Best method/process for managing harvest for canning

[z_willus_d]

Tom, once you process that 40 lbs of tomatoes through the Victorio, what do you do with it? Are you just canning the raw matter in the AA, or do you reduce or heat-up to make some kind of sauce before canning?

As a side question, I'm torn between whether to purchase the Victorio, which would be $60 + another $40 at Amazon for the accessory screens, or to go with the Oxo brand food mill for $50, and it includes three different screen sizes. I'm leaning toward the latter. Curious if you have any thoughts either way.

[DiggingDogFarm]

Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Martin, I'm feeling a synergy with your method. I didn't have a name for it, Tomato Conserva (aka Conserva di Pomodor), but I realize that most of my favorite home sauces amount to a reduction to something very similar to what you're describing. I found a basic recipe for this paste on the web here:
http://www.thedinnerfiles.com/2009/0...mato-conserva/

Is this similar to your process? How do you augment this recipe to include chunks? Just add them in fresh and uncooked (w/ seeds?) after completing the conserva? Do you think starting with frozen tomatoes will affect the result?

I was leaning towards pressing the Buy button on the Victorio, but after reviewing the above site, it looked like a colander might be simpler. Also, I need $ to buy those deep pans. I'm guessing one could also start with the Victorio press step and then bake down, but that might not result in the same stuff given the skins and seeds wouldn't be involved in the initial stove stop cooking, and who knows what goodness those impart (or bad?)

Tom, thanks for sharing your recipe. Didn't you call that salsa reduction or cream of salsa in a different thread?
--naysen

I do mine in a very slow oven, 200 degrees or less (no carmelization)....a convection oven is a plus. I don't think that using frozen tomato for the conserva without chunks would make a noticeable difference.

All my conserva is seedless, for the conserva with the chunks, I dice up firm well fleshed tomatoes and add the chunks to the conserva puree.

re: food mill

I don't have experience with the Victorio type mills, but I do have experince with the Foley type mills (Passatutto) like in the link you posted.

I would personally stay away from any Oxo product, I've had both good and bad experience with their products.....lately the bad has far out-weighed the good.

I have an old Foley food mill, a Macina-Legumi (made in Italy) and an old Chinoise food mill.

The Macina Legumi mills are available from Fantes...1 or 2 quart...#3880 @$27.99 and the #3881 @$34.99

http://fantes.com/food-mills.html#stainless

>Martin

[DiggingDogFarm]

I forgot to add...

It looks to me like they're reducing the conserva in an aluminum sheet pan in the link you posted, I'd stay away from aluminum and only use something that's non-reactive...like glass or SS.

Martin

[DiggingDogFarm]

FWIW,

Here's an old guide for using food mills....good information....

75 ways to use the Foley Food Mill.

http://fantes.com/manuals/foley-food...ays-to-use.pdf

Martin

[z_willus_d]

Martin, good information. You didn't mention the pros/cons of the three food mills you own. Do you prefer one over the others, particularly for the exercise of sauce creation.

On your second point with the aluminum tray, yep I very aware of the dangerous of food-metal reaction. I have a large Le Creuset dutch oven that I was thinking to try and reproduce the slow oven cook process on the range, but short of that in the oven with just less surface area. If you think that will affect the quality of the result (and if so why?), I might consider one of these options on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I'm not sure about the blue steel for longevity/reactivity, but I'm sure the SS model would work.

Thanks again for all the advice and saving me from mistakes in a new field.
-naysen

[DiggingDogFarm]

Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Martin, good information. You didn't mention the pros/cons of the three food mills you own. Do you prefer one over the others, particularly for the exercise of sauce creation.

On your second point with the aluminum tray, yep I very aware of the dangerous of food-metal reaction. I have a large Le Creuset dutch oven that I was thinking to try and reproduce the slow oven cook process on the range, but short of that in the oven with just less surface area. If you think that will affect the quality of the result (and if so why?), I might consider one of these options on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

I'm not sure about the blue steel for longevity/reactivity, but I'm sure the SS model would work.

Thanks again for all the advice and saving me from mistakes in a new field.
-naysen

Hi Naysen,

Of all the food mills I have the old Foley is probably the best built.
Problem is, it's tin coated steel, so when the tin wears off the steel will rust (it's no great chore to keep it dry and oiled though).

