the.com/cheesecloth
The gauze that separates curds from whey and amateurs from cooks.
means A loosely woven cotton gauze used to strain liquids, wrap herbs, or line molds — porous enough to let liquid through while holding solids back.
from Exactly what it says on the label: cloth for cheese. It arose in English dairy work as the material used to press and drain curds when making cheese, letting whey weep out while the curds held their shape. The weave stuck around long after most home cheesemaking faded, finding new life in kitchens for straining stocks, bundling bouquets garnis, and making yogurt a little less watery.
- not cheese-specific
- used for straining stock, jelly, and basting turkeys too
- thread count
- graded by weave, from gauze-thin to heavy-duty
- ancient trick
- predates refrigeration as a way to drain fresh curds