Victorio versus Squeezo Strainers

[Ridgerunner]

I'm going to get a food strainer before canning season gets here. Prime thoughts right now are tomatoes and blackberries but once I get it, who knows what the possibilities will be. I will get all available screens.

I'm looking at Victorio and Squeezo. I'm not looking at wasting money, but I want to get something that will last. What are your experiences with these? Any limitations you have found? Ease of use and cleaning? Any other thoughts or suggestions? My pressure canner will hold 18 pints so that is the range I am looking at for size. There is nothing like experience to counter advertising claims.

 

[thistlebloom]

Well Ridgerunner, I'll just start with a disclaimer that I have not personally used either one, but my folks had a Victorio and loved it. My dad operated it most of the time and I never heard him gripe once. So it must be good.

 

[beavis]

Something like this?

http://www.mendingshed.com/vkp250.html

I am very interested in this device. Is it like a Foley food mill? What is the advantage for canning/food preservation of owning this?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yes, something ike that. I'm a little concerned about the plastic parts instead of them being metal. And I think all models have a rubber seal. Not sure how those hold up. I did notice I need to cool cooked stuff off before processing it in this model.

For canning you need to remove the skins or seeds from certain things before you can them. I've used a small food mill for tomato skins and seeds for tomato sauce. That takes a lot of stopping and cleaning the food mill to get the seeds out. I've used several layers of cheese cloth and a lot of time for it to drain to make seedless blackberry juice. For both of these, I do not need to cook these before I run them through a strainer, but I have to cook them for my current methods. When I make apple sauce, I will still have to cook the apples before processing, then cool them off some.

I have not used one of these devices, which discharges the liquid and pulp in one area and discharges the skin and seeds in another place. I think it will speed the whole process up quite a bit, plus be less frustrating to use, especially if you don't have to cook the food first. Fewer pots and pans to wash.

One disadvantage of these strainers may be how much pulp or juice goes out the discharge side as compared to a regular food mill. The instructions say you may have to send the debris discharge through a second time to get more of the pulp out. I'm not sure how much volume that actually is.

I trust the people on this site a lot more than what I read in the advertisements for these products. I've pretty much made up my mind to get one and they are not real cheap. I don't need a fancy name or the top-of-the-line model, unless there is truly that much difference in them. I do want something that will last and will not be too frustrating to use. I'll pay for quality but I do not need to pay extra for fashion or style.

I'm specifically thinking of a simple ladel my wife got at one of those high end fashionable food appliance and accessories stores. The ladel is cute, fahionable, attractive, stylish, and totally impractical to use. The handle is so heavy it is always at risk of flipping out of the bowl. That is something I would not have thought of before I experienced it. If someone on this forum has tried one of these strainers and has noticed something like that about a specific model, I can maybe save myself some frustration.

It is always possible someone will come on and say they have tried one and don't waste your money on one. Stick with the old ways. Not all gadgets are worth getting. If it sounds too good to be true, maybe it is.

 

[Collector]

When I read your topic I thought you were talking about a Pro wrestling match up. My bad LOL.

 

[i_am2bz]

I only have experience with the Victorio, & it was many years ago. I used to borrow it from my neighbor whenever I canned tomato products of one sort or another. It was metal, however; I can only imagine the plastic ones breaking constantly.

However, I can say that it was well worth using. Prior to my neighbor offering it to me to use, I used to seed, skin, etc. by hand. What a pain!!! (MESSY & time-consuming) The first time I used the gadget I was thrilled. "Oh Mr. Victorio, where have you been all my life??"

(edited for spelling)

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I read your topic I thought you were talking about a Pro wrestling match up. My bad LOL.

I modified the title. Maybe that will help.

 

[Collector]

That clears it up a little Ridgeback. What do you use them for???

 

[LVVCHAP]

Ridge runner,
We only have experience with a Victorio and love it. The housing for the auger is metal but the other parts are plastic. We use it mostly for applesauce and it comes right out of the pot and into the strainer with no problems. She also uses the berry screens for Blackberry & Elderberry jelly, YUMMY! The only thing we added was a motor. My wife hurt her elbow and had trouble turning the crank. It is a little noisy but does the job.

 

[Blacksheep]

Ridge runner,
We only have experience with a Victorio and love it. The housing for the auger is metal but the other parts are plastic. We use it mostly for applesauce and it comes right out of the pot and into the strainer with no problems. She also uses the berry screens for Blackberry & Elderberry jelly, YUMMY! The only thing we added was a motor. My wife hurt her elbow and had trouble turning the crank. It is a little noisy but does the job.

When you processed the elderberries, what screen and which auger did you use? I had a most unpleasant experience trying to put elderberries through my Squeezo so as to make jelly. It jammed most thoroughly on the buildup of the seeds. Thanks for any advice!