What is this used for?

Found at my grandma's house and unsure what it is and how it's used.

Cannin' 'maters!

I think it has different names: colander strainer, colander juicer, tomato colander, etc. Basically it separates stuff that can fit through the holes from stuff that can't.

Jordan Holland wrote:Cannin' 'maters!

I think it has different names: colander strainer, colander juicer, tomato colander, etc. Basically it separates stuff that can fit through the holes from stuff that can't.

Just tomatoes?

It is great for jams and jellies.

Think about those seeds in blackberries as I think the holes are too small to let the seeds through.

Any fruit you want to puree.

I got one from my grandparents' house though when we downsized it didn't come with us.

It's technical name is a food mill. I LOVE mine! Although yours is nicer, as it has the stand.

You can do lots of wonderful things with a food mill. As a previous poster mentioned, straining tomatoes for tomato sauce is what I usually use mine for. But you can do lots of other things like making baby food with it.

Just put a soft food in it (cooked if necessary), then twirl the wooden thingy (I don't know that technical name, LOL) inside it to push the food through the holes into a bowl or pot below.

If you google "how to use a food mill" you'll get gobs of good ideas, from making salmon mousse to applesauce.

No-Food-Waste Idea: whatever food bits don't go through the strainer can be spread onto a food dehydrator. Then grind the dried food and save for adding to stews/desserts/whatever.

It was for apple sauce when I was a kid.
I'm guessing it could be used for other things... I suppose

My mom and grandma called it a China cap; if you're fancy, it's a chinois; some even call it a food mill, though that makes me think of something with a crank handle. All of which to say, yes, it's a strainer. We used one to make applesauce when I was a kid. Put soft cooked food in the cone, then circle the pusher around against the edge. It mushes all the food against the holes, so only a nice puree comes out into your bowl below.

Thank you all!

Ooh! This is exciting! Has anyone used it for straining currents? Does it work to strain out their seeds?!

I would love to know!

I love how we all see it through the lens of our own uses!!

To me that is the thing to strain out the skins and pips of Concord grapes before making juice and/or jelly when I lived in New England. Just looking at the pic I can smell that amazing grapey smell.....

In French cooking, it's used for many things, from the preserving to soups (think bisque and consumé) and sauces, often lined with fine cheesecloth.

What a fab find, Elle! As people have commented, it has a lot of different possible uses!

It's called a Chinois (shin-wah) (sometimes a China Cap although that is considered derogatory now). It's used to make very smooth soups or sauces and to press cooked solids (like squash) through the holes to make baby food or something like that. Be happy that you have the stand and the wooden tool to make a complete set. I'd love to have one like that.

They are very popular with professional chefs. Add the food item and use the palm of your hand to roll the wooden paddle around the edge of the strainer. You can also use it to separate the pulp from the seeds and skins of many fruits. Many people use it to strain cooked tomatoes, or when making raspberry or strawberry jams, where you do not want the seeds in the final product. Some chefs will use it to extract the juice from citrus fruits, especially when they are making a lot of juice. Cut and peel the lemon (or whatever) run it through the chinois for perfect juice without any pulp or seeds. The seeds and skins can't get through the holes.  

Because it's "people-powered" it's less likely to crush the seeds or tear the skins that ultimately sends them into the sauce, like a Food Mill would. Many expert cooks think that bits of the seeds make the sauce bitter and the skins make it less refined.  

It can be used for almost any cooked fruit or vegetable. I'm not sure about raisins but if you soften them first in boiling water it might work. I have seen it deliver a beautiful fig compote without the seeds. But the figs were halved then cooked with heaps of water first, run through the Chinois then returned to the range to be cooked down. You might have to do the same with raisins.

Actually, when I think of it, my gram would use this or the food mill to grind down cooked fats. She mostly strained it a few times to make white lard. But it could be the first step in making a refined soap. While a blender will break down the food into small bits, it retains a grittiness and of course, the bitterness from the seeds remains.

that looks like a real good one--they sure don't make things like they used to. just thinking of all the yummy stuff that's been through that strainer

Oh, man!  I'm so envious!!!  I wish I knew what had happened to my grandmother's chinois.  What a beautiful specimen.