antibiotics. The former is the commonly practiced curative method but a good number of farmers also use the latter.

The Use Of Antibiotics

To date, antibiotics remain to be the basis of numerous treatment regimes. They can be used in different ways to ensure that the farmer doesn’t incur losses. The applications include;

Intramammary Antibiotics

This is the first line treatment for cows with in-complicated mastitis in a single quarter. Intramammary delivery of an antibiotic into the mammary gland, by way of an intramammary infusion is the most effective method to use to treat; it is given the type of bacteria that is causing the infection.

Systemic Antibiotic

This should be used when more than a quarter is affected especially when the udder changes are marked or when the core is obviously ill. It is allowed under veterinary supervision. Their use is not recommended for mild or moderate clinical causes.

Clinical Mastitis Therapy

This treatment is required by ethical and animal welfare reasons. This treatment is well being of the diseased cow. It acts as  a supporting system for the body’s defenses, it kills the pathogens and in so doing reducing the elimination of bacteria. It is mainly determined by the status of all immunological body defenses.

Reduced Antibiotic Use In Cattle

Economical resource saving milk production provides the basic for sustained consumer acceptance. A combined intervention scheme may be adopted to reduce the need for antibiotic treatments in dairy cattle farms. This should be based on timely and thorough clinical inspections as well as  assessment of animal-based welfare. Its important to note that environmental adaptation of dairy cows defines the risk of animals contracting diseases.

Treating Mastitis Without Antibiotics

1. Treatment Of Mastitis Through Location Therapy

Treatment of mastitis should be based on bacteriological diagnosis and take national and international guidelines, treatment should also be initiated based on herd data and personal experience through using aloe Vera.

Culture And Sample

It is necessary that a culture should be taken and either processed in the on-farm lab  or sent to an off-farm facility. Sampling should be done regularly with a keen interest of establishing the risk and extent of mastitis infection.

Take a Sample Before Any Cow Is Treated

Use an on-farm culture system or send it to your veterinarian. If you don’t have access to timely culture to treat all animals affected by mastitis, at least now you can have a sample to culture to find the culprit before you try to treat her again.

2. Massaging the teats

Massaging of the teats should commence immediately some hard spots start to form in cow teats. This is best practiced by farmers who milk their animals by hand. When using milking machines, you will need more advanced technology to determine when massaging needs to kick off.

Massaging the teats clears the clogs which are caused by milk curds in the teats. The massaging can be a little painful and the cow needs to be secured in place. Some will kick while others will try to free and run away.

3.      Warm compress

The secret behind fighting mastitis in cattle is ensuring that you eradicate the hardness in teats. Warm compress which involves placing heat on the affected teats encourages milk to flow.

The compress is a little friendly to the cow. They enjoy the soothing massage thus forgetting the pain for a moment.

4.      Expressing or nursing

Treatment of mastitis demands getting out as much milk from the teats as possible. This means that you need to increase the milking sessions. Here, you won’t be actually milking but expressing.

If you have nursing calves, you can let them suckle even more. The milk at this stage cannot be sold thus no loss in letting the calves suckle. The milk is safe for the calves unless it has a foul smell or a green coloring.

It’s important to note that there is some discharge that will be noted at the beginning of the expressing process. This is normal and shouldn’t raise any alarm.

5.      Immune boosting

Boosting the cow’s immune system may not necessarily cure mastitis. However, it is essential in helping the animal fight the pathogen and prevent other attacks. An animal whose body has sufficient vitamin C and probiotics has a higher chance of fighting mastitis in a short time.

6.      Using essential oils

Essential oils such as oregano, tea tree and peppermint are very effective in the treatment of mastitis. The essential oils have been used successfully in treatment of mastitis in human beings and can also be used in cattle. You may also use creams that contain these essential oils in treatment for mastitis in dairy cattle.

