Do you like to drink fresh juice? If so, you know that a good juicer is essential. But did you know that the type of strainer you use makes a big difference in the quality of your juice? In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of strainers available and help you find the one that is perfect for you!
What can I use to filter juice?
There are a lot of different ways to strain juice. You can use a piece of cheesecloth, a disposable coffee filter like the ones used for ground coffee, or one of the strainers or bags we’ve listed here. Any tight-woven cloth can be used to strain juice in a pinch.
The best choice will depend on how much juice you want to filter, what kind of juice you are using, and how often you want juice. A fine mesh strainer might be best for making small amounts of juice or just one glass at a time.
If you’re making a punch or running a business that needs a lot of juice, you might want to use an over-sink strainer. If you want to make enough for the whole family, you might want to use a large nut milk bag.
Method 1: Using Strainer:
Juicers remove pulp and plant fibers automatically, whereas blenders and juice presses do not. While straining your juice isn’t required, there are a few simple methods you can try to remove the pulp. Most of the time, you can strain the juice through a mesh strainer to remove most of the pulp.
If your juice still contains fruit or vegetable fibers, strain it through a cheesecloth to remove the larger pieces. When you’re finished, you can either refrigerate or drink your juice!
How do you strain juice?
To strain your juice, you will need the following :
Using a Strainer to Strain Juice
Large-gap colanders or strainers should be avoided because they will allow more pulp or fibers to pass through. Place a large mixing bowl or a pitcher on a stable work surface. Place the strainer on top of a bowl or pitcher with tall sides to prevent the juice from dripping over the sides.
- Fine-mesh strainers are available at kitchen and restaurant supply stores.
- If the strainer does not fit over the pitcher without hanging over the sides, place a funnel on top of it before placing the bowl on top of it.
Using a strainer, strain the juice.
To make it easier to pour, keep the juice you want to strain in a pitcher or a glass. Slowly pour the juice into the strainer, being careful not to overflow it. Allow the liquid to drain completely through the strainer before adding more. Continue to add juice until the container is full.
Strainers are also useful for removing the pulp from store-bought juice.
Squeeze out the juice by pressing the pulp down with a rubber spatula.
Hold the strainer firmly in place with your non-dominant hand to prevent it from falling out. With the back of a rubber spatula, press down on any pulp or fibers that remain inside the strainer, and let the juice drain into the bowl or pitcher. Apply firm pressure to the pulp to extract as much juice as you can before discarding it.
Applying too much pressure may result in the strainer breaking. Stir the remaining pulp every 1–2 minutes to extract as much liquid as possible.
To remove any remaining fibers, strain the juice once more.
Some of the fruit or vegetable fibers may have passed through the strainer and are now present in the juice. Pour the juice into a clean container and thoroughly rinse the bowl or pitcher. Re-strain the juice to remove any remaining pulp.
You may not need to strain the juice a second time.
Method 2: Using Cheesecloth
With a rubber band, secure cheesecloth around the inside of a pitcher.
Cheesecloth’s tightly woven fibers are ideal for straining solids from liquids. Stretch the cheesecloth around the top of a tall pitcher, allowing it to hang down about 12 inches (2.5–5.1 cm) inside. Tie a rubber band around the pitcher’s rim to keep it in place.[5]
- Cheesecloth can be purchased at kitchen or restaurant supply stores.
- If you don’t have any cheesecloth, you can use coffee filters or milk bags, which are used to strain nut and soy milk.
Slowly pour the juice into the cheesecloth.
To make it easier to transfer the juice, keep it in a pitcher or glass. Pour the juice through the cheesecloth slowly at first, allowing the pulp to catch in the fibers. Allow the liquid to drain completely before adding more juice.
- Pour the juice around the sides of the cheesecloth to prevent pulp from collecting in the middle and slowing the drain.
Squeeze the cheesecloth to get rid of any excess liquid.
Carefully remove the rubber band while holding onto the cheesecloth’s corners. Assemble the cheesecloth corners in the center and twist to extract any juice trapped in the pulp. Squeeze the middle section of the cheesecloth tightly to drain the liquid.
- To extract the liquid, press down on the pulp with a spoon or rubber spatula.
Variation:
Place the cheesecloth in a strainer and top it with a 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) weight wrapped in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for 2–3 hours to extract any remaining juice.
To remove the pulp, rinse and wash the cheesecloth.
