POLL: Anyone using FOOD MILL?

[helene]

I am looking into buying a FOOD MILL.
At Cooking.Com they range from 18.50 to 197.50.

1. What king to you recommend
2. Are they any good with making applesauce?
3. Are they taking out the peeling, the seeds and the pulp?
4. What's the best way to use it?

Thanks,

Hélène

[Marsha]

I use the Foley food mill for making jellied cranberry sauce, apple sauce and some soups that need the solids removed leaving a smooth puree. Mine has only one size strainer but I found the other brands to be lighter weight and thus more difficult to use when pressing lots of solids.

[mightyh]

My mom makes her applesauce with something called a Victoria (Victorian?) Strainer. She absolutely swears by it (and her applesauce is very good http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif)... I'm trying to think back to the process.... She cooks the apples and then just throws them into a colander type thing on the top of the strainer and turns the crank handle on the side..... The "good" part of the apples oozes out the sides of the contraption and ALL the peel and seed comes out the end (into a bucket you have waiting there for the trash). It always looked pretty awesome to me as a kid....

I've seen similar products--Kitchen aid makes one that will attach to your stand mixer (I think they call it a fruit and vegetable strainer) and so does Villaware (this is a free standing unit).

[This message has been edited by mightyh (edited 10-18-2000).]

[Alky]

I have a food strainer/mill that connects to my Kitchenaid mixer. I guess it actually attaches to the meat grinder attachment. I have made lots of applesauce with it and use the sauce to make fruit leather. It works great. Being able to add and press the fruit down the shoot and not having to turn a crank at the same time makes it a one person job. And if you are doing large quantities this certainly is easier. It removes all the peel and seeds and they drop into one bowl. The applesauce dumps into another bowl. It only has one size strainer. I quarter my apples and cook in a large pot with a heavy bottom so they don't burn and try not to add too much water since I usually dehydrate later. Once they start steaming they get mushy and wet enough.
I also have a manual one that has different strainers that my mom bought at a garage sale. I haven't used it much but a friend of mine uses it every year to strain raspberries from their seeds and she says it is the best thing she has found for that purpose. She uses the raspberry puree without seeds to flavor her fruit leather which she sells. I think that she uses a smaller strainer than comes with the kitchenaid attachment. She says it works better than a juicer she used to use. They both make applesauce a lot easier since you don't have to clean the unit until you all done instead of every time the strainer fills with peels and seeds. I hope this is helpful!

[bijoux22]

I have a food mill with 3 disks that have different size holes. I think I paid about $20 for it on sale.

I slice apples, remove the seeds, leave the skin on (gives the sauce a nice color) toss them in a heavy pot medium heat, with a little apple juice or water, put a top on and simmer for a few minutes stir, repeat until apples start breaking down and become quite soft. Then I put heaping spoonsful into the mill and crank away. It seperates the peel from the pulp. I use the disk with the smallest holes, just my preference. I try to make applesauce with freshly picked ripe apples which don't need sugar for sweetening.

[Mamasue]

I have a food mill like bijoux22 has except I don't have separate disks which I would love to have....must have cheaper model. Anyway, I use mine mostly for canned italian plum tomatoes. I don't like the pulp and seeds when I make my tomato sauce.