The cream or essential oil may be rubbed on the udder after every milking. The oil soothes the teats and udder and takes away the heat that is associated with mastitis. The cow can then feel relieved for a moment and experience less stress.

Conclusion

Prevention is better than cure. However, you can never be too sure that you have sealed all the loopholes especially when it comes to diseases. When infections such as mastitis strike, you have no alternative but to seek ways to eradicate them.

Mastitis in dairy cattle results in huge losses and affects a cow’s productivity. It therefore needs to be tackled head-on. There are tried and tested antibiotics that can be used to treat mastitis. With time, the mastitis bacteria animals’ bodies develop resistance towards these antibiotics. This makes it difficult to treat the animals using antibiotics.

Consequently, the farmer is force to either cull the animals or seek alternative mastitis treatment methods. This includes treatment of mastitis without antibiotics. Pointers above are some of the effective ways of treating mastitis without antibiotics.

We hope that the pointers will serve as an eye opener and help you control and eventually eradicate mastitis in your dairy farm. Just ensure that you engage your veterinary before embarking on any of the treatment methods. Their advice and guidance are invaluable and cannot be overlooked.

 

Reliable Guide On How To Use Cheesecloth

Learning how to use cheesecloth brings the enthusiasm of buying different types of cheesecloth if not the best cheesecloth grade. How we wish that this enthusiasm would last to the last piece of the cheesecloth. This isn’t always the case. Most people tend to use the cheesecloth for a few days and leave it collecting dust in the drawers. This happens when one doesn’t understand the different uses for cheesecloth. Essentially, cheese cloth is valuable piece that shouldn’t go to waste. This is one of the fabrics that has hundreds of uses and will always come in handy in almost all your recipes.

Cheese cloth are made of a light weight fabric. This fabric is commonly made of open-weave cotton. It’s the light fabric that makes it very friendly not only for kitchen use and outdoor uses. It’s food safe and doesn’t have negative health effects. The fact that it doesn’t change food flavor or color makes it very reliable in the kitchen.

What Are The Common Cheesecloth Uses?

1. Using Cheesecloth To Make Sachets At Home

Cheese making may be termed as the main cheesecloth use. Most chefs however use this fabric in diverse ways more often than making cheese. Cheese cloth may be used in making sachets. These can be herbs sachets or even tea bags. The fabric is strong and very efficient in making of aromatic sachets. The sachets can then be dropped in soup to give it the desired taste and aroma.

2. Pressing Tofu And Citrus Fruits Using Cheesecloth

Cheesecloth is commonly used to press tofu. It not only makes the process easy but also gives excellent results. More often than not, it is also used to wrap citrus fruits. It may also be used to press the fruits. Using the cheesecloth prevents seeds from entering into the fruit juice.

3. Making Homemade Stock

Making stock at home can be a little messy. Cheese cloth come in handy in the straining process. It not only keeps out the sediment but also the cloudiness that tends to settle at the bottom.

4. Slow Roasting Of Chicken Savior With Cheese Cloth

Roasted chicken is very tasty. Most people however complain of dry parts that give them a hard time. This is because most of the moisture is lost during the roasting process. Cheesecloth is used to trap the moisture while roasting the chicken.

  • Important Tip On How to use cheesecloth to roast chicken

Soak your cheese cloth in neutral oil and drape it over the chicken or turkey meat. Roast the meat with the guarantee of soft tasty and moisturized finish. You may remove the cloth in the last roasting stage to achieve the crispy brown skin.

5. Bacon Fat Straining

We all aim at making the best of our ingredients in the kitchen. When deep frying your meat, the rendered grease/oil left over shouldn’t go to waste. The fats can be strained using a cheese cloth and stored in the freezer awaiting the next cooking expedition.

The cheesecloth will come in handy in removing the broken pieces of meat or bacon. Some are quite tiny and settle at the bottom of the pan as sediments. This calls for a specialized sieve and cheese cloth happens to be one.

