skip to main content

Question on food strainers for tomato sauce

13 years ago

I recently bought a Victorio food strainer with the hopes of putting up a lot of tomato puree for sauces later on in the year. I just used it today and instead of a thicker puree I seem to get more of a tomato "juice". I prefer thick sauces, is there anything I can do to thicken the puree before canning?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

digdirt2
13 years ago
Sure, you have to slowly cook it down to the desired thickness. ;) It would be the same regardless of the processor used.

You can eliminate some of the watery juice upfront by draining the tomatoes well first before running them through it or you can roast them and then process them. But some cooking down will still be required.

Dave
0
digdirt2
13 years ago
Here are the NCHFP instructions for sauce making.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Making tomato sauce
0
Related Discussions
Using Roma food strainer for Annie's Salsa?
Q
Comments (8)
The threads are in chronical order, so if you scroll down a bit you will see each thread an each date of each post. I would still try the big holed sieve if you have the machine and its acsessories. I do over 200 pounds or more of tomatoes and have the motor attachment. A bushel runs through in about 15 minutes and I runout of vessels to hold it all in. A manual chopping only, will give you bits of skins, and when heated they flal off and roll up into small red 'sticks'. Removing the skins helps, but now the toms are really hard to cut, juices go every where! Think about your labor and what's the easiest and less time consuming. Most of us still have teeth and can chew. My dad used to get upset if we saw the cranberry sauce getting into the turkey meat on our plate. His answer was 'it all goes to the same place'.
...See More
Tomato Strainers / Food Mills
Q
Comments (7)
I use an old hand cranked Squeezo, it belonged to my mother. It's all stainless steel, a precursor to today's plastic Victorio/Villaware. I use it for tomato sauce, but I find that I have to cook the tomatoes slightly or it's too hard to crank them. Others, with stronger arms, put their tomatoes through raw. I don't use it at all for salsa because it smushes everything up too small and I don't use it for raspberries because some of the small seeds get through even the smallest screen. That's OK, I like a few seeds anyway. It's a champ for applesauce too, but doesn't work worth a rip for cherries for jam. (grin) I've gone back to hand pitting those. Annie
...See More
food mill or food strainer?
Q
Comments (33)
That deal you missed isn't a very good one anyway.. It looks like a very old version of a Victorio food strainer and they were very messy, and leaked out the shaft. The latest version is from Villaware and has a wrap around plastic shield to keep spatter down to a minimum. Also, the berry screen, as an option will get all the seeds out of raspberries and so you have a perfect seedless jam. I use it for my tomatoes and the skins and seeds pass out the end, which, on the newer Villaware, is another 4 inches of clear plastic cone to push out the waste even further from the metal conical strainers. The Villaware also has a rubber seal on the cranking shaft that stops any leakage from flowing out where the handle is attached. Cutting big tomatoes in halves and smaller ones are left whole. I can 'crank out' a bushel in less than 10 minutes. Very little effort compared to a Foley and works great even for small bits like for salsa, and even pumpkin. I sold my old Victorio for $5.00 a few years ago, but still have a similar Back To Basics model, that has the older wing nut screen design of the Victorio., but that shaft still leaks when I do watery stuff like tomatoes and even raspberries.
...See More
Tomato sauce questions
Q
Comments (3)
If you keep the sauce going at a slow rolling boil while filling the jars it will keep itself pretty well mixed. At least so that there is no noticeable difference in thickness. At the same time, assuming you are filling only 1 canner load, right? - line up your jars and do a third fill on all first then a second round of 1/3 fill and then a third. If organized it goes very quickly. It distributes the sauce and any thing it contains better. Works really well if you have help to wipe and cap as you finish the last run. I'd sure try to find the jar with the bay leaf - might be visible as it cools - open it, remove the leaf and put that jar in the fridge. They can get very strong and bitter if left in. Next time put the bay leaves in a spice bag. ;) Dave
...See More
planatus
13 years ago
There's a procedure at this website where she takes the milled sauce and lets it separate in the fridge for a day or two to get a thicker sauce. It works!

http://www.barbarapleasant.com/canningtomatosauce.html

I have a love hate relationship with my Victorio. Such a mess, but it does such a good job on tomatoes and apples. You know, those nylon scrubbie things do a great job of cleaning the blade.

Here is a link that might be useful: tomato sauce interrupted
0
wcthomas
13 years ago
Try using a screen with larger holes, such as the pumpkin/squash screen. You will still need to boil down to desired thickness, but the larger screen will add more body.

TomNJ
0
matthewjoseph
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for all the tips! I have a free bushel of slightly damaged tomatoes from a farmer friend, so I'm going to test out different options (roasting, cooking down, separating, etc.)
0
doug360
13 years ago
I use a recipe from alton brown on the food network that roasts the toms prior to the food mill. works great and the sauce is "ready to use" immediately after.
0

Related Stories

EDIBLE GARDENS Summer Crops: How to Grow Tomatoes

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant tomato seedlings in spring for one of the best tastes of summer, fresh from your backyard

KITCHEN DESIGN 9 Questions to Ask When Planning a Kitchen Pantry

By Susan Redman

Avoid blunders and get the storage space and layout you need by asking these questions before you begin

FARM YOUR YARD Houzz Call: Home Farmers, Show Us Your Edible Gardens

By Stacy Briscoe

We want to see where your tomatoes, summer squashes and beautiful berries are growing this summer

SHOP HOUZZ Houzz Products: Save a Taste of Summer

Can't bear to part with the flavors of summer peaches, berries and tomatoes? Then jam on it!

GARDENING GUIDES Houzz TV: Make a Worm Bin for Rich Soil and Happy Plants

By Annie Thornton

A worm-powered compost bin that can fit under a sink turns food scraps into a powerful amendment for your garden. Here’s how to make one

FEEL-GOOD HOME 21 Ways to Waste Less at Home

Whether it's herbs rotting in the fridge or clothes that never get worn, most of us waste too much. Here are ways to make a change

KITCHEN DESIGN How to Keep Your White Kitchen White

By Becky Dietrich, Interior Designer

Sure, white kitchens are beautiful — when they’re sparkling clean. Here’s how to keep them that way

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Summer Crop ...

Get an edible that’s long on flavor even if you’re short on space, with a long-time gardener’s favorite picks

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Easy Edibles for First-Time Gardeners

By Marianne Lipanovich

Focus on these beginner-friendly vegetables, herbs, beans and salad greens to start a home farm with little fuss

KITCHEN DESIGN Using White Marble: Hot Debate Over a Classic Beauty

By Beth Dotolo, ASID, RID, NCIDQ

Do you love perfection or patina? Here's how to see if marble's right for you

Sponsored

WhislerHome Improvement

9 Reviews

Franklin County's Committed Home Improvement Professionals

More Discussions

Help with macaroni and cheese.

78

A bit off-topic....about ceramic plates and spots.

7

What have you put up? 2024 version

18

Ball pints.....

1

What are you harvesting "now" 2024?

19