You must have come across a couple of recipes that require a cheesecloth for performing certain steps. However, if you are already using a cheesecloth, then you probably already know that it is very thin and wears out after one or two gentle washes. In such a case, you can use a flour sack as well.
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a cloth that resembles gauze that is used by a paramedic. It is made by loosely weaving cotton threads. There are seven grades of cheesecloth available. It is available in a range from open grade to extra-fine weaving. These grades of cheesecloth are determined by considering the number of threads per inch square woven in each direction.
Cheesecloth, according to its name, is used for making cheese. However, it can also be used as a tool that strains water from certain ingredients and holds the solid. It can be great to use for making hung curd. Moreover, making homemade almond milk might also require the use of cheesecloth. A lot of other recipes need cheesecloth at certain steps.
Cheesecloth is not hard to find at all, you can get one from any nearby grocery store or fabric store. There are natural cheesecloth varieties available too.
Flour Sack Towels
Flour sack towels are made from 100% cotton and the cotton thread is made very thin with a very fine texture. Unlike its name, it’s neither used as a sack for your flour nor any bag. Flour sack towels are vintage towels that are widely used and are free of lint. These towels come pre-washed and can be suitable for hundreds of household tasks.
Flour Sack Towels are great to use for tasks like cooking, cleaning, polishing, drying, crafting, serving, and wiping. The best part about flour sack towels is, they are not as thick as any dish towel, and not too thin and lightly woven like any cheesecloth. They are made with a very appropriate thickness which lets them sustain all the kitchen tasks for a long duration.
These towels are great for cleaning tasks as they are lint-free and super delicate. They have this ability to ingest like a paper wipe. They can even be used to polish glassware and provide high-quality shine to the glass.
How about comparing both of these affordable kitchen cloths? Below we have mentioned a few aspects that will distinguish between both
Comparison Between Cheesecloth vs Flour Sack
Washing
Flour Sack Towel
Since it is made with a higher thread count and 100% cotton, a flour sack towel is safe to wash at any time. You can reuse it after several washes and it doesn’t deteriorate much. The flour sack towel doesn’t lose its shape and preserves the thread texture on re-washing.
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is a delicate fabric and if it is washed roughly, it will lose its shape and the threads will have holes developed. Most of the time, cheesecloth gets torn apart on washing more than thrice. It is important that you only make a gentle rinse to clean your cheesecloth otherwise it will tear apart.
Weaving
Flour Sack Towel
They are made with very long-lasting weaving and are durable. The weaving of the flour sack towel is made specially to resist shrinking and it is strong enough to resist machine wash. The edges of flour sack towels are machine hemmed and high-quality, premium 100% pure cotton is used.
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is made with a low thread count and has loose weaving.
Kitchen Versatility
Flour Sack Towel
It can perform all the functions of a kitchen wipe, moreover, it can take the charge of cheesecloth as well in cheesemaking recipes. It is good for straining the water out of food to hold the solid. Another advantage of using a flour sack towel is, it is completely lint-free and prevents any unwanted frills to enter the recipe.
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is excellent when it comes to its main function, straining. However, other tasks like wiping and absorbing are not performed as well as a flour sack towel.
Although cheesecloth is wonderful in its functions, flour sack manages to be the best kitchen cloth overall.