Reusing cheesecloth??

[Kala]

Just wondering if anyone has successfully reused cheesecloth after making cheese? By rinsing it out immediately or washing it etc. Or is it not even worth the time?

 

[gettinaclue]

 

[freemotion]

As long as you are using real cheesecloth, you can use it for many, many cheeses. I scrape any stuck stuff off and throw it in the laundry with my bleachable whites. Usually I wash it by hand in the sink with the dishes, first, so I don't have a cheesy cloth in the hamper.

If you are using the gauze that is sold in the grocery and craft stores as cheesecloth, all bets are off. It is not the cheesecloth you need for cheesemaking. Not sure why they call it cheesecloth.

Real cheesecloth will look more like muslin. Actually, you can use muslin. I have.

 

[patandchickens]

I do as free describes, and get at least several uses out of it (this is the 'butter muslin' sold by cheese supply houses, NOT grocery store cheesecloth).... HOWEVER I have found that if I machine dry it, it not only shrinks terribly (often getting too small for the molds) it also gets distorted and 'weird'.

I vacillate between machine-drying it on the theory it's more sanitary, and hang-drying it on the theory that it lasts longer and the cheese cultures can hopefully take care of whatever germs it picks up in the process. I suspect the latter is more sensible but as I say I go back and forth

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[gettinaclue]

I had no idea it wasn't real cheesecloth that I was purchasing in the store. I feel kinda silly now. ...but live and learn I guess.

 

[Dirk Chesterfield]

I had no idea it wasn't real cheesecloth that I was purchasing in the store. I feel kinda silly now. ...but live and learn I guess.

Same here.

Thank you all for teaching me something new.

 

[Kala]

No doubt!! That's what I've been using for the first few attempts at cheesemaking and it worked ok but I had no idea there was anything else out there! lol.

So for you that buy it, do you usually just order it online or are there certain stores that do carry it?

 

[Boogity]

I do as free describes, and get at least several uses out of it (this is the 'butter muslin' sold by cheese supply houses, NOT grocery store cheesecloth).... HOWEVER I have found that if I machine dry it, it not only shrinks terribly (often getting too small for the molds) it also gets distorted and 'weird'.

I vacillate between machine-drying it on the theory it's more sanitary, and hang-drying it on the theory that it lasts longer and the cheese cultures can hopefully take care of whatever germs it picks up in the process. I suspect the latter is more sensible but as I say I go back and forth

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

We have a friend who is a cheese maker and she has gigantic wooden hoops (just like their smaller cousins called embroidery hoops) that she stretches her cheese cloth to set out in the sun to dry after washing. I guess she has experienced what you describe in your post when the cloth gets all funky after washing.