I have been looking for reusable cheesecloth, and I’ve found it!

When making yogurt, I like to strain it to get it thicker, more like Greek yogurt. I have been buying cheesecloth that works well, but it kind of falls apart if I try to clean it, so it’s single use only.

I tried using a nut milk bag, which is reusable, and works for many, but this is the mess I ended up with:

I did a lot of research and looked at lots of blogs, trying to find a solution to this issue, and there were lots of opinions about other types of cloths to use instead of cheesecloth, like muslin:

A tea towel:

Or even a hankie:

When looking through these fabrics, I wasn’t convinced that they would strain as efficiently as cheesecloth, so I kept looking. I bought a small amount of cheesecloth from my local craft store, and this cheesecloth seemed a bit sturdier than what I had found at the grocery store. When I opened it up, I found that it was folded in the same way that the grocery store version was, with the cut edges in the center:

So I completely unfolded it, and then just folded it in half. You really want to have the cheesecloth doubled so that it is sturdy enough to handle and work with.

This still left me with the raw edges that tend to fall apart when wet, so I rolled the edges, and then sewed a rolled hem:

So it ends up kind of looking like a hankie, but nice for straining:

When I used it for straining yogurt, it worked like a dream. The yogurt pulls neatly away from the fabric.

And this is what it looks like after peeling the yogurt away; practically no waste!

And the best part? I just rinsed the cheesecloth with hot water, squeezed the water out, and then hung it to dry, and it’s good as new! So there you have it, reusable cheesecloth!

And just because the yogurt is so pretty (and delicious), I leave you with this picture.