N
Luxe Prestige Chronicle

food mill for tomatoes

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on June 06, 2026

Procedure for Food Mill (Removes Skins & Seeds)

Simmer tomatoes to soften. Use a potato masher to crush the tomatoes to start juices flowing. Cool slightly and run tomatoes through a food mill to remove all skins and seeds. Simmer (uncovered) until thickened, stirring frequently.

Do I need a food mill to make tomato sauce?

This does require having either a food mill or some other type of mechanical strainer, but for large quantities of sauce, it’s a minimal investment that will save a lot of time. Plus, it’s one of the easiest ways to remove seeds and skins while keeping all the good stuff in the sauce.

What can I use instead of a food mill for tomatoes?

A cheese grater and hand mixer combination can be used as a substitute to a food mill when you’re dealing with potatoes and tomatoes as these are softer food. Your cheese grater can be used to scrape down your potatoes and tomatoes.

What do you use to grind tomatoes?

Cut them into halves and remove the stem. Transfer them to a jar of blender or mixer grinder. Blend until smooth puree. Fresh tomato puree is now ready to be used for cooking your favorite curry or soup.

Do you need to peel tomatoes before using food mill?

Not just for tomatoes…

Just quarter and core the apples, no need to peel. Simmer the apples in some apple cider and then run through the food mill for a natural, no sugar added applesauce!

Does a food mill remove tomato skins?

The food mill is a terrific tool for creating tomato sauces, by removing the skin, pulp, and seeds, while collecting all juices. It can be used for mashing potatoes or for grinding up apples to make applesauce without the headache of picking out seeds.

Is a food mill necessary?

If you plan to make baby food for your infant, a food mill is essential. Cook your fruits and vegetables however you desire, and then run them through the food mill for a fast puree that can be frozen or canned for easy access. Store as single foods, or cook up a gourmet meal for your child with multi-food purees.

Can you use a food processor instead of a food mill?

The best substitutes for a food mill are a food processor, blender, potato ricer, colander, hand mixer, sieve (or strainer), or a grater. We’ll go into these in more detail below. No matter what tools you are using, the point is to achieve the right consistency.

Can you leave seeds in tomato sauce?

If you’re blending your tomatoes in a soup or sauce: Go ahead and keep the seeds. They add dimension to the dish, giving your meal a richer, umami flavor. And when they’re all blended up, you won’t have to worry about getting them stuck in your teeth.

Can I use a potato ricer instead of a food mill?

A potato ricer can be a food mill substitute because it mashes vegetables and fruits without needing electricity. Just like the other alternatives, this tool cannot separate the seeds and peelings, so you need to do the manual work of removing them entirely before mashing.

What can I substitute for a food mill?

The best food mill substitutes are Food processor, blender, cheese grater and potato ricer. Wooden spoon is also a good food mill alternative.

Is a food mill the same as a blender?

A food mill purées soft food while it strains fiber, seeds, and skin. It may not be as versatile as a blender or a food processor, but for certain jobs, a food mill works more efficiently than pulsing in a food processor and then forcing through a strainer.

How do you grind tomatoes in a food mill?

Place the food mill over a bowl or pot large enough to hold the tomatoes. Ladle or spoon tomatoes into the food mill until it is 2/3 full. Turn the crank to force the tomatoes through the disc, until nothing is left but the skins and seeds.

How do you grind tomatoes without a grinder?

Pureeing the Tomatoes with a Sieve and a Wire Mesh

The mesh will also help to serve as a grinder, ensuring that there are no large chunks of tomato that are in the puree that would disrupt the texture of it. You can use a spoon or a spatula to push the tomato through the mesh if it is giving you problems.

How do you grind tomatoes for sauce?

Place the tomatoes on a cutting board with a groove to catch the juices, then dump out the ice water, reserving the bowl. Peel off the tomato skins, then roughly chop the tomatoes, discarding the stem and any white core. Transfer the chopped tomatoes and any juices on the board to the bowl.

What do you use food mill for?

The purpose of a food mill is to mash and sieve soft (usually cooked, but not always) foods. It works by using a hand crank to push foods (skin-on product is no problem) through a perforated plate, processing everything from apples to tomatoes to potatoes.