The Chinoise is also older, it's aluminum, but it does appear to be iodized so it doesn't react.

I still use both of them on occasion, unlike the Macina-Legumi the holes are fixed (there's no changeable discs.)

The Macina-Legumi is the most verastile, with the 3 discs and easiest to clean....not that any of them are a real chore to clean.

I don't think there would be a problem using your Le Creuset dutch oven to slowly reduce the sauce...other than the extra time.

The stainless steel hotel pans work great. I use a couple hotel pans.

If the blue steel pans are like the French blue steel pans that I have...they are reactive.

You may find a better deal on the SS hotel pans at a local restaurant supply.

[z_willus_d]

Thanks for the comparison. Can't wait to build up my stock and get started.
--naysen

[TomNJ]

Originally Posted by z_willus_d

Tom, once you process that 40 lbs of tomatoes through the Victorio, what do you do with it? Are you just canning the raw matter in the AA, or do you reduce or heat-up to make some kind of sauce before canning?

As a side question, I'm torn between whether to purchase the Victorio, which would be $60 + another $40 at Amazon for the accessory screens, or to go with the Oxo brand food mill for $50, and it includes three different screen sizes. I'm leaning toward the latter. Curious if you have any thoughts either way.

I mostly make a cooked salsa from my tomatoes, adding lots of onions, garlic, peppers, herbs and spices, and put this up in pint bottles. Once I rebuild my salsa stock to about 80 pints, I switch over to canning tomato sauce or soup (minus cream and lamb). Once I get more land I'll be able to increase my tomatoes and put up quarts of strained cooked tomatoes as well for general purpose use.

I have tried the Oxo/Foley type mills in the past and found them inefficient and messy for raw tomatoes, but they may work well for small batches or with tomatoes that have been cooked first. The Victorio is a magic machine that cranks out sauce at the rate I need, even with raw tomatoes. Saves me lots of work on large batches. The Victorio comes with a tomato screen that is perfect for a no-seed puree type sauce. For a more chunky sauce you can buy a single salsa screen for about $15, or just skin a portion of the batch (boil/dip method) and add it to the puree.

TomNJ

[z_willus_d]

Tom, I think you've sold me. I didn't realize you could buy the accessories single. As my primary use for this food mill would be in processing tomatoes, I think I have to agree a Victorio type tool would be most efficient. I also make home wine from time to time, and I can imaging using the unit as a poor mans crusher destemer with the Grape Spiral accessory. I'll still probably cook the tomatoes in with their skins first, as I have a gut feeling that the skins add something to the mix, whether color, lycopene, flavor, or all and more. Placing the order now.
Thanks,
Naysen

[TomNJ]

You won't be disappointed Naysen.

Tom

[DiggingDogFarm]

I didn't realize that the Victorio mills would work well with raw tomatoes.
That would save a step.
I think I'll try one too.

[Structure]

The Victorio mill is a great product. Note that it can jam if using fruit that has not thawed sufficiently.

My wife thought it was too much $ when I bought it. I've had the last laugh on that one....

[TomNJ]

Here is a picture of my Victorio model 250 in use with raw tomatoes. I am using a salsa screen here to give a chunky sauce. The salsa screen has 1/4" holes and the screen should be cleaned after about 15 lbs of tomatoes as the skins clog the holes. The finer tomato screen (for puree) can do over 30 lbs before cleaning. Cleaning the screen takes about five minutes, but I have two salsa screens so I just change the screen. Love this machine!

TomNJ

[z_willus_d]

It turns out my food mill isn't going to make it in time for my planned canning session this weekend, so now I've got a buffet full of ripe tomatoes turning overripe. I should have the mill by next weekend. Are there any downsides to letting tomatoes get overripe when canning as sauce or just raw processed tomato chunks? The reason I usually don't like overripe fresh tomatoes is that they get a mushy texture that makes me gag. I'm curious if folks have noticed other downsides (or up) to overripe tomatoes when they are destined for the saucing and jars? If they're tolerable once milled for the canning, I'll probably just leave my tomatoes on the living room buffet through next week.

--naysen

[gnol]

Nice informative thread. I've been looking for a food mill for a few months now.
After reading here I ordered the Victorio plus the 4 extra attachments.