Food Mill Leavings

[Nan_PA_6b]

I used my food mill for the first time. The problem is the amount of stuff left behind. It just looks like I'm losing so much. It seems like about a third of what I start with ends up as leavings. Is that right?

Also: I'm giving the leavings to my niece for her chickens. Is there anything wrong with that?

My process: Thaw frozen tomatoes, core & quarter. Cook. Put two ladles of tomatoes in mill with finest mesh (keeps out almost every seed). Turn mill till stuff stops coming out the bottom. Work mill back & forth to be sure everything has gotten pressed. Remove leavings. Repeat.

Thanks in advance,

Nan

[PhilaGardener]

I find the leavings are mostly seed and skin. I'll often pass it back through the mill a second time, but, yes, it does seem like I lose a lot of volume and maybe some solids when I use it. I'm sure the chickens love it!

[Worth1]

The chickens will lay the most beautiful and tasty eggs you ever had in your life eating this stuff.
We fed ours or I say I fed ours all of the old soured milk and slop they could swallow.
I was all put in a slop bucket by the back door.

Worth

[VC Scott]

Toss them in the mulch pile and next year you will have volunteers galore.

[Nan_PA_6b]

I'll just get fat raccoons.

Nan

[Gardeneer]

I don't use any food mill.
One time I weighed the cut up tomatoes, then cooked them, blended with stick blender and then passed through a rice strainer/colander. Kept on pressing with a wooden spoon until no more juice was in the leavings.
I weighed the leavings. It was under 10% of the total.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by PhilaGardener

I find the leavings are mostly seed and skin. I'll often pass it back through the mill a second time, but, yes, it does seem like I lose a lot of volume and maybe some solids when I use it. I'm sure the chickens love it!

Same here. I use the middle screen, maybe a seed or 2 gets through, but it goes a lot faster. Composting or mulching is always good. Cooked first, no volunteer worries.

[JosephineRose]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Same here. I use the middle screen, maybe a seed or 2 gets through, but it goes a lot faster. Composting or mulching is always good. Cooked first, no volunteer worries.

I third that. I cook down as is and when soft enough I put them through the food mill. I take it down to skins and seeds and then back in the pot to thicken up. I find the greatest reduction in volume comes from cooking off the natural water as I simmer, not from the food mill.

I get a couple of seeds in, but not many, and we don't notice.