strain food

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   to put food through a sieve or strainer to remove liquid or to make it smooth.

   Grammar: Takes an object: strain the food. The food is the object, not the tool.

   Patterns

   • strain food through a sieve
   • strain the food
   • strain food for someone

   Strain the cooked apples to remove the extra juice before making the sauce.

   She strained the food through a fine mesh to get a smooth puree for the baby.

   After boiling the vegetables, strain the food and keep the liquid for soup.

2. 2verbtransitive

   to separate solid pieces of food from a liquid by pouring the mixture through a strainer.

   Grammar: Often used with 'off' or 'out': strain off the water, strain out the seeds.

   Patterns

   • strain off the liquid
   • strain out the solids
   • strain the food

   Strain off the oil from the canned tuna before you mix it.

   Use a colander to strain the food and let the water drain away.

Common combinations

strain food through a sieve

You should strain the food through a sieve to remove lumps.

strain the food well

Strain the food well so no liquid remains.

strain food for a baby

She strained the food for the baby to make it easy to swallow.

Synonyms and how they differ

sieve

British English uses 'sieve' more often for solid foods; 'strain' is more general and works for both liquids and soft solids.

filter

'Filter' is used for removing very small particles, often from liquids, while 'strain' is for larger pieces of food.

Word family

strainer noun

A kitchen tool with holes used for straining food.

strain verb

The base verb meaning to separate liquid from solid.

Commonly confused: strain food or strain?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “strain food”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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