I’ve always known all of you were smart. You’ve proven it to me once again.
Last year, while I was making applesauce and experimenting with ways to make the process easier, many of you suggested that I get a Victorio Food Strainer. Before that day, I had never even heard of this gadget. And I’ll admit, I really questioned – would a Victorio really make the process of making applesauce go any faster? I mean, there are apple cores and bad spots to deal with. No matter how easy the process, you still have to prepare the apples. I’m usually dealing with several bushels of apples at one time. It takes time. It takes work. There’s no way around it.
Or is there? (There is! There is!)
I’m so excited after making 13 quarts of applesauce yesterday, I could do flips. And guess what? Since I invested in a Victorio, I still actually have the energy to do flips! (Not that I can or will. I’m not that coordinated.)
But it’s true. The Victorio DID made the applesauce making process much faster and easier. Like hours easier. I can’t believe how much time I saved compared to how long it used to take me to make applesauce.
I’ve tried all kinds of methods of making applesauce:
- Coring, peeling, cooking, blending applesauce (lots of work and time, and not as healthy)
- Coring, cooking, Foley Food Mill, Strainer pink applesauce (a little easier)
- Coring, cooking, blending, food processor (yet just a little easier)
Yes, I’ve been making applesauce for years, using all varieties of methods to save myself time. This is why I feel like I have a leg to stand on when I say that using a Victorio Food Strainer is by far the easiest, fastest, most efficient way to make homemade applesauce – especially if you are making large amounts! (I’m also very sure this is going to save time while I make tomato sauce, though I don’t have enough tomatoes ready yet to give it a try.)
With the Victorio, you wash the apples, halve or quarter them, cook them down, then run them through the Victorio. You don’t core them. You barely touch them. My hands didn’t even turn brown – and I did loads of apples!! And this is why I want to turn flips.
Here’s a picture of what my new toy looks like:
I even figured out how to put it together all by myself. Aren’t you impressed?!
Here’s a little tutorial to show how easy this process was. You wash your apples (or in my case, you ask your children to wash the apples while you are working on other jobs in the kitchen).
You halve or quarter your apples and put them into a big stock pot. I simply halved mine since they were small.
Add a little water to the pot to keep the apples from scorching, then you cook them for 15-25 minutes until they are soft (while you go do something else!). Then you run the soft apples through your Victorio. The process barely even challenged my arm muscles it was so easy.
All the core and skin comes out the shoot, leaving bowl after bowl full of beautiful, smooth applesauce.
I had enough applesauce yesterday that after we all ate as much as we wanted, I canned 13 quarts using the water bath method. Awesome!
The jars are still sitting on my countertop so that I can admire them for a little while longer before putting them away. You know I always have to do that right? ;)
I have to say that the Victorio Food Strainer was a wonderful investment. Anything that saves me time in the kitchen, especially during the fall season when all the garden produce threatens to overtake my kitchen, is a life saver. It is very reasonably priced for such a handy appliance.
Do you have a Victorio? Do you love it? Do you want to turn flips with me over how great this thing is?
