skip to main content

What's the gadget you use

16 years ago

to take tomato skins out of a cooked sauce?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (24)

foodonastump
16 years ago
Food mill?
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years ago
I use a large sieve and a spatula to take out all the seeds and skin.

dcarch
Related Discussions
seed growing gizmos & gadgets you can't live without...
Q
Comments (37)
I agree a zillion times on the heat mats! I have 12 of them and need more of them. I do like the idea of using a heating blanket, never thought of that, it would be perfect size for starting flats of Caladiums this year, as last year I didnt have enough heat mats for them and it took forever for them to sprout. Lights are also vital for me, I have way way way too many of them in our home, occupying 4 different "grow rooms". Other gizmos, I use a large turkey baster for watering individual plants. The baster seems to let out just the right flow of water, as the watering cans seem to spill water into individual plants that dont need watered. This can be time consuming, but necessary until flats are all drying out at the same time. I bottom water all seedlings until they have been transplanted. I also use, well it isnt a gadget but it is a technique really, a gallon water jug where I mix my fertilizer at HALF STRENGTH with water, and I will use equal portions of this (as needed) with WARM water, which gives me a 1/4 strenght fertilizer for all seedlings/plants that get watered. As you know, you should never water with cold water, but if you mix a batch of fertilizer and then dont need to use it all right away (say, a gallon amount), it gets cold in its container. So, I allow the gallon jug to get cold and then just mix with warm water, whatever amount I think I may need. I just use a second water jug and mix equal parts. No fertilizer waste! I also use valve action markers in different colors that I use to right on my pots, so I know what is in them. I dont actually right out the whole name, such as Petunia 'Tidal Wave Silver', but I will simply write a small TWS on the pot, so I know what it is without using tags, because tags can (and do!) fall out. In the off season, after I scrub my pots, I use a black valve action permanant marker and mark over these labels so that the next season they are ready to go. I also have jillions of pie plates, muffin tins, and pot pie tins which I use for sowing seeds. These are the perfect depth for planting almost all seeds. Though, I am now beginning to use more commercial plug trays, I still use lots of the muffin tins for planting up to 25 seeds. I also use cut up sections of plug trays for "jimmying" up the different containers to reach the light. For instance, right now I have several containers with impatiens seedlings and several with petunia seedlings, which are about an inch difference in height. I jimmy up the petunia seedlings in the flat so that they are the same height as the Impatiens, and all plants are the same distance from the lights. My plants almost touch the lights! I also use little tiny baby toothbrushes for scrubbing plug trays and bottle brushes for cell packs and pots. My husband designed some "free standing" grow light racks for me for when my plants have outgrown the shelves. We drape several chains over a table and hang the lights under the table, and I can keep growing on my plants when they are quite tall. I can raise the lights up to two feet if I wanted to! Most plants dont get that tall though before getting hardened off, but the height is nice for getting containers going early. Anyone can build this, just get a good old sturdy table. I also do the wet toothpick trick! Works great for "smashing" pellets also. I like to smash my pelleted seed so that they all germinate at about the same time. Another thing to do with the toothpick--if any of you are like me and want to conserve every single seed that germinates, I get frustrated when I have a container of ready-to-transplant seedlings and I look closely and see several seedlings that had just sprouted. Especially with seed that was expensive, like impatiens! What I do is, I keep an eye on the flats and I will use a toothpick to remove some of those tiny germinated seedlings from the container, and move them one by one into a new container. Since they have just germinated, there is only a very tiny root system, so you dont hurt it at all by moving it. If I did not move them, they would get ruined when I transplant the larger seedlings to cell packs. I also keep an eye out for ungerminated seeds,in particular with impatiens or seeds that I spent a lot of money on. I dont quite understand why they dont all germinate at the same time, but it happens all the time! I will use a toothpick to pick up the seeds, put them in a new container and back under the domes for germinating. This also keeps me from losing those baby seedlings I mentioned before. Tedious? Sure! But I strive to get everything I canfrom what I spend on seeds! Anyway, those were my gadgets! Neat post!
...See More
Gadgets you can't live without
Q
Comments (7)