6. Making Home-Made Greek Yogurt With Cheesecloth

Home-made yogurt is not only sweet but also very healthy. Having tasted the home-made dessert, you will have no interest in flavored store yogurt. Luckily, the introduction of cheesecloth makes it easy to make your yogurt at home.

You can comfortably use cheese cloth to strain yogurt that has cream-cheese thickness. This can be used with plain yogurt or Greek yogurt which have a thick consistency. The results will be breath taking.

How To Re-Use Your Cheesecloth

A single use isn’t enough to render your cheesecloth useless. Well maintained cheesecloth can be used multiple times without compromising on the quality. Here’s a guide on how to clean and re-use your cheesecloth.

  1. Ensure that you rinse it immediately after use.
  2. You can then wash the cloth by hand or using a washing machine.
  3. Only use mild detergents to wash the cheese cloth. Avoid fabric softeners.
  4. Rinse the cheesecloth thoroughly to ensure that no detergent is left in the fabric.
  5. You may use white vinegar or whey to remove stubborn curd.
  6. Once in a while, rinse the cloth in boiling water. This will disinfect it.
  7. Leave the cloth to dry. It should be hung in an area where air flows freely devoid of any dust or contamination.
  8. Fold it and store in a cool dry place in readiness for the next recipe.

Conclusion

Cheesecloth isn’t cheap and thus need to be used carefully. You will attest to the fact that you need to use several layers of the material to get the best result. This being the case, you may end up using several meters of the material for a single recipe.

In the long run, you may end up spending a lot of money on the cheesecloth. To avoid straining your budget, it would be a great idea learning hot to use cheesecloth and even better reusing your cheese cloth. We hope that the steps own how to use and re-use cheesecloth outlined here will help you save money by using the cheesecloth over and over. The used cheesecloth can then be used in one of the  numerous cheesecloth uses in the farm.

Have fun in the kitchen!

Best Cheesecloth Alternatives In Cheese Making

We all love cheese, well probably not all, but yes we love cheese. However, only a few people have an idea how cheese is made. Some will even say it’s obtained just like meat. They may be right now that an animal will be involved but the difference here is that you wouldn’t have to slaughter it.

With cheese as a major ingredient in your recipes, you definitely need to know how to make the best cheese. The secret behind the best cheese is having the best cheese cloth and top notch cheese making skills. Well, don’t worry if you have no cheesecloth in your pastry. You can always use cheesecloth alternatives that are equally as reliable. Let’s focus on the substitution for cheesecloth that wont disappoint.

What Is A Cheese Cloth?

A cheese cloth is a lightweight, gauzy cotton fabric that has tiny holes that allow air to freely flow through. Normally, the cheese cloth will be available in six or seven grades that range from open to extra fine weave. These cheesecloth grades are determined and distinguished by the number of threads per square inch.

Outstanding Characteristics/Properties

  • Loosely woven cotton (natural)
  • Gauze quality
  • Unfinished edge
  • Lightweight
  • No impurities
  • Doesn’t fall off when wet
  • Doesn’t flavor the food

Primary Uses Of Cheesecloth

There is a wide range of uses attributed to this special piece of fabric. These include liquid straining in culinary activities, draining sauce and soups, covering tobacco plants, wrapping tea bags and cheese curd draining.

The finished pieces may also be used as bandages, surgical gauze, dust cloth, food wrappers, hat lining, fly nets or curtains.

In some instances the cloth has also been used as a table cloth. It also comes in handy when polishing surfaces and craftsmen have used it for decades to strain vanishes, paints and polish surfaces to achieve a fine and smoother finish.

How Do You Use A Cheese Cloth To Make Cheese?

Cheese cloth is specifically designed to make cheese and thus the name. In the cheese making process, cheese makers realized the need to protect their cheese to avoid the losses associated with poor ventilation in the aging process. They thus invented a piece of cloth that would allow air to flow freely allowing cheese to age appropriately.