Pour the excess pulp into a garbage can and wet the cheesecloth. Remove any remaining pulp from the cloth until there are no solid pieces. To reuse the cheesecloth, run it through the washing machine with your regular laundry load.
- When you’re finished, you can also discard the cheesecloth.
What to Look for in a Juicer Strainer
Cost
When purchasing a juice strainer, as with any other purchase, the more money you are willing to spend, the more options you will have. Nut milk bags are the most cost-effective option, but stainless steel strainers will likely last a lifetime
Only you know your budget and can decide which juice strainers are best for you.
Capacity
When looking for a juice strainer, consider how much juice you make at a time. If you’re only making juice for yourself for breakfast, a small fine-mesh strainer will probably suffice. If you are a true juice fan and make juice by the picture, a juice bag or over-the-sink strainer will be more useful.
Durability
A juice bag made of food-grade nylon will last the longest, followed by one made of hemp and then one made of cotton. No matter what the bag is made of, it should have triple seams to make it last longer.
Food-grade stainless steel is the only option for other types of juice strainers. Plate stainless steel, which is used to make the best chinois strainer, is the most durable material on the list. The next step is stainless steel mesh.
Preferences
Some people want their juice to be smooth and creamy, while others want more pulp. If you want a strainer to work without making pulp, you will need an extra-fine mesh or a finely woven bag.
Types of Juice Strainer
Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Mini Cocktail Strainer
This little stainless steel mesh strainer is perfect for people who like to drink fresh juice one serving at a time. It’s just the right size to strain a single glass or cup, and its very fine mesh will make juice that is smooth and free of pulp.
Pros
- A handy size for a single serving
- Has a very fine mesh that can catch tiny particles
- Not a lot of space in your kitchen drawer
- Excellent for detail work like dusting pastries
- ‘s fiction handle
Cons
- Small size limits how else it can be used
- Can be hard to press thicker foods through
- Mesh Can be hard to get completely clean
9″ Kitchen Fine Mesh Strainer
You can think of the 9” Kitchen Fine Mesh strainer as a middle-of-the-road tool for the kitchen. It is big enough to juice a lot of food but small enough to fit over most bowls and pots.
Its mesh is big enough to use as a normal sieve but small enough to make juice that is as smooth as velvet. Best of all, it was made so that serious home cooks could use it.
The mesh is double-layered, and the handles are riveted so that they are very strong and won’t break when carrying a lot of weight. This is way too much for a business that makes juice.
Pros
- Everything is made out of stainless steel.
- Technological grade rivets
- Wide hook to make handling easy and safe
- The double screens give the texture a very creamy feel.
Cons
- Heavy compared to other strainers
- Bigger sizes can be difficult to store
- Food particles can get stuck in the double mesh, making it hard to clean.
U.S. Kitchen Supply Over the Sink 6 Qt. Stainless Steel Strainer
This over-the-sink strainer from U.S. Kitchen Supply is great for commercial kitchens or people who like to host big parties. This strainer has a deep bowl and can hold up to 6 quarts of juice without getting clogged.
Rubber grips and rounded corners make it easy to hold and prevent it from getting caught on things. This makes it safer and more comfortable to use.
Pros
- Large amount
- Customizable handles
- Stronger basket for carrying heavy loads
- It can be used with both wet and dry ingredients.
Cons
- Uses up a lot of room
- Some buyers have said that the edges of the handle rail guide are too sharp.
- Not as strong as models with fixed handles
Cuisinart Set of 3 Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers
You would expect this versatile set of juice strainers from Cuisinart to be of high quality, and you wouldn’t be wrong. The stainless steel mesh is held in place by a welded wireframe, and then it is clamped under an elegant ring to make it additional stiff and strong without trying to add much weight.
You get three strainers of different sizes (3-1/8″, 5-1/2″, and 7-7/8″) for a very reasonable price. This gives you a lot of options without being too expensive or requiring you to buy them over and over again. They are also very easy to store because they nest inside each other. Why buy just one juice strainer when you can buy a set that can be used for many different things?
Pros
- Strong but not heavy
- Good quality for a fair price
- Limited warranty for life
- Because there are three different sizes,
Cons
- Some strainers have finer mesh than this one.
- Food can get stuck under the rings, making it hard to clean them.
- Some customers have said that their packages were broken when they arrived.
Conclusion :
So if you are in the market for a new strainer and want one that will make your juice making process easier, we recommend checking out some of the options mentioned above. And, be sure to leave a comment below letting us know which type of strainer works best for you – or tell us about your own favorite!
