Straining

Pouring a liquid or soft mixture through a sieve or fine-mesh strainer to remove lumps, seeds, zest or bits of cooked egg.

Straining: Warm custard being poured through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl
  • Techniques and preparation methods

Also called: sieving

Straining is the step that makes custards, ice cream bases and curds silky. It catches any bits of egg that set too fast, vanilla pod pieces, citrus zest and stray chalazae. Fruit purées and coulis are strained to remove seeds and skins.

For custards, strain right after cooking while the mixture is still warm and fluid. Pressing the solids gently with a spatula pushes more of the liquid through without forcing lumps into the finished product.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Straining (Q4735748), Wikidata