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Cheesecloth: A useful tool for your homestead.

 
master gardener
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Cheesecloth is defined as

thin, loosely woven cloth of cotton, used originally for making and wrapping cheese.

(Source)



I am finding myself reaching for my roll of cheesecloth more and more as I realize its fully potential in a variety of applications. I'm careful to purchase only pure cotton cheesecloth and cut portions from a long single piece rather than purchase precut portions. This allows me to custom fit the piece I need for the applications as well as compost it after use instead of adding to a costly waste stream when it gets oily and gross.

My current to uses include...
1. Straining stock/juice/other liquids.
2. Create fruit/vegetable 'slings' for fruit hanging off of trellising. (Pumpkins mostly)
3. Herb/spice bundles in cooking. Usually soups. Remove all the spices at once instead of having to fish them out.
4. Dish covering to deter bugs. I have used cheesecloth to cover open dishes at outside events so it was easy to serve from but kept insects away.


Do you use cheesecloth? What are your thoughts on it? Do you have another way you use it?
 
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First, going by the definition you provide, and the one I use, I find that cheap bed linen can fill the role. Oddly, to me, often more inexpensive than labeled cheese cloth.

In those times I have been in a situation where I have had to use a questionable water source, I have found that pre filtering the water through a thin cloth helped the expensive water filters to last much longer.
 
pollinator
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All the uses listed above for sure.  Also use cheese cloth to hold herbs used in bath for medicinal purposes.
 
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I don't have much cheesecloth, but I have a bolt of muslin cloth. Can I use it the same?

Here are the specs
https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/cotton-muslin-fabric-60-inches
 
Timothy Norton
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Alan Burnett wrote:I don't have much cheesecloth, but I have a bolt of muslin cloth. Can I use it the same?



I don't see a reason you couldn't? You can do a quick soak in hot water and hang to dry to remove any lint/stray strings before use. My only hesitation would be with filtering and how tight of a weave you have. Too tight will clog up quickly and lead to frustration unless you are intentionally filtering very fine particulates. Other uses such as creating slings to support the weight of fruit it would be almost desired for strength.
 
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How loose is the weave on cheesecloth? I have seen somethings that look like gauze called cheesecloth, but it wouldn't work for some things people say they use cheesecloth for. I have purchased some things called flour sacks that I use a lot, and thought were the same thing as cheesecloth, but have been told by people they are not.

Anyone know the difference between these two things?
 
master pollinator
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The "cheesecloth" I used to sell in a fabric store was lighter than bandage gauze. I can't imagine using it as has been described on Permies. Could those who use cheesecloth please post a pic of a single layer of the material that you use?
 
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Maybe this will help. I've laid it on a white napkin (unfortunately, the napkin is in texture stripes...), nickle for size reference...
20240910_155658.jpg
Cheesecloth (actual cheese-making type)
Cheesecloth (actual cheese-making type)
 
Carla Burke
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Alan Burnett wrote:I don't have much cheesecloth, but I have a bolt of muslin cloth. Can I use it the same?

Here are the specs
https://fabricwholesaledirect.com/products/cotton-muslin-fabric-60-inches



I don't see why not. Cheesecloth is very similar to muslin, only a slightly looser weave. I've often used cotton pillow cases, too.
 
Joylynn Hardesty
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Yup. That is a much stronger weave. Thanks Carla! Now I know what to look for in me stash(es). Roclon brand muslin may be too tight average for this. Thiey have a similar product that's a little coarser and looser weave... What was that called? Hope I have some. Maybe the trouble I had with pillowcases had to do with polyester content?
 
Carla Burke
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My pillow cases, that I use for stuff like this are cotton. And, old. Still strong, but stained, sometimes torn...
 
Joylynn Hardesty
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Oooh! Found it. Roclon osnaburg.
 
pollinator
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Carla Burke wrote:Maybe this will help. I've laid it on a white napkin (unfortunately, the napkin is in texture stripes...), nickle for size reference...



That is MUCH nicer than the packaged kind and the stuff from fabric stores.  As someone else pointed out that stuff is actually gauze (and poor gauze at thatj. When I use it I have to use at least 4 layers. I have wondered how it ever could be useful for cheese. I also use muslin, but as someone else pointed out, the weave cn so sometimes be too tight.

Carla’s photo shows me that real cheesecloth is nothing like pretend cheesecloth- it’s just right!

Time to figure out where it’s purveyors hide it because I’m definitely getting some.
 
Carla Burke
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We get ours from Amazon, because we can't find it, locally:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QDB8S2L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title

 
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http://woodheat.net
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