Creative Things To Make With A Food Strainer

If all you do with your food strainer is drain water from your pasta and potatoes you are missing out on a huge wealth of culinary treats that you can make with this versatile tool.  Keep in mind that I’m not talking about a colander, but the hand held strainer that is usually made from mesh or tightly perforated steel.  These are the tricks of the chef’s trade, and can do a lot of things that many people simply overlook.  In this post I want to cover some of those things so that you can get the most from yours!

Homemade tomato sauce always starts with blanched tomatoes run through a food strainer.  Once the tomatoes have been boiled and the skin starts to split, just put your strainer on top of a bowl and press the tomatoes into it with a large spoon.  The sauce will end up in the bowl, and the skin and seeds will stay in the strainer.  Applesauce is generally made the same way.

The only way to make fresh squeezed grape juice is with a food strainer.  Grape juice that has just been squeezed tastes very different than store bought because the tannins in the grapes have not had time to form.  It’s much smoother, and doesn’t have the same “bite”.  To do this, just put a hand full of grapes into your strainer and press them.  Juice can be made from blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries this way as well, and the skin and seeds stay behind in the strainer.

If you get the juice out of some berries, try melting some dark chocolate with a bit of milk then adding the berry juice in.  This is one of the tastiest, most luxurious ganaches you will ever eat!  It’s perfect over cake or cupcakes, and easier than icing.

There are a ton of things that you can do with your food strainer, but these are the things that many people overlook.  These versatile tools should be a staple in any kitchen, and once you know how to use it, it will quickly become one of your favorite gadgets!

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