Wednesday, May 23, 2007

You might think I'm crazy


...but this has got to be one of the best presents I have ever received!!!

My mother-in-law was teaching me how to make applesauce last year and she had this amazing fruit press. She does her tomato juice through there and other fruits that she needs to get pressed through a strainer. When I saw hers, I wanted one too! I searched high and low and went from store to store. No luck. No store seemed to carry the fruit presses anymore! The classic stainless steel strainer with handle and stand, plus pestle to press the fruit through make it sooooooo much easier than having to use a whole lot of 'elbow grease' when making sauces or purees. I do have a blender, handproccesser, and a kitchen ulitlity pantry filled with contraptions that would puree food, but nothing beats the old fruit press! I even went on eBay to try to find one, and I found several for really inexpensive prices, but for some reason, all the vendors were located in the United States! Grrrrrrr! Doesn't anyone in Canada want to give away a fruit press???

My mother-in-law calls it a fruit press, but on the internet you can find them under "Vintage Canning Colander/Strainer with Wood Pestle and Stand". I just had to have one of my own!

I ended up purchasing just the strainer which I found at Home Outfitters. It was ridiculously expensive ($30+) and it didn't come with the pestle or stand. It was just a strainer. Grrr! Not exactly what I wanted, but it would have to do. Oh, and of course, they don't sell the pestle alone. That just wouldn't make sense because that would be too convenient for consumers. They had mortars and pestles, but no pestles large enough for the strainer. I wasn't 100% pleased, but what could I do? I'd just have to settle with what I had.

Last week, Hubby went to an auction and came back with some goodies. The PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE was none other than...

I am soooooooooo excited! I think it's really neat how he had to go to an auction to find this little treasure for me. I bet Hubby is glad that it doesn't take much to make me happy! LOL!

Yummy applesauce!!!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is that ever neat! I have tried Chrissy's applesauce and can vouch for its deliciousness! I didn't know you used that thing to make it though. I tried your recepe but used my blender and the consistency was really mucky. Yours is so fine and light and smooth. Maybe I need to get one of those fruit press things. Who am I kidding! I'm probably just going to keep buying applesauce in the store because I;m too lazy to make it myself! Hah hah!

Ms. Mamma said...

Ah yes, I use one of those when I make Heirloom Concord Grape Preserves... pretty cool.

Unknown said...

t:
Yes, I love apple sauce too. I used to buy it from the grocery store when I lived in the city. Now I like to make my own because I know exactly what goes into it and when it was made. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort either :)

Ms.Mamma:
Oh wow! I'd love to try that grape preserve!!! Sounds delish! I was so upset that I couldn't find the fruit press for the longest time and that it was readily available in the US!! I suppose I could have purchased it through eBay for cheap, but it was sort of neat how Hubby found it at an auction!

BTW, I just picked a whole bunch of asparagus and rhubarb from the garden! I can't believe they're already ready! I was never a rhubarb fan until my mother-in-law taught me how to use rhubarb in recipes! Strawberry-rhubarb pie, strawberry-rhubarb jam, raspberry-rhubarb dessert...You pretty much have to mix another fruit/berry with the rhubarb to offset the tartness!

Anonymous said...

Wow......you ARE easy to please, heh? :0)

Girlie Monkey said...

Is it really easier to use then the modern gadgets?

Unknown said...

hotmommy:
LOL! Yes, I guess I am! ;)

Girlie Monkey:
Well, I don't know if it's earier but the consistency is much smoother and nicer. When I used my blender on the "puree" setting, the apple sauce came out really thick and glutinous :(

Anonymous said...

Oh, that is soo cool! It looks like it would make some awesome jellies. Do they come with different hole sizes?

Stephanie said...

It's really the simple things in life, isnt' it? I want to try some! ;)

Karen MEG said...

I need more lessons to be a good wife - I have actually seen one of those, I think in my mother-in-law's cupboard (before I was married) and I didn't have a clue -and still didn't until you posted it here.
I'm sad to say that the salad spinner is as domestic as I get these days.

Heidi said...

Now that's a sweet husband. Awww.

Wow, Ms.Mamma -- you have your grape preserves and Chrissy has her applesauce. And I have my strawberry jam! I now commence us three the "First Fruit Ladies".

Uncivil said...

Hubby's a smart man! I think he got the best end of that deal!LOL

Anonymous said...

That's something that would make me excited, too! Haha!! Awesome! Apple sauce is YUMMY!!

Anonymous said...

Oh an P.S. what an adorable hubby!!!

Anonymous said...

Christine,

It's no wonder you are so in love with that sweet man. He is so thoughtful! I love when a man goes out of his way to find something he knows his wife/partner will love.

Sharon, Pinks & Blues Girls

BeachMama said...

I have never seen one of those before! How cool to get perfect puree.

Unknown said...

Udderly Delicious:
I'm not sure if they come in different sized holes. That would be so neat if they did though! I think I'm going to have to do some investigating now!! My mother-in-law also uses her fruit press to make her delicious tomato juice. Now, I need to find out her recipe!! LOL!

Stephanie:
Thank you so much for popping by and commenting! You do realize that now I'm going to go over and check out your blog! ;)
You are so right about the simple things :) If you'd asked me a few years ago what a great present would be, I certainly wouldn't have said a fruit press! LOL!

Karen:
I say that salad spinner is something special!! I read that post of yours and loved it! Ahhh...husbands and their tokens of love, eh? :)

Unknown said...

CK:
LOL! You are too funny! The First Fruit Ladies!! :) Hey, when you're over this summer, I'll give you some of my apple sauce. Wanna go strawberry picking too?
Uncivil:

Doggy Mama:
LOL! Thanks! He is adorable :) Who would have thought. eh? Au lieu of wanting diamonds and flashy cars or trips to Tuscany or Tenerife, I love gifts of this nature. Don't get me wrong though! I'd still love a trip to Tuscany or Tenerife (and a few other places)! :)

Unknown said...

Uncivil:
I think he got the better end of the deal too! LOL! Just kidding! I am pretty darn lucky if I do say so myself! :) I am forever learning new things and trying to be a good wife, entrepreneur, teacher, host mother (to our international students), mommy to our feline and canine babies, etc. Try making sure the house is clean and do all this AND not lose your mind! I can't imagine what life will be like once human babies enter our household :) I'm sure we'll figure things out though! LOL!

Sharon:
I too think it's special when ones partner goes out of their way to find something they know their significant other would love. Hubby got an A+ for effort! I bet he is super glad I am so easy to please! LOL!

Beachmama:
Yeah, it's really neat! I hadn't seen anything like it before I moved up here. My mother-in-law showed me how to make apple sauce with it last year. She calls it a fruit press, but when I Googled 'fruit press', something entirely different popped up! All the stuff on the internet describes this as a vintage strainer with stand and wooden pestle. I still call it a fruit press because that's what my mother-in-law calls it :)

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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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