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 the best cheesecloth alternatives that are equally reliable.
6 Of The Best CheeseCloth Alternatives
You can use various items as cheesecloth alternatives, ranging from clothes to sieves. A wide range of substitutes can effectively replace cheesecloth in the cheese-making process. Although the results may vary slightly, these alternatives will be useful if you need to make cheese without having cheesecloth in your pantry. Some common alternatives include:
1. Flour Sack Cloths
These thin cotton towels feature a loose weave. Compared to cheesecloth, flour sack cloths have a tighter weave but are looser than average dish towels.
2. Fine-Mesh Bags
Well, these bags may be popular for nut and grain milk production. However, you can still use them to make your homemade cheese. Just as people use them in making almond milk or local beer, you can use the fine-mesh bags as a substitute for cheesecloth. 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 won’t stretch over time.
3. Cotton Fabric
If you cannot access your cheesecloth, you can use practically any cotton-made piece of cloth to create cheese. Cotton offers a variety of finishes, so you can choose a cloth napkin, jelly bag, pillowcase, or even diaper cloth.
When you keep these cotton items clean and in good condition, they will help you produce cheese of exceptional quality. They serve as the best lint-free substitutes for cheesecloth.
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 to strain the mixture, and you can also use a wire sieve for that. Although the wire sieve may not catch the fine particles as efficiently as the cheese cloth, it can still help you achieve good quality cheese.
However, if you are aiming for perfectly clear jelly, the wire sieve may not provide the desired results.
6. Pantyhose
Funny as it may sound, you can use pantyhose in cheese making. Stretch a clean pair of pantyhose over a bowl, and it will serve as one of the best alternatives to cheesecloth. People have used pantyhose to store herbs, and you can be sure that it will also yield excellent results for cheese.
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 Cheesecloth 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
People attribute a wide range of uses to this special piece of fabric. They use it for liquid straining in culinary activities, draining sauces and soups, covering tobacco plants, wrapping tea bags, and draining cheese curds.
Users also employ the finished pieces as bandages, surgical gauze, dust cloths, food wrappers, hat linings, fly nets, or curtains.
In some instances, individuals use the cloth as a tablecloth. It also comes in handy for polishing surfaces, and craftsmen have used it for decades to strain varnishes, paints, and polish surfaces to achieve a fine and smoother finish.
How Do You Use A Cheese Cloth To Make Cheese?
Cheese makers specifically designed Cheese cloth to protect their cheese and avoid losses associated with poor ventilation during the aging process. They invented this cloth to allow air to flow freely, enabling the cheese to age appropriately.
Cheesemakers wrap cheese in cheesecloth as it ages, commonly using it to make cheddar cheese. The fabric helps drain the whey (liquid) from cheese curds, which is vital because excess whey prevents the cheese from aging properly and shaping into the desired wheels.
Cheesecloth, with its loose weave, is perfect for lining cheese molds. This lining effectively wicks away whey, draining the molds.
Hard cheeses, which have low moisture content, are easy to serve in slices, grate, or use in shavings. Examples of hard cheeses include Colby, cheddar, parmesan, gouda, and Swiss.
Cheesemakers also use cheesecloth for cheese bandaging, a process that involves air drying during aging. The cloth protects the cheese from harmful bacteria and mold development. For excellent results, they rub a fat such as butter or lard over the cheesecloth.
Conclusion
We all love cheese. Well, probably not all, but yes, we love cheese. However, only a few people understand how cheese is made. Some will even say that people obtain cheese just like meat. They may be right in that an animal will be involved, but the difference here is that you don’t have to slaughter it.
We know that you can strain cheese at home in numerous ways, but you will agree with us that using cheesecloth is one of the easiest and most efficient methods.
The quality of the fabric will determine your results, so it’s always best to choose the highest 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 by tring out some of the best cheesecloth alternatives.