The cheese cloth is wrapped around the cheese as it ages and is commonly used to make cheddar cheese. The fabric comes in handy in draining the whey (liquid) from cheese curds. This is quite vital as too much whey in the curds prevents cheese from aging and shaping into the desired wheels of cheese.

Cheesecloth is known to have loose weave. This makes it perfect for lining cheese molds. The lining goes a long way in wicking whey thus draining the molds.

Hard cheese has low moisture content. This means that it will be easy to serve it in slices, grate it or even use it in shavings. Such hard cheeses include Colby, cheddar, parmesan, gouda and Swiss.

Cheesecloth may be used for cheese bandaging. This is a cheese aging process that involves air drying. The cloth protects the cheese from unfriendly bacteria and mold development. For excellent results, a fat such as butter or lard is rubbed over the cheese cloth.

6 Reliable Cheese Cloth Alternatives

Cheesecloth alternatives range from cloths to sieves. There’s a wide range of items that can substitute cheesecloth in the cheese making process. Though the result may be a little different, the cheesecloth substitutes will come in handy if you need to make cheese but do not have cheesecloth in your pantry. Some of the common cheese cloth alternatives include;

1. Flour Sack Cloths

These are thin cotton towels made of a loose weave. In comparison to the cheese cloth, flour sack cloths tend to have tighter weave but are looser than your average dish towels.

2. Fine-Mesh Bags

Well, these may be popular with nut and grain milk production. However, that doesn’t stop you from using them to make your homemade cheese.

Just as they are used in making of almond milk or local beer, you can use the fine-mesh bags to play the role of a cheese cloth. This is because they are made of fine nylon and come in different shapes and sizes.

One of the major benefits of using these bags is that they are machine washable and wont stretch over time.

3. Cotton Fabric

Cotton is a material that will give you all sort of finishes and almost every piece of cloth made from cotton may help you make your cheese if you cannot access your cheesecloth. You can either use a pillow case, diaper cloth, jelly bag or even a cloth napkin.

Provided that they are clean and well maintained these pieces of cotton will give you excellent quality cheese.

4. Muslin

Muslin is a plain weave fabric mainly made from cotton. It is available in different weights. It may range from course sheets to delicate sheers. The fabric was traditionally used in dressmaking, photography, early aviation, shellac polishing and culinary.

In the cheese making process, muslin serves as the sieve or filter. It prevents sediments (curds) from entering the decanter. The curd which is then free from whey can be used to make cheese.

5. Fine Wire Sieve

The main purpose of the cheese cloth in the cheese making process is straining and a wire sieve may as well do that for you. Though the wire sieve may not be as efficient as the cheese cloth is in catching the fine particles, it will still help you in achieving good quality cheese.

It may however fail to give you the desired results if you are looking forward to perfectly clear jelly.

6. Pantyhose

Funny as it may sound, pantyhose comes in handy in cheese making. A pair of clean pantyhose stretched over a bowl will act as a perfect strainer. Pantyhose has been used in the storage of herbs and you can be sure that it will also give excellent results when it comes to cheese.

Conclusion

We know there are numerous ways of straining cheese at home but you will come to an agreement with us when we say that using cheesecloth is one of the easiest and most efficient methods.

The quality of the fabric will determine your results and it’s always good going for the best quality cheesecloth. However, if you have a tight budget, do not worry as there are cheap cheesecloth Substitutes that will work out just fine. Have fun straining your cheese at home and exploring the other options cheesecloth offers.

20 Uses For Cheesecloth In The Kitchen And Beyond

We have constantly mentioned cheesecloth in cheese, soup and poultry recipes but its clear that few people can clearly define what it is. Fewer are those who know how to use cheesecloth. So, what is cheesecloth used for in these and other recipes? Well, this being a common question, we found it necessary to discus 20 uses for cheesecloth in the kitchen and beyond and help you make the best of it in your kitchen and when undertaking outdoor activities.

