# Victorio VKP250 Food Strainer and Sauce Maker Question



## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

I'm thinking about buying a Victorio VKP250 Food Strainer and Sauce Maker. I'm really wanting it to make tomato juice with. What are your opinions of this for making tomato juice? Good-Bad?

I've never had one before nor have I ever actually saw one in use. I don't want to spend money on something that isn't going to work for what I want it for.

Thanks


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

I have one that I used for sauce this year. Love it! 

For sauce, we roasted the tomatoes first and got a LOT of the liquid out of it before running it through the Victorio. 

If we had run the tomatoes through without roasting a lot of liquid off, they would have given off a LOT of liquid from the strainer. It is indeed possible to run the pulp back through the strainer a couple of times to extract even more liquid. 

The very first time we used this little machine, we didn't roast our tomatoes, pretty much just chopped them up and sent them through raw. It did pretty much the same thing although it was a little harder to manually crank as the tomatoes were tougher raw than cooked. Not bad, though. 

After running the pulp through the machine a couple of extra times, (three times seemed to get about all that was gonna come out), the pulp was pretty dry, mostly skins and seeds but really, not a lot of moisture.

I don't know what the thing is selling for in your area. I think we paid ~$45 or so for ours. They do have a whole set of strainers with larger and smaller holes in them depending upon what you're straining. We got the machine with just the strainer that came with it and it did fine for tomatoes. The 4 strainers that were available extra were something like $35 for the set of them. I figured if we needed something different at some point, we'd look into them at that point. Don't know yet.

Anyway, we really like our little Victorio.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I too have one that I've never used. I use my Kitchenaid,before that a Oster (which I still have). I keep the Squezzo just incase there is no elec. I wouldn't have it if I haven't heard all the great reveiws.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

The Victorio is purely mechanical, non-electric, turn the crank while sticking tomatoes in the top. 

Granted, it's not something I'd plan on using for 100 years and passing on to the great grandkids. But I think I'll get a few years use out of it if I take care of it.


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## northergardener (Dec 12, 2007)

I have an old Victorio that I love. I use it to make tomato sauce and apple sauce. I heat up the tomatoes/apples before putting them through, but it is wonderful to not have to peel/seed/core. Make sure you clean off the screen soon after you are done using it. Much easier to clean, no chance of rust.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

If you freeze the tomatoes first, then thaw in a colander, alot of the "water" will drain off before running the rest thru your machine.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Have an older model 200 that I have had good luck with making tomato juice. As others have mentioned, cooked tomatoes are easier to process. With the cooked tomatoes, one pass through gets all the seeds and skins.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Honestly, I would rather have the Wearever strainer/juicer. Heat the tomatoes and run through, pour some juice back over the cone and squeeze the pulp good. Dump the cone, fill, repeat. Quicker and better flavor, more pulp but very fine pulp. We do this and add to tomatoes when we are canning, also. Cook this juice down for sauce, also....James

https://www.etsy.com/listing/179072471/aluminum-wearever-canning-strainerjuice?ref=related-4


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## StickyFloors (Aug 4, 2014)

This was the first year I used this machine! It was awesome. Did tomatoes the same way Bellyman did - roast, cool, sieve. Did a great job.

I also bought the motor but when hubby was assembling it a part just fell off! And it was a crucial part. So he cranked and I scooped and all went just fine by hand. We did 80lbs of tomatoes in just minutes. No need for the motor, imho.

I've always used a chinois and boy this is so much better. I can't believe I wasted time without it. Amazon had it for like $50 with free shipping.


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

Thank you everyone for the comments on the Victorio, I'm definitely getting one before the tomatoes are ripe.

I do have another question, some of you mentioned roasting your tomatoes first. This is going to sound like a really dumb question but how do you go about roasting them?


