If you are cooking and need to strain something, you may be wondering how to strain without an actual strainer. This is a commonly asked question, as people may realize too late that they do not have a strainer when they need it
This is a kitchen tool that is very handy when it comes to straining food items that you have cooked. They are usually metal bowls that have holes that allow liquid to strain out of the strainer, while the solids remain in the bowl.
Making this a very useful object to have in the kitchen that the majority of people should try to have on hand. Though it is not uncommon for people to realize that they do not own a strainer when they need one.
Keep reading to find out how you can replace a strainer if you do not have an actual strainer in your kitchen when you need one.
There Are Several Ways to Strain Without a Strainer
If you need to strain something in your kitchen, but you do not own a strainer, you may be wondering what you can use. The good thing is that there are several different things that you can use to strain food, such as tongs, cheesecloth, and slotted spoons.
There are several alternatives that you can use if you do not have a strainer on hand but need to strain something. This is a common issue for people who begin cooking at home but do not have many kitchen tools and appliances.
You may not want to invest in a strainer just yet and need to know how to get by without one. The good news is that there are several different tools in your kitchen that you can use in place of a strainer that works just as well.
And you most likely already have at least one of these options already available to you within your kitchen right now. So you don’t have to go out and grab a strainer if you have one of these other options available to you.
With so many different kinds of kitchen tools and appliances that are available, you may not know what is really important. There are plenty of items that could easily be replaced with other alternatives that you already have and can be more versatile.
Tongs
When it comes to needing to strain different kinds of things, tongs may come in handy and allow you to get the job done. Tongs can often be used if you need to strain different kinds of pasta from the pasta water.
For larger pieces of pasta or for spaghetti noodles, you can easily grab the noodles with the tongs and carefully lift them from the water. Shaking off the excess water and placing the noodles into the sauce.
Tongs can also be used if you need to strain vegetables from something. They can be very useful when straining any kind of large solid object from liquid.
Cheesecloth
Cheesecloth is one of the next best options if you do not have a strainer on hand. Cheesecloth was designed to making cheese, but many people use it to strain solids from liquids.
This is a very fine material that will be able to strain out any kind of solid, no matter how fine it is. For instance, you could turn a smoothie into a juice by pouring it into cheesecloth and squeezing out the liquid from the solids.
So cheesecloth really comes in handy for straining very fine objects from liquid, doing an even better job than an actual strainer would. Though this will not be ideal for straining larger things like pasta or vegetables.
Straining Paddle
A straining paddle is another great option if you do not have an actual strainer. This is typically a plastic paddle that fits easily over pots and has holes to allow liquid to pour through.
It will allow liquid to pour out of the pot, holding back any kind of solid from falling out. It is a great option for straining vegetables, soups, pasta, and a variety of other things.
Though you will not be able to use a straining paddle like you would cheesecloth as it will not be able to strain very fine liquids. It can strain things if the solids are large enough to not flow through the holes in the paddle.
Soup Spoon
A soup spoon is another kind of utensil that can be very useful for straining different types of food. This is ideal if you need to straighten larger items out of a liquid, such as straining vegetables out of the vegetable broth.
This can also be useful if you need to remove pasta from the water as you can carefully pour the water out of the spoon leaving the solids. This can be difficult if you need to remove all of the water, but it is possible for a lot of different uses.
Slotted Spoon
A slotted spoon is a great option if you do not have a strainer and need to strain large objects. These are spoons that have slots cut out of them so that you can scoop up large items while the liquid pours through.
This works very well when scooping out large objects from soup or removing pasta from pasta water. Though it will not work for finer solids that will flow through the slots as they are quite large.
Having a slotted spoon is also just a good kitchen tool to have, as it can come in handy if you do not necessarily need a strainer. As it allows you to strain large objects out of the liquid with ease without having to pull out your strainer for this job.
Coffee Filter
A coffee filter can work in a pinch if you need to strain something very fine but don’t have a strainer. This works best if you need to remove a very runny liquid from the solids, as a strainer is quite condensed.
This may also take more time, as the liquid will take longer to seep through the coffee filter, leaving the solids behind.
What Are Strainers Used for?
A strainer is a good kitchen tool to have as it can be used for a wide variety of things. The most common way that people use strainers is to stream pasta from pasta water once it has cooked.
Though it can be used for many other things as well, such as straining solids from the broth, straining soup, or straining beans from water. There are many things that you may need to strain in the kitchen, and a strainer comes in handy for this.
Many people also use strainers to help them clean different kinds of vegetables before using them in their dishes. A strainer makes it easy to hold the produce while they are washed in water, allowing the water to flow through the holes in the strainer.
So there are many ways that you will use a strainer in your kitchen, which is why it is such a useful tool. Even though there are different alternatives to using a strainer, this is something that you should invest in.
As you will most likely find yourself needing a strainer very often if you start to cook more at home.
Final Thoughts
If you do not have a strainer on hand, you may be trying to figure out what else you can use. The good news is that there are many things that you can use in place of a strainer, such as tongs, a soup spoon, a straining paddle, and cheesecloth.
A strainer is a very useful kitchen tool that allows you to strain all kinds of items in your kitchen. It is most often used for pasta, broth, soups, and a good many other things that may need to be separated once cooked.
