Cheese Cloth

Straining
When it comes to straining, we typically rely on our regular colanders, but sometimes recipes call for a bit finer of a sieve. That’s where cheesecloth comes in.

Before you use it, be sure to rinse it to remove any lint. Then layer it over your normal strainer and filter your ingredients through. Cheesecloth is a must for making homemade stock—find out how to make it from scratch here—but it’s great for filtering coffee, removing curds from yogurt and removing seeds from jams and jellies, too.

Dusting
Adding dusted sugar or cocoa to finish off your cake or cookies can make your dessert look like a masterpiece. Place a piece of cheesecloth over a canning jar. Pull it as tight as possible and screw on the ring without the cap and dust. Try it when baking those awesome cookies.