I’m in love with a KitchenAid strainer. I’m guessing not many people are in love with a kitchen appliance, but since I borrowed one from a friend several years ago, well, it has become a vital NEED. My husband heard how I needed one many times, and finally I found one on sale. She (yes, my appliances are women) and I have had many dear times together, and my husband has even developed a tremendous appreciation for her.
This is the greatest timesaver I’ve ever purchased when it comes to food preserving.
In my childhood, I didn’t like my mother’s applesauce. I realize that is a peculiar thing to admit. However, I wouldn’t even eat it at all! The texture just wasn’t tolerable for me. (Yes, super texture sensitive.) One day a few years ago, I visited my friend who was tending my young son and she was making applesauce. I was totally stunned. Making and processing applesauce with an extra kiddo around to tend? She had three young ones of her own to deal with, too. Then came the moment that changed my life. I believe the very angels in heaven sung as she showed it to me. She put the cooked applesauce mush into the top, pushed it through, and there was the most beautiful smooth clean sauce in the pot below. It was easy, gorgeous, and didn’t require a bunch of arm strength since it is electric.
Once I got mine and was using it, I couldn’t help but tell friends about it. It changed my life! Of course pretty soon I was loaning mine out to help all my friends with grapes, tomatoes, applesauce, raspberries, pumpkin puree… They each have seen the majesty of this incredible time and labor saver. One area that I really appreciate it for is tomatoes. I would normally have to peel and work with about 100+ quart jars of tomatoes. It was horrible. I loved the tomatoes, but the work to take all of those peels off! Furthermore, I’ve become neurologically permanently disabled (kinda like MS but just on motor and sensory functions) and my hands don’t do fine motor things well. This attachment has actually given me back the ability to preserve things that I couldn’t easily do anymore. Now, I chop them up, seed-save, and throw the tomatoes in a pot. Once to a good boil, they will go through the food strainer. Voila! I can focus on preserving via BWB for time consumption rather than just the prep. My efficiency has really improved with an electric strainer. A dear woman that I frequently can with has some shoulder problems. It has made things easier for her as well (yes, she has one now, too). An internet friend, David, even pointed out saving the peels and seeds, dehydrating, and powdering that “remnant” to use in stocks etc. See, now the need for the next item–a dehydrator!
I don’t know how many have ever thought of getting a strainer like that, but just weren’t sure. Well, I must confess, I’ve become part of a group who are “enablers.” We find things that are sooo helpful in the kitchen and tell others. They learn about it and then they tell others. I think the company should consider giving me and a few others a kick-back since almost all of these friends now own one of their own after borrowing one. I’m much too frugal by nature (you know, frugal, the classy word for tightwad). I know on our tight budget that it has paid for itself many many times over or I wouldn’t tell you about it. My friends can vouch on that.
Puree ready for further processing. Beautiful texture thanks to the strainer!
If you have a KitchenAid mixer and you do a lot of straining, peeling, etc, please think about this attachment as an option! If you are struggling with your hands to cut off skins from apples etc, do realize that there are great tools out there to serve us well who are handicapped, disabled, or just limited. I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am to have parts of my life stay despite the disease.
In love with a strainer? Yup, and I’m so glad that we were introduced! We will have a long life together making lots of delicious food for friends and family.
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Note from Suzanne: I found the KitchenAid strainer attachment here
Deborah R says:
Oh. My. Goodness. I need this! 😀
On June 7, 2010 at 2:57 am
CindyP says:
I have what’s called a ricer attachment on my old Oster Kitchen Center. It works much the same way…. and I was ecstatic when I tried to see if it would work for my tomato juice and apple sauce last year!
Yup, I can agree with you, Mel, you definitely can be in love with a strainer 🙂
On June 7, 2010 at 7:04 am
Mrs.Turkey says:
I also have a Kitchen Aid big stand mixer with most all of the attachment’s. I just love it. It’s what I use for making cucumber relish, other pickles, and grinding meat for mincemeat. Have even made sausage before.
Make my bread in a kitchen aid mixer also. So easy.
Want to adapt Suzanne’s Grandmother bread recipe for it. I would not ever be without a Kitchen Aid mixer.
Mrs. Turkey
On June 7, 2010 at 7:20 am
NorthCountryGirl says:
Moopsee, you are a woman after my own heart! I too have a Kitchenaid mixer and I bought the Pasta Maker/Grinder and Shredder/Slicer attachments for it. Love them! They save so much time. I considered the Strainer but thought I’d never use it that much…till I read your article. Now, that’s on my list, too. BY THE WAY, I bought my attachments on Ebay. You can get them much cheaper. I saved a ton of money just with the two attachments I bid on. Thanks for the article on the strainer. I’ll be checking into that in the future.
On June 7, 2010 at 7:42 am
Dede ~ wvhomecanner says:
No Kitchen Aid beauty here (yet), but I have a hand-cranked strainer and if you want to make tomato juice, sauce, applesauce, etc. a strainer of some type is a MUST HAVE to make life so much easier. Beautiful yellow tomato pulp Mel!
On June 7, 2010 at 7:47 am
monica says:
If I had one of those–it would never see the inside of the cupboard! Congrats to you for getting the Hubby involved on the tomato straining work, but then again–Those mixers are OUR power tools!
++++Yipee my password problems solved!
On June 7, 2010 at 7:58 am
Pete says:
Had wondered about this attachment, as opposed to buying a seperate appliance. Will be waiting to find one on sale, or just bite the bullet and order one!
On June 7, 2010 at 9:01 am
kellyb says:
Strange to be in love with kitchen appliances? I think not. I have had a long and loving relationship with my Victorio Food Strainer and now my Steam Juicier. This little beauty looks to be a real gem. I think I actually got canner’s elbow from processing all the tomatoes and apples I did last summer manually. I might need to look into this.
On June 7, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Ruthmarie says:
OMG, I’m having a moment of appliance lust! I did salsa last year with cherry tomatoes … surprisingly successful despite the teeny rolled skins (they only bothered me, lol!). Now I have BIG tomatoes growing this year and am sooo not looking forward to peeling with arthritis …
I WAhhhhNT the purrrrty attachment so bad, thank you, moopsee! … need to hit craigslist and, yep, ebay!
On June 7, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Billie says:
I have had this in my basket at Amazon for weeks. This post may well be the gentle push (read…shove!) I need. But first to Maryland to love on grandbabies.
On June 8, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Tuza says:
I don’t get it, what does it do? you cook up tomatoes and process them throught he strainer and what does it do? I’m guessing separate the skin and seeds from the juice? where do the skin and seeds go, how do you clean out the trap between scoops of fruit/veges? can you give some details on HOW it works??
by the way, HOT HUBBIE!!!
On September 12, 2011 at 12:41 am
Pete says:
Tuza, I broke down and bought one when it came on sale and I am in complete agreement – it is WONDERFUL!! (No, the hubby didn’t come with the attachment!!)
Not sure how the others do it, but I do NOT cook things first. That is one of my great joys using this thing. Just run the raw veggies through it. Pulp comes out one section, seeds etc another.
For tomatoes, I put the raw ‘mater mash into quart jars and canned them. Instant tomato puree, without the seperate cooking stage. Then I dried the seeds, skins and whatever else was left over. Great to add to stews, chili, soups.
On September 12, 2011 at 9:03 am
Pete says:
Tuza, I wanted to add that I also got the grinder and used both it and the strainer for various operations and canning last summer. After reflecting on that, I am not sure which I used for making the tomato puree.
But, I didn’t cook any of the veggies before running them through the strainer and grinder attachments.
Sorry for the confusion…
On September 12, 2011 at 10:18 am