Cheesecloth - Wikipedia

Loosely woven carded cotton cloth used primarily in cooking and cheesemaking

Cheesecloth is a loose-woven gauze-like carded cotton cloth used primarily in cheesemaking and cooking.[1] The fabric has holes large enough to quickly allow liquids (like whey) to percolate through the fabric, but small enough to retain solids like cheese curds.[2]

Grades

[edit]

Cheesecloth is available in at least seven different grades, from open to extra-fine weave. Grades are distinguished by the number of threads per inch in each direction.[3]

Grade	Vertical × horizontalthreads per inch	Vertical x horizontal threads/cm
#10	20 × 12	8 x 5
#40	24 × 20	9.5 x 8
#50	28 × 24	11 x 9.5
#60	32 × 28	12.5 x 11
#80	40 x 32
#90	44 × 36	17.5 x 14
#100	54 x 46	21 x 18

Uses

[edit]

Food preparation

[edit]

The primary use of cheesecloth is in some styles of cheesemaking, where it is used to remove whey from cheese curds, and to help hold the curds together as the cheese is formed. Cheesecloth is also used in straining stocks and custards, bundling herbs, making tofu and ghee, and thickening yogurt. Fruitcake is wrapped in rum-infused cheesecloth during the process of "feeding" the fruitcake as it ripens.[4]

Queso blanco and queso fresco are Spanish and Mexican cheeses that are made from whole milk using cheesecloth. Italian Ricotta is made from cow, sheep or goat acidified whey, traditionally formed in cheesecloth cones. Quark is a type of German unsalted cheese that is sometimes formed with cheesecloth. Paneer is a kind of Indian fresh cheese that is commonly made with cheesecloth.[citation needed]

Manufacturing, testing and preservation

[edit]

Cheesecloth can also be used for several printmaking processes including lithography for wiping up gum arabic. In intaglio, a heavily-starched cheesecloth called tarlatan is used for wiping away excess ink from the printing surface.[5]

Cheesecloth #60 is used in product safety and regulatory testing for potential fire hazards. Cheesecloth is wrapped tightly over the device under test, which is then subjected to simulated conditions such as lightning surges conducted through power or telecom cables, power faults, etc. The device may be destroyed but must not ignite the cheesecloth.[6] This is to ensure that the device can fail safely, and not start electrical fires in the vicinity.

Cheesecloth made to United States Federal Standard CCC-C-440 is used to test the durability of optical coatings per United States Military Standard MIL-C-48497. The optics are exposed to a 95–100% humidity environment at 120 °F (49 °C) for 24 hours, and then a 1⁄4 inch (6.4 mm) thick by 3⁄8 in (9.5 mm) wide pad of cheesecloth is rubbed over the optical surface for at least 50 strokes under at least 1 pound-force (4.4 N). The optical surface is examined for streaks or scratches, and then its optical performance is measured to ensure that no deterioration occurred.[7]

Cheesecloth is used in India and Pakistan for making summer shirts. Cheesecloth material shirts were popular for beachwear during the 1960s and 1970s in the United States.[8]

Cheesecloth has a use in anatomical dissection laboratories to slow the process of desiccation. The cloth can be soaked with a preservative solution such as formalin then wrapped around the specimen or at other times simply wrapped first then sprayed with water.[9]

Cheesecloth has been used to create the illusion of "ectoplasm" during spirit channelling or other ghost-related phenomena.[10][11]

Cheesecloth may also be wrapped around young trees in order to protect them from cicadas.[12]

See also

[edit]

• Muslin
• Pudding cloth

References

[edit]

1. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Cheese Cloth" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 22.
2. ^ "What Is a Cheesecloth? Uses, Substitutes, & More!". Cabot Creamery. Retrieved 2024-12-06.
3. ^ The 7 Different Cheesecloth Grades And Cheese Cloth Uses. May 3, 2020 by DAIRYPUNDIT.
4. ^ "Pressure Cooker Recipes". Archived from the original on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-03-03.
5. ^ Ross, Romano, Ross. "The Complete Printmaker", page. 114, 118. TheFreepress, 1990
6. ^ Telcordia Technologies Generic Requirements GR-1089-CORE
7. ^ "MIL-C-48497 A COATING SINGLE OR MULTILAYER INTERFERENCE". everyspec.com.
8. ^ "Clothes of the Seventies, Cheese Cloth Shirts". Inthe70s.com. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
9. ^ "Introduction to dissection" (PDF). 8 February 2019.
10. ^ "Home". JREF.
11. ^ "Episode 79: Secrets and Séances (11.17.2017)".
12. ^ "Periodical cicadas". 30 August 2025.