Here are three small inexpensive item that are not only handy for trouble shooting, they can be a life saver. Get a single probe type "Voltage Detector". They look like a large ballpoint pen and when you touch the tip against any surface that is electrically energized there is an audible beeping sound and most have a flashing red tip. I have one made by Greenlee that is a bright yellow color with a red tip and can generally be found in the electrical section of Lowes or HD for about $12. It uses two or three tiny hearing aid type batteries which come prepacked in the unit ( I am not sure which because I have had it 4 yrs and have not yet needed to change batteries). They are excellent for testing a wire to see if it has power but what I have found is even more important is then when working on an unknown piece of equipment you can touch the outer housing to quickly determine if a short circuit has energized the housing. I have avoided a number of nasty electrical shocks since i acquired this tool. Another very handy item is a pocket sized Volt,Ohm, Milliamp meter commonly called a V.O.M. I got one and glued a couple strips of rubber magnet material on the back, which I salvaged from and old refrigerator door gasket. With the magnets on the back when i am working on an appliance, central furnace or AC condensing unit the meter will hang on the metal cabinet by the magnet and i have both hands free to hold the two test probes. Simple V.O.M. are available for about $15 while more elaborate ones run up to hundreds of dollars. There is also an inexpensive electrical outlet tester that looks like a 3prong plug adapter with 3 LED's on the end. You plug it into an unknown outlet and you can quickly tell if the outlet is wire correctly and if incorrect it will tall you what the problem is by the configuration of which L.E.D's light up. These run about $8 to $10
...See More
Systems, gadgets, routines that see you through a crisis
Q
Comments (7)
erica, I hope your stress level is less than it has been and you're getting some rest. It sounds like you did well with some of the things you had in place, and eliminating the ones that added stress. I put my entire phone directory into my cell phone. Now I know that doesn't seem like a novel idea to most, but having those restaurant numbers in my phone so I could call ahead a take-out order, or the numbers of all the siblings (and their mobiles) help immensely. I also carry an extra cell phone battery and keep in charged so I don't run out of power. When I change batteries, I make sure to charge the one that's run down that night so I'm covered. I keep a small folder (like a checkbook cover) for receipts. That way, if I'm buying things for someone else (like my mother), I know exactly where they are. I hear you about reading material you don't have to return to the library. I keep a few paperbacks just for those times, that I pick up second hand or at Half-Price Books. Pre-portioning food and having it ready to go in the fridge/freezer helps a lot. In fact, I still do this so I can fix it when I have the time/energy. I also pre-portion things in little snack bags like crackers, peanut m&m's, pretzels, and have string cheese and peanut butter sandwiches always ready to go. I often make three or four sandwiches, cut them in half or thirds, and put them in the fridge. It's easy to toss any of this with some fruit in a lunch bag so you have something healthy when you just don't have the energy to deal with it. Hospital food is the pits. I've been drinking flavored carbonated water, which makes me feel like I'm having a soda, without all the sugar, to keep my energy more level. I keep a basket of cards (with stamps) that I can send at any time, so if you need a Thank You to someone who's been a Godsend, you don't have to shop for a card. As far as Vitamins go, my daily allotments go in small paper cups, so I can stack them in the cabinet. This way I don't have to measure them all out, and can grab it to go when I need to. I like your idea of laundry and exercise; you're taking care of yourself, which is the best thing you can do. Thanks for your tips; I'm sure you'll discover some more as you go through this ordeal. Don't forget to come back and tell us about them.
...See More
Have you heard of this cool gadget?
Q
Comments (15)
ROTFLOLTIWMP!!!!!! Oh, thanks for the article. What a hoot!!!! I mean, the projection system sounds cool the way you, Mo_sgal, described it. Not gotta have but really cool. Recipe Projection System. Eight in 10 of those surveyed said they cook for enjoyment, and 64% do so at least several times per week. Consumers reported wanting a wireless recipe projection system that would allow them to look up a recipe online, or even say aloud what they want to cook (e.g. "beef stroganoff"), and then have the recipe projected onto a surface in the kitchen from a small cabinet-mounted device. "Consumers reported wanting"???? What the hell kind of survey was that? One at Comdex where they showed it to some gadget junkies and asked if they wanted it? Can you imagine having a controlled survey, Gallop Poll, type of thing where they were asking you what you wanted in your kitchen and you thought, "Gotta be able to say 'Beef Stroganoff' and have the recipe projected on the cabinet!"? Especially considering that any old recipe is not what you need when you're cooking, but something that matches your tastes, supplies, style and skills. I've found lots of great recipes online but it takes a proper search and a lot of forward and back until one finds the right thing. When Mo_sgal first mentioned this I thought it was for personal recipes which one has stored on one's own computer (hence, print a new one). I think what the people in the article are talking about is a Star Trek kind of thing where the computer knows exactly what you want and gives it to you right when you ask. "Computer, look in the kitchen, see what I have, and tell me how to make something fantastic." They have all these kitchen inventory sensors they're trying to market which will tie in. For those who can't remember to look and make a list before they leave for work.
...See More
Teresa_MN
16 years ago
Chinoise - aka China cap.
loves2cook4six
Original Author
16 years ago
It's still too chunky for a chinoise for sure and I don't have a large sieve or food mill.

