Cabello de ángel (figleaf-squash freezer preserve)
Fine strands of Cucurbita ficifolia cooked in an equal weight of sugar, then portioned for refrigerator or freezer storage. Ordinary orange pumpkin does not give the same fibres.
Equipment · Strainers, moulds and hoops
Fine sieve
fine-mesh strainer · fine mesh sieve
A fine-mesh kitchen sieve separates small solid particles from a sauce or paste. It can smooth tomato ketchup or mustard, but each use retains some pulp or seed material instead of letting it pass through.
A fine filter for sauces and pastes
A fine sieve is a shallow mesh filter set over a pot or bowl. Liquid and smaller particles pass through while larger solids stay in the basket. In home ketchup making, it can separate cooked tomato juice and pulp during the effort to produce a smooth sauce. In mustard making, a fine-mesh strainer removes ground seed husks; leaving those husks in gives a coarser, whole-grain texture instead.
The sieve's mesh matters because it determines which particles pass through. A smoother result comes with material left behind, so the amount retained affects finished yield. The cited recipes do not specify one universal mesh opening, sieve diameter, or quantity of solids to discard.
Sources for this section
Two different condiment tasks
One Colorado home-ketchup account shows a metal sieve catching tomato pulp as red liquid drains into a vessel below. The recipe separates the cooked juice from solids and processes tomato material for a thicker sauce. A separate Dijon-style mustard recipe uses a fine-mesh strainer to remove seed husks from coarsely ground mustard; its whole-grain alternative keeps them.
These examples show why 'sieve' is not one fixed recipe step. Depending on the mixture and desired texture, the utensil can separate watery juice from pulp or sift fibrous husks from a paste. It is distinct from a cheesecloth-lined strainer used to hold soft dairy curd while whey drains away.
Sources for this section
Scope and evidence
The sources support a contemporary kitchen utensil and its use in two smooth-condiment preparations. They do not establish this sieve's historical origin, a traditional regional form, a standard mesh size, or a universal yield. The Colorado location describes one recipe author's context, not where fine sieves were invented or where they are exclusively used.
The sieve has no powered or fuelled mechanism, but the ketchup example filters cooked tomato mixture. Seat it securely across a receiving pot and avoid loading it beyond its support; the sources give no alloy, temperature rating or load rating for a particular model.
Sources for this section
Equipment details
PowerNo power A passive hand-operated utensil; gravity and, when needed, pressure from a spoon move food through the mesh.
How you get oneBought, manufactured A general-purpose kitchen sieve; no particular maker or model is identified.
Made of
- Fine metal mesh — Filters particles from liquid or paste
The inspected ketchup photograph shows a round metal mesh sieve; the source does not identify the alloy or mesh size. - Rigid rim and support handles — Hold the mesh open and rest it over a receiving vessel
The photographed sieve has a circular rim and side supports; no standardized dimensions are given.
Places
Colorado
Documented use · Region evidenceA Colorado home-ketchup account photographs cooked tomato mixture being strained through a fine mesh sieve. This documents one contemporary use context, not the tool's origin or prevalence.
Related
Used for
Pumpkin and dried-apricot jam: a French–South African connection
Pumpkin and dried-apricot jam: Freeze for winter; small fresh portion refrigerated up to 48 hours.
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Sources
use real butterDocumented use · Form · Geography · Image
Recipe: Homemade KetchupA Colorado home-ketchup post shows cooked tomato mixture being strained through a fine mesh sieve.
The recipe separates tomato juice from solids and processes the remaining tomato solids separately.
The page states all rights reserved and names Jennifer Yu as copyright holder.
Cited in: A fine filter for sauces and pastes; Two different condiment tasks; Scope and evidence
SaveurContemporary method · Form
Homemade Dijon Mustard RecipeThe recipe passes coarse ground mustard seeds through a fine-mesh strainer to remove husks for a smooth mustard.
It contrasts this with retaining husks for whole-grain mustard.
Cited in: A fine filter for sauces and pastes; Two different condiment tasks; Scope and evidence