v t e Fabric
Types	Woven Abacá cloth (Medriñaque) Aertex Almerían silk Aso oke Aso Olona Armazine Barathea Barkcloth Batiste Bedford cord Bengaline Beta cloth Bombazine Brilliantine Broadcloth Buckram Bunting Burlap Byrd Cloth Calico Cambric Canvas Chambray Capilene Cedar bark textile Challis Char cloth Charmeuse Charvet Cheesecloth Chiffon Chino Chintz Cloqué Cloth of gold Cordura Corduroy Cotton duck Coutil Crêpe Cretonne Denim Dimity Donegal tweed Dornix Dowlas Drill Drugget Eolienne Flannel Foulard Fustian Gabardine Gauze Gazar Georgette Ghalamkar Gingham Grenadine Grenfell Cloth Grosgrain Habutai Haircloth Harris tweed Herringbone Himroo Hodden Huckaback Irish linen Jamdani Kerseymere Khādī Khaki drill Kijōka-bashōfu Kente cloth Lamé Lawn Linsey-woolsey Loden Longcloth Mackinaw Madapollam Madras Moleskin Muslin Nainsook Nankeen Ninon Oilskin Organdy Organza Osnaburg Ottoman Oxford Paduasoy Percale Perpetuana Pongee Poplin Rakematiz Rayadillo Rep Ripstop Russell cord Saga Nishiki Samite Sateen Satin Saye Scarlet Seerhand muslin Seersucker Sendal Serge Scrim Shot silk Stuff Taffeta Tais Taiwan floral fabric Tartan Ticking Toile Tucuyo Tweed Twill Ultrasuede Vegetable flannel Ventile Vinyl coated polyester Viyella Voile Wadmal Waffle Wigan Whipcord Zephyr Zorbeez Figured woven Brocade Camlet Damask Lampas Songket Rinzu Pile woven Baize Chenille Corduroy Crimplene Fustian Mockado Moquette Plush Polar fleece Terrycloth Velours du Kasaï Velvet Velveteen Zibeline Nonwoven Felt Cedar bark Knitted Boiled wool Coolmax Machine knitting Milliskin Jersey Velour Netted Bobbinet Carbon fibers Lace Mesh Needlerun net Ninon Tulle
Technical	Ballistic nylon Ban-Lon Conductive textile Darlexx E-textiles Gannex Gore-Tex Lenticular fabric Silnylon Spandex Stub-tex SympaTex
Patterns	Argyle Bizarre silk Check Chiné Glen plaid Herringbone Houndstooth Kelsch Paisley Pinstripes Polka dot Shweshwe Tartan or plaid Tattersall
Textile fibers	Abacá (Manila hemp) Acrylic Alpaca Angora Bashō Cashmere Coir Cotton Eisengarn Hemp Jute Kevlar Linen Mohair Nylon Microfiber Olefin Pashmina Polyester Piña Ramie Rayon Sea silk Silk Sisal Spandex Spider silk Wool
Finishing andprinting	Androsia Batik Beetling Bingata Bògòlanfini Burnout Calendering Decatising Devoré Finishing Fulling Heatsetting Indienne Kasuri Katazome Mercerization Moire Nap Parchmentising Rogan printing Rōketsuzome Roller printing Sanforization Tenterhook Textile printing Tsutsugaki Warp printing Waxed cotton Woodblock printing Yūzen
Fabric mills	Carlo Barbera Cerruti Dormeuil E. Thomas Holland & Sherry Larusmiani Loro Piana Piacenza Reda Scabal Thomas Mason Vitale Barberis Canonico Zegna
Manufacturingindustry	Design Manufacturing Performance Preservation Recycling Terminology
Related	Dyeing Fiber History of textiles History of silk Knitting Pandy Shrinkage Swatches and strike-offs Synthetic fabric Weaving Yarn

v t e Kitchen tools
Kitchenware Cooking vessel Cookware and bakeware Cutlery Dishwashing Eating utensils Food preparation utensils Food storage container Tableware Teaware
Apple corer (Apple cutter) Baster Beanpot Blowtorch Bottle opener Bowl Bread knife Browning tray Butter curler Cake and pie server Candy thermometer Can opener Cheese knife Cheese slicer Cheesecloth Chef's knife Cherry pitter Chinois Chopsticks Citrus reamer Clay pot Cleaver Colander Cookie cutter Cookie press Corkscrew Cutting board Edible tableware Egg piercer Egg separator Egg slicer Egg timer Fat separator Fillet knife Fish scaler Fish slice Flour sifter Food mill Funnel Garlic press Grapefruit knife Grater Honey dipper Honing steel Ladle Lame Lemon squeezer Lobster pick Mandoline Measuring cup Measuring spoon Meat grinder Meat tenderizer Meat thermometer Melon baller Mezzaluna Herb chopper Microplane Milk frother Milk watcher Mortar and pestle Nutcracker Nutmeg grater Oven glove Pastry bag Pastry blender Pastry brush Pastry wheel Peel Peeler Pepper mill Pie bird Pineapple cutter Pizza cutter Potato masher Potato ricer Potholder Poultry shears Roller docker Rolling pin Salt and pepper shakers Scissors Scoop Sieve Slotted spoon Spatula Spider Tamis Tomato knife Tongs Trussing needle Twine Weighing scale Whisk Wooden spoon Scraper Dough Zester
Categories Kitchenware Commons Kitchen utensils Types of tools Cleaning Cutting and abrasive Forestry Garden Hand Kitchen Machine and metalworking Masonry Measuring and alignment Mining Power Textile Woodworking