What Is Cheesecloth?

Cheesecloth is a loosely woven cotton resembling gauze. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was very popular in the shirt making industry. Today, its popularity is in the kitchen where it has endless uses.

Traditionally, cheese cloth was only used to make cheese.  This is because it hardly disintegrates when stretched while holding wet items. This is the same characteristic that makes it very popular in modern kitchens. Today, cheesecloth uses extend far beyond the kitchen.

Cheese cloth is available in different grades that include Grade 90(44×36), Grade 60(32×28), Grade 50(28×24), Grade 40(24×20), and Grade 10 (20×12). Grade 100 cheesecloths are also available in local and online markets. The grade is defined by the threads per square inch.

What Is Cheesecloth Used For Inside And Outside The Kitchen?

It comes as no surprise that there are numerous and amazing uses for cheesecloth. The gauzy fabric that is easily found in food and convenience stores can be used in hundreds of ways both in the kitchen and outside the kitchen. Without further ado, let’s walk through 20 uses for cheesecloth that are common inside and outside the kitchen.

10 Common Uses For Cheesecloth In The Kitchen

Now that there are numerous recipes that use cheesecloth, lets discuss ten of the common ways on how to use cheesecloth in the kitchen and bring out the magic in every recipe.

1. Making Sachets

Cheese cloth is commonly used in making sachets. These are little pouches of aromatics and herbs. The sachets are used in adding flavors. They are a perfect way of adding food flavors as they do not add significant amounts of sodium or calories in foods and beverages.

With the cheesecloth or one of the cheesecloth alternatives in place, one can comfortably drop the sachets in soups and stocks knowing that they will be easy to remove. The sachets are also used as tea bags.

2. Straining Milk Products

Cheese cloths are quite essential in milk products straining such as yogurt  and cheese butter. The thin fabric makes it possible to remove the whey leaving a consistent fluid. Using the cloth stands out as one of the easiest yet efficient thickening methods.

3. Pressing Tofu

To get that extra firm tofu, you need to squeeze out water. Cheese cloths come in handy in the pressing process. Pressing out the water gives the tofu more room to take marinades making them crispier.

4. Wrapping Citrus Fruits

Lemons and other citrus fruits are common ingredients in most recipes. These fruits will last long especially when stored in the right place and manner.

Cheesecloth comes in handy in the storage of citrus fruits. It is even more helpful when using the fruits in recipes. However, many people  remove the seeds and that’s where the cloth comes in.

5. Dusting

Dusting gives foods that fine finish. It’s normally used with cookies and cakes that are dusted with icing sugar or cocoa. With a piece of cheesecloth, the dusting process becomes easy.

6. Cleaning

Cleaning silverware doesn’t need to be troublesome. Cheese cloths are characterized with fine weaves that give enough friction to remove water stains as well as other gunk on cutlery.

A great way of improving the results is wetting the cloth and adding some baking soda. This gives a fine polish that restores the original shine.

7. Basting Poultry

A nicely done moist piece of turkey or chicken tastes so good. It makes great lunch and dinners and will have everyone asking for more. A great trick to get it nicely done is wrapping it in cheesecloth drenched in a mixture of olive oil, white wine and butter.

8. Covering Foods

Insects and bugs love tasty foods as much as we do. One of the most effective ways of ensuring that the bugs do not mess you meals is covering the food with cheesecloth. Cheese cloth covers burgers and barbecue perfectly and will also come in handy in outdoor kitchens.

9.  Preparing Crispy Potatoes

Crispy potatoes are super sweet but there are few potato recipes that will help you make delicious treats at home. Well, we got you covered. One of the tricks that will get you crispy potatoes with almost any recipe is having a piece of cheesecloth as the additional tool.