I'm thinking of getting a food mill though. What else can you use it for?
jimster
16 years ago
If you are doing enough to justify the cost of a tomato strainer/food strainer, by all means get one. Tomatoes go in the hopper. Seeds and skins come out one place. Pulp and juice come out another place.

For small amounts various strainers can work.

A food mill gets clogged with skins which have to be constantly removed. It's a real pain. A food mill is good only for soft, pulpy things which have been peeled prior to cooking.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Tomato Strainer
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years ago
I know this is rediculous, but just for fun information only. Don't mean to distract your thread.

Some modern chefs use lab centrifuge. They can separate seeds, skin, paste and a crystal clear tomato juice that's amazing in taste.

A large sieve is very inexpensive that you can get in most supermarkets.

dcarch
kayskats
16 years ago
I don't have any of those ... so my gadget is a pot of hot water and a sharp knife ....BEFORE I start the sauce
k
loves2cook4six
Original Author
16 years ago
k, yes usually that works well but I have about 2000000 cherry tomatoes and can't see myself peeling them all LOL

jjimster, very interesting concept. Other than the obvious difference in design, is there anything you can do with one that can't be done with the other?
John Liu
16 years ago
A spider, like you'd use for deep frying. The holes are large - especially on a real cheap one - so the rest of the sauce should be able to go through. Might cost $4.

Here is a link that might be useful: Like this
nandina
16 years ago
Potato ricer does the job easily.
ci_lantro
16 years ago
The way that I've dealt w/ cherry tomatoes in the past is to just whiz them up in the blender. Raw. Then put them thru the food mill and then cook them down for either tomato juice or sauce.
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
16 years ago
In the many tomato forums I visit, the one shown by Jim is the one people recommend.

dcarch
annie1992
16 years ago
I have my mother's old Squeezo, the all metal version of today's Victorio tomato mill.

I really like it, it's great for tomatoes and works like a charm for applesauce, and the smallest berry screen gets nearly all the raspberry seeds out of raspberries if I want to make a seedless jam.

Annie
jessyf
16 years ago
Hmmmm I like nandina's suggestion. I have a food mill like jimster posted and its a PITA to clean. Doesn't save me much time when all is said and done.

Actually lately we've been using our fruit strainer attachment on our kitchenaid mixer, it has done a great job with all our garden grape tomatoes.
diinohio
16 years ago
Stick blender?