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

jwal10 said:


> Honestly, I would rather have the Wearever strainer/juicer. Heat the tomatoes and run through, pour some juice back over the cone and squeeze the pulp good. Dump the cone, fill, repeat. Quicker and better flavor, more pulp but very fine pulp. We do this and add to tomatoes when we are canning, also. Cook this juice down for sauce, also....James
> 
> https://www.etsy.com/listing/179072471/aluminum-wearever-canning-strainerjuice?ref=related-4


This is what I used last year but I don't think I heated the tomatoes first .... I can't remember now for sure.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

uncleotis said:


> Thank you everyone for the comments on the Victorio, I'm definitely getting one before the tomatoes are ripe.
> 
> I do have another question, some of you mentioned roasting your tomatoes first. This is going to sound like a really dumb question but how do you go about roasting them?


I've done it on the gas grill. You can cut them or leave them whole.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

Roasting our tomatoes (and in the case of tomato sauce, the peppers, onions and garlic) went something like:

425 to 450 degrees in the oven or on the grill for maybe 40 minutes or so, give or take. It's not exact.

A few observations, though: The ovens in our family's couple of kitchens are pretty well sealed up and the tomato juiced that cooked out didn't evaporate as easily as it does on the grill. The grill is more open and the steam seems to be able to escape much more easily. We found that what was coming off of the grill had less liquid remaining than what came out of the ovens. Either still worked just fine. But if the goal is to reduce liquid, I think I prefer the BBQ grill on the back deck. 

I'm sure there are a lot of variations that are equally as good. Just what worked well for us.



ETA: Oh, and prepping... we would mainly cut out the stems / cores and any spots that might be something we wouldn't want to eat and basically half them. Plum tomatoes are about the easiest there are, usually a small slice of the very top where the stem was attached and one slice lengthwise down through the center of it, done. Big lobed heirloom tomatoes took a little longer but they're worth it for flavor. 

For us, we liked to toss the ready to roast tomato pieces with a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil to enhance the flavor a little. Not sure if it's really necessary but we like it that way. (I don't know if the salt draws liquid from the tomatoes or not, haven't heard anyone talk about that. But it's not that much anyway.)


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

Thanks for telling me how you prepare the tomato's before hand. I know now how I'll be doing mine.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I never roast tomatoes just cut enough to get them in the hole without much trouble . I steam my apples for a few mins , to get them soft enough to go through makes great smooth apple sause or apple butter


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

arnie said:


> I never roast tomatoes just cut enough to get them in the hole without much trouble . I steam my apples for a few mins , to get them soft enough to go through makes great smooth apple sause or apple butter




Thanks Arnie, I'll give your way a try also.


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

If you really want the juice, you probably don't want to roast the tomatoes. I did that mostly so I didn't have to cook them on top of the stove for so long to evaporate off a lot of what you would want to drink if you're after the juice.

The machine works either way.

Have fun.


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## StickyFloors (Aug 4, 2014)

Made applesauce today and roasted the apples just like the tomatoes. Turned out great and was very easy to do. All naked, no spice or anything.

I drained the soft apples first, but in retrospect I'm not sure it was necessary. The juice was minimal and tasty, and the sauce was thick.


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

Bellyman said:


> If you really want the juice, you probably don't want to roast the tomatoes. I did that mostly so I didn't have to cook them on top of the stove for so long to evaporate off a lot of what you would want to drink if you're after the juice.
> 
> The machine works either way.
> 
> Have fun.


Thanks Bellyman, I really do want the juice so I guess I won't be roasting the tomatoes. Thanks for letting me know.


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## uncleotis (Mar 14, 2005)

StickyFloors said:


> Made applesauce today and roasted the apples just like the tomatoes. Turned out great and was very easy to do. All naked, no spice or anything.
> 
> I drained the soft apples first, but in retrospect I'm not sure it was necessary. The juice was minimal and tasty, and the sauce was thick.


I'll have to remember this, I normally don't have access to many apples but do love applesauce.

Thanks.


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