Tomato Press (hand-cranked vs electric)

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I have a hand cranked tomato press.
It works ok, I was just wondering if an electric one is better, more efficient , worth the price ??

Larry

It depends on how many times you use it in a month. If you frequently use it for a lot of tomatoes, then go for it. Do you only use it for "in season" fresh tomatoes, or do you use it all year round.

I had a sewing machine. It was great for sewing a hem on a spread, or on extra long curtains. But that was only once or twice I year I used it. I ended up giving it to one of my kids. He uses it all the time. For me, it wasn't worth the money I spent on it. For my son, it was worth every cent. He has the room, I didn't. :angel:
 
That depends. How many tomato bushes did you plant.

I have a hand crank food mill and a cone shaped Chinois with a wooden pestle. I think the Chinois looks cooler on the counter, makes me think I "know" what I am doing. :ermm: It takes up a lot of storage space. It has finer holes so that's the one I use for either deseeding raspberries for sauces and tomatoes. That's all I think I ever use them for.
 
The tomato press uses a mesh that doesn't let the seeds through. With a food mill, the seeds would get in the puree.


It is my understanding that a food mill separates the pulp and juices from the seeds and skins.
 
Thanks for the mention of the chinois for raspberries, Whiska. I've been digging raspberry seeds out of my teeth for days, and I don't have enough for cordial.

I've used it for tomatoes too. Takes a bit of elbow grease.
 
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It is my understanding that a food mill separates the pulp and juices from the seeds and skins.
With a food mill, most of the skin will stay in the mill, but a few small pieces will usually get cut by the holes and go through. Some of the seeds will stay behind, but the holes are big enough to let most of them through. I was under the same impression as you before I tried it, using the plate with the smallest holes.
 
Not sure of the exact differences. Ive see similar things called either or. I do have a hand cranked food mill, that ultimately gets the job done. I was just wondering if something electric driven is more efficient. I don't do it year round, but as all you gardeners know ( at least in the NE, July, August and September i'm sure doing enough, that if i can find something easier, more convenient and efficient, then it would be worth it to me, and I'd be willing to invest in it.

Ive seen(and have ) the hand cranked kind that the tomatoes get squished in under the rotating blade, and the juice/ pulp therefore gets pressed against a preselected screen ( with various sized holes). After each batch, have to scoop out all the skins, seeds ...

Online, I saw a hand cranked one where you place the tomatoes in , and as you crank it, the pulp/ juice comes out one side, as the skin and seeds come out the other side.

And also one similar to above where the pulp juice comes out one end, and the skin and seeds out the other. It basically looks like one of those expensive juicers which leads me to wonder if just getting a juicer would do a similar job.

larry
 
Larry--I have one of these:


http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/italian-tomato-press/


We plant 300 tomato plants (about 2500 lb worth). I don't use it for anything else. I don't find the cranking is tiresome. I run the tomato pulp back through it 3 x. I love mine. It is easy to clean (comes apart, plastic parts go in the upper tray of the dishwasher). Unless you plan on using it throughout the year or need it for commercial purposes, I'd say no to an electric one. The result is not the same as running the tomatoes through a juicer.


I hate my food mill. I never use it. It is too much bother to clean.
 
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Larry--I have one of these:


Italian Tomato Press | Williams-Sonoma


We plant 300 tomato plants (about 2500 lb worth). I don't use it for anything else. I don't find the cranking is tiresome. I run the tomato pulp back through it 3 x. I love mine. It is easy to clean (comes apart, plastic parts go in the upper tray of the dishwasher). Unless you plan on using it throughout the year or need it for commercial purposes, I'd say no to an electric one. The result is not the same as running the tomatoes through a juicer.


I hate my food mill. I never use it. It is too much bother to clean.

Sounds like good advice to me :)
Ive got about 1/10 the amount of tomatoes as you do.
I feel the same way about my mill, and i just don't think its as efficient as other devises ( such as the one you mentioned above).

Thanks
 
That depends. How many tomato bushes did you plant.

I have a hand crank food mill and a cone shaped Chinois with a wooden pestle. I think the Chinois looks cooler on the counter, makes me think I "know" what I am doing. :ermm: It takes up a lot of storage space. It has finer holes so that's the one I use for either deseeding raspberries for sauces and tomatoes. That's all I think I ever use them for.
I use the Chinois for making wild grape jelly and making chokecherry jelly--to get the seeds/pits out before hanging the bag of juice. That's how my mom used hers.
 
I am looking for a tomato juicer to be used for canning tomato's for tomato juice...Due to our recent kitchen renovation, I can no longer use the old method..
I am looking for "juicer" for lack of the correct terminology.
Something where the seeds and skin is extracted, creating a product ready for processing...
I don't want to break the bank, just need some advice...
Thanks in advance...

I make my own vegetable juice to can using tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, carrots, celery, and peppers. I use a USDA approved recipe. But I don't use the method you are looking for. I have a high powered blender to liquefy whole tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and celery; I deseed the peppers. The vegetables go from blender jar, to stock pot, to canning jars, to canner.
 
I make my own vegetable juice to can using tomatoes, onions, garlic, parsley, carrots, celery, and peppers. I use a USDA approved recipe. But I don't use the method you are looking for. I have a high powered blender to liquefy whole tomatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and celery; I deseed the peppers. The vegetables go from blender jar, to stock pot, to canning jars, to canner.


Beth this is inspiring, thank you for your timely reminder, that there are things I can can that don't require 40 lbs of tomatoes. (for a batch of sauce) I've got a couple gallons of tomatoes, some celery, some carrots, lots of onions and peppers--and I can can what you are canning. I know I'd love to have that on the shelf.
https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_03/tomato_veg_juice.html
22 lbs of tomatoes and no more than 3 cups of added vegetables to make 7 quarts of tomato vegetable blend.



I usually get to this point in the season, exhausted from all the daily canning big batches, things have FINALLY slowed down. Mr bliss left town for 4 days and I only canned ONE DAY, and then I considered the rest of the time, my vacation.:LOL:


Now that I got that out of my system (after 20 cases of quarts of fruits/veg, I was beginning to HATE IT):LOL:, I feel I could can again. I call it 'tomato hell'. It only comes once a year.
Thanks Beth!
 
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