Strain

Pass food or liquid through a sieve, cloth, or strainer to separate textures.

What It Does

Strain separates solids from liquid or removes fine bits from a mixture. Choose the mesh for the job, work in batches if needed, and press only when a little force will not cloud or damage the result.

Separate through a barrier

The strainer controls the final texture.

A coarse colander removes large pieces, while a fine sieve or cloth catches smaller particles. The tool should match the texture you want.

Wikimedia Commons

Reference image

Strain technique reference image.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Cooking Checks

What to watch

Do not force the wrong texture.

Let liquid pass naturally first. Press gently only when the solids should give up more liquid, and stop if the result starts turning cloudy or gritty.