Cheese cloths play the trick of draining maximum water from the potatoes giving them the coveted crispy texture. You just need to make a bag with the cheesecloth, place the potatoes inside and wring the bag to draw out the water. Your potatoes will easily make crispy and delicious treats.

10.  Brewing Coffee

Coffee is a favorite drink for many across the wild. Everyone wants to have the highest quality coffee but few people know how to make tasty coffee. This leaves them with the only option of visiting the local espresso joint. This needs not be the case as all you need to have is a piece of cheesecloth. You may also need to learn how to use cheesecloth and re-use it after cleaning.

One of the amazing uses for cheesecloth in coffee making is the removal of the finely ground coffee from cold brewed coffee. This requires you to use a number of cheese cloth layers. High grade cheesecloth may be very effective as you just need a few layers for the perfect outcome.

10 Uses for Cheese Cloth Outside The Kitchen

Having learnt how to use cheesecloth in the kitchen, it’s also important to know you you can use cheesecloth outside the kitchen. Cheesecloth fabric has numerous uses outside the kitchen. To wrap up the 20 uses for cheesecloth, let’s briefly discuss 10 of the common uses outside the kitchen.

11. Regulatory Testing

Cheese cloth is used in regulatory testing. Here, it is used to wrap the electrical product before power can be switched on. If nothing happens to the cheese cloth even after the product is spifflicated, the product passed the test. The product fails and is rejected if the cloth is charred or burnt.

12. Manufacture Of Summer Clothing

The grade 90 cheese cloth is used in the manufacture of summer clothing. The great fabric qualities make it ideal for summer clothes. With this cloth, it’s easy to make light and breathing cloths for the hot weather.

13. Plano Graphic Printing

Plano graphic printing from a stone or metal surface and intaglio from engraved plates use cheese cloth to wipe out smeared paint.

14. Halloween Decorations

Cheese cloths are also used in Halloween decorations. These pieces will make great decorations and will be perfect while on a budget. They can easily be cut and painted in gray stains bringing out the cobweb theme. Red shades may also be used to make sudden dry blood patch simulations.

15. Cleaning With Vacuum Cleaners

Home cleaning with vacuum cleaners is the modern and smart cleaning technique. The results will be perfect with the use of cheese cloths. The cloth is used on the nozzle. As the machine sucks in dust, the cloth controls the entry on huge dirt particles into the machine. This improves the machine’s performance and extends its life.

16. Making Bed Linens

What about making bed linens? Cheese cloth pieces can be dyed and used to make beautiful linens. The strands can also be used to design trendy curtains.

17. Bag/Pouch Designing

A creative way of using cheese cloth is designing small pouches or bags. These are similar to those sold in convenient stores for drying herbs. The only difference is that making them at home allows you to make customized bags and give them that personal touch. It is also a cheaper option.

18. Drying Of Glass Articles

Cheesecloth comes in handy in drying of glass articles. Cheese cloth doesn’t streak glass and can thus be used to dry the glass without a flaw.

19. Making Mosquito Nets

An ingenious way of using cheesecloth at home is making mosquito nets. The thin fabric will keep the dangerous insects at bay but still allow free flow of air. It is a great option when going out camping.

20. Insect Restraint

Camping can be disastrous if you do not have ways of keeping insects away from your food. With a piece of cheese cloth, you can always keep your food safe.

Take a wrecked umbrella, hack the handle off and fix the cloth on the wire chassis. This gives you a fine dome that you can use to cover your food while in the campsite.

Conclusion

There are countless uses for cheesecloth and it only takes a creative mind to innovate yet another way to use this piece of fabric. Feel free to explore these among other uses such as survival cheese cloth uses and make use of this precious piece.

Though you may have bought the cheesecloth to age cheese or strain yogurt, you may also use it for other purposes. It ought not to lay collecting dirt in your kitchen shelf.

Normally, the cheese cloth will be a huge piece and you may just need a small piece for your foods. Why not try some creative ways of making use of your cheesecloth?