Di
lindac
16 years ago
For a gadzillion cherry tomatoes, I would use one of those things that is shaped like a chinoise but with larger holes....stands on legs and comes with a wooden "pusher".
I call it an applesauce maker or a cranberry sauce maker...but it works with little tomatoes too.
Linda C
loves2cook4six
Original Author
16 years ago
lots of ideas. I think I will try find something similar to Annie's. I like the idea that you don't have to constantly clean it.
coconut_nj
16 years ago
Jim, and others, I'm surprised you don't like a food mill. I have the same kind my mother used and now I have hers too. We always used it for sauce and I don't find it a problem. You do need to do the reverse thing often to clear it but then you just keep going. I can do a lot of tomatoes or apples before I need to dump the skins and seeds out. A good whack on the side of the sink and they fall out and I keep going. We always have used it for applesauce too. I have the very Roma veg/food strainer Jim linked to and find it a lot more work to clean than the simple food mill. Plus the Roma leaks juice and makes a bigger mess. To Me... smiles.. Maybe it's what you get used to using.. or how you get used to using them.
pkramer60
16 years ago
Since the sauce is already done, you could give it a good whiz in the FP. And just tell them it is a chuncky sauce.
jimster
16 years ago
Actually, the tomato strainer I have is an old Victorio and it works flawlessly. I posted a picture of the Roma because I thought that photo got the idea across better. If you want to buy one, read the user reviews to see what flaws a given model may have, such as leakage.

Tomato strainers are not for making one dinner's worth of sauce. That would be overkill. They are large pieces of equipment which are suited for processing the season's harvest. You get them out maybe a couple of times a year. For a couple of cups of sauce a Foley food mill may be OK but I consider it too clunky for that. When making sauce for a single dish from fresh tomatoes I just chop the tomatoes. I leave the sauce rough. I don't strain it.

Jim
jojoco
16 years ago
I like the food mill. I agree, when the skins build up, you simply reverse the handle and they rise in a solid mass. Easy to remove.

Jo
minsue67
16 years ago
I'm with diinohio....I use my stick blender in my tomato soups and sauces all the time...does the skins, seeds and all.
jimster
16 years ago
L2C46,

I don't understand your question. Please try again.

Jim
spacific
16 years ago
L2C46,
Years ago, I received this amazing gift from a CF/KF friend, Yvette. I use it so often and it's been the best thing for removing tomato skins and seeds, but not overdoing it. And it's so easy to use.

But don't believe the picture... it's kind of messy!

Ann

Here is a link that might be useful: Williams Sonoma Italian Tomato Press

Related Stories

KITCHEN APPLIANCES Considering a New Kitchen Gadget? Read This First

By Mitchell Parker

Save money, time and space by learning to separate the helpers from the hassles

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Go-To Kitchen Gadgets

The perfect can openers, timers, thermometers, graters, measurers and shears for your kitchen arsenal

PETS Home Tech: Pets Need Gadgets, Too

Longing for a better way to track your dog's whereabouts or provide indoor-outdoor pet access? New home gadgets do that and more

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Go Go Gadgets

Shop these new and improved tech gadgets, from charging stations to speakers

0

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: Kitchen Gadgets and Decor for the Foodie

Delight your inner gourmand with kitchen decor, lighting and gadgets

0

DECORATING GUIDES Gadget Watch: What's New for the High-Tech Home

A heater fan, robotic vacuum, solar-powered iPhone charger and other hot home gadgets

SHOP HOUZZ Shop Houzz: The Tech Gadget Sale

Gadgets and accessories like speakers and charging stations, all on sale

HOME TECH Cook Smarter With New Wi-Fi Kitchen Gadgets

Whip up meals with high-tech help, thanks to a phone-connected oven and teakettle, plus a web-surfing cutting board

HOME TECH All Is Not Lost: New Gadgets Help You Find Your Stuff

If you lose it when you lose things around the house (and who doesn't?), one of these wireless finders may be to your gain

HOME TECH Gadgets Help You Watch Your Health at Home

See the crop of new devices that can monitor your body's vital signs and environment for health, fitness and fun

Sponsored

More Discussions

Thinking ahead--do yu have a favorite new inexpensive kitchen tool?

22

Fifteen days in beautiful Scotland

22

Follow-ups and Thanks re Pie, Fruit Leather and Halloween

6

Be still my palate!

8

Tortillas tonight

11