Squeezo

The Original All Metal Squeezo-« Strainer was designed in the early 1900's by a young die maker from the Abruzzi region of Italy. When he came to America in 1907, he brought his design with him. After years of trying to find a manufacturer willing to take on the project, he finally built a plant in his backyard and, using an old belt-driven steam engine, began to manufacture and sell the first Squeezo-« Strainers with the help of his wife and three children.

That was 1919. Slowly, but surely, the Squeezo-« built a reputation until, by the thirties, it had become a favorite in Italian-American kitchens for making wonderful old-country tomato sauce and purees. Others heard about it, and started using it for home canning.

The same family -- two entire generations -- made the Squeezo-« for nearly 60 years, constantly upgrading production and quality control as more and more Squeezos found their way into kitchens across the country. There are still plenty of old Squeezos out there hard at work! But in 1978 misfortune struck; the factory in McKeesport, Pennsylvania was destroyed by fire. For various reasons, the family was unable to rebuild the factory - they had to sell the business. Garden Way, then located in Troy, New York, was a natural choice as a buyer as they had already been selling Squeezos successfully for several years. When Garden Way went out of business, Lemra Products took over manufacturing the Squeezo-« with the same commitment as the original manufacturers.

In 2006, Lemra Products decided to move in another direction and Best Products (a part of All Seasons Homestead Helpers), like Garden Way, was a natural choice to take over manufacturing the Squeezo-« because the owner has been selling and working with the Squeezo-« for 15 years. Best Products is committed to maintaining old-fashioned American quality standards -- which means it will continue to be manufactured in the United States. Best Products also recognizes that the design has been perfected over the past 90 years and there is no reason to change it -- thus truly upholding Best Products' representation that the Squeezo-« is a product that will last for generations. Check us out at www.homesteadhelpers.com.

Here are some helpful hints on the use and care of your Squeezo-« Strainer.

To assemble your Squeezo-« Strainer, follow the step-by-step diagram included. Occasionally, the position of the drain tray will make it difficult to tighten the wing nuts as illustrated in the next-to-last figure. Just push down gently on the tray until the slant allows you to attach the screen easily. Remember to tighten the wing nuts equally when you attach the screen to your Squeezo-«. To verify that the nuts are tightened properly, turn the handle (clockwise ONLY). You should hear a whisper sound as the scroll turns in the screen. If you hear a raspy, rubbing noise, check to make sure the drain tray is not pressing up against the screen. If it is, press down gently on it so that they do not touch. Turn the handle again. If you still get a rubbing sound, loosen the wing nuts SLIGHTLY. Move the screen back or forward and try turning the handle again until you find the position where no rubbing occurs. This should be only a very slight correction. Now tighten the nuts to hold the screen in position. Remember to coat the drive shaft with a bit of vegetable oil before each use.

For best results and to get the most pulp and juice from your fruits or vegetables, apply GENTLE pressure with the wooden plunger and DO NOT fill the hopper more than half full. If the seeds and skin do not seem as dry as they might be, you can run them through a second time, but this is not expected to be a standard procedure. It may be necessary to clean the screen periodically if you are using it for extended periods of time, such as when processing very large batches of produce.

DO NOT WASH ANY OF YOUR SQUEEZO-« PARTS IN THE DISHWASHER - THIS MAY CAUSE THEM TO PIT OR RUST. Cleaning your Squeezo-«: PROPERLY is very important. Be sure to dry it THOROUGHLY before storing it in order to prevent rust. If you process apples, tomatoes and berries with your Squeezo-«, any rust will react with their natural acidity and this can spoil your food, and is certainly not good to ingest! Take the time to meticulously clean the screens with a stiff brush that can fit into both ends, such as the one provided with your Squeezo-«. Give extra attention to the end of the screen where the nylon bushing is located--seeds and skin may get lodged in it. REMOVE the rubber gasket to clean thoroughly. Leaving it in place will trap moisture. Be sure to dry your Squeezo-« and all parts very thoroughly before putting them away. It is also highly recommended that you coat the Squeezo-« lightly with some vegetable oil or product such PAM, especially the screens, before storing it in order to further prevent rust and help your Squeezo-« keep running smoothly.

If the seeds and skins are staying in the screen or it is not discharging smoothly from the screen, this is an indication that the nylon bushing at the end of the screen is getting worn. Happily, the bushing can be replaced easily. Given that the bushing is probably worn from continued use over the years, we recommend that you replace the gasket and snap ring at the same time so that you do not have any problems soon after because the gasket is getting worn. If your Squeezo-« is leaking out at the back, where the handle connects with the housing, this is an indication that the brass bushing inside the housing is getting worn. This generally happens when you have used it often and for several years, and is normal. Unfortunately, the bushing is permanently attached to the housing, and thus cannot be replaced individually. You must replace the housing in this case.