[QUOTE=Tapiotar]
If you use a Mehu Liisa steam juicer, you don’t have to strain your juice for jelly.
[/QUOTE]
Very cool. Thank you! If I ever get back into canning, I’ll have to consider that.
Right now, I don’t want to make jelly. I want to drain stuff without balancing the wrong sized colander & coffee filter on the right sized bowl. Like tzatz. . . tzatk . . . that greek cucumber-yogurt sauce, or when I need non-soupy salsa.
[QUOTE=Fetchund]
Saw a lot of electric woks at the second-hand store, too - anyone have one of them?
[/QUOTE]
Yes 
.
It was amazingly useless. It had a flat bottom, which pretty much nullified it’s usefulness as a thing to stir-fry in. It didn’t really get hot enough for popcorn to happen, and it was ugly and took up counter space, as well. I hated it. It became a symbol of all that was wrong with the apartment I was living in.
[QUOTE=gotpasswords]
Now for a thing that nobody seems to use any more - strawberry hullers.
[/QUOTE]
This spring, my partner went and picked up a case of strawberries to make jam. I happily agreed to clean and prepare the berries, knowing I was properly armed. Searching through the utensil drawer, I was astonished…
my partner had thrown my strawberry huller away. Granted, I hadn’t used it in a couple of years, but still. It only took up miniscule space, and NOTHING does the job better!
I abdicated my strawberry-cleaning position. Fooey on that!
I have a gadget that belonged to my great-grandmother. It is metal and has a small loosely woven basket at end that holds bar soap scraps. You hold the handle and swish it through the dishwater to make it sudsy. I’ve tried it in the past and it works pretty well. I don’t know what it is called.
It was retired and promoted to conversation piece years ago 
[QUOTE=Fear Itself]
You call that an apple slicer? That’s not an apple slicer: now, this is an apple slicer.
[/QUOTE]
I picked one of those up today. I have an apple tree in the back yard. The apples are very small, and not good for just eating. So I’ve decided to try that apple pie recipe. I’ve never pared an apple in my life, so I figured I’d better have a machine to do it.
I still use my electic knife…there are certain things I have to cut (like my Burger Loafer and Tuna Loaf) that can’t stand up to a lot of pressure, and the Burger Loafer especially has a a hard shell. And I used to use it for turkey.
I have a Foley Food Mill, and a ricer, and a regular food mill that I use for applesauce, and several meat grinders…and a cider press. The microwave bacon tray still gets used.
I specifically excluded electric can openers from the list when I got married. And I use an electric skillet, but only for chicken paprikash and Sausage and potatoes.
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
freckafree I use the microwave to do the lemon filling and the total time is the same as the stove top pan. It never scorches, you just need to stir it a few times while it heats up.
[/QUOTE]
Lemon pie filling in the microwave?!?? Blasphemy, I tell you! 
The double boiler is not about avoiding scorching. It’s about cooking the filling ve-e-e-e-ery slowly.
First step: Cook the mixture of flour, sugar, cornstarch and water in the double boiler until it’s about the consistency of pudding. Takes a good 10 minutes at least. Remove from heat.
Second step: Beat the egg yolks until thick. Take a couple of spoonfuls of the cooked flour/sugar mixture and stir it into the yolks to warm them so they won’t curdle when you add them to the pan. Put the double boiler back on the burner and add the yolks, a big hunk of butter, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and lemon rind. Cook and stir until the filling mounds when dropped from a spoon. Another 10 minutes, at least.
My benevolent self will forgive your mistaken notions about pie filling, HD, because I’m with you totally on the faddishness of chocolate fountains and the timeless allure of cookie presses.
Someone up=thread mentioned popsicle molds…I just used mine last night to make Strawberry Cheesecake popsicles. I have tons of the Tupperware ones like these because when I make popsicles or fudgesicles, I make a lot. Tomorrow I’m making Raspberry Fudgesicles (all sugar free) and White Chocolate/Blueberry pops.
[QUOTE=kittenblue]
Someone up=thread mentioned popsicle molds…I just used mine last night to make Strawberry Cheesecake popsicles. I have tons of the Tupperware ones like these because when I make popsicles or fudgesicles, I make a lot. Tomorrow I’m making Raspberry Fudgesicles (all sugar free) and White Chocolate/Blueberry pops.
[/QUOTE]
Those are like the ones we had, but being an early production were not colored. They made the worst popsicles you could imagine. 3 inches of colored ice with 1 inch of concentrate at the base. The kids had to remember to bring them in from outside or you had no stick to make more. Making something thick like you do I can see working, put they don’t make what they sold them for.
Tuperware had something else everybody had in the 60’s and 70’s. They sold jello molds with a changeable piece. A Christmas tree insert, a star and a few other designs.
[QUOTE=Duck Duck Goose]
I remember aluminum ice trays, with the lever in the middle. Man, what a PITA. “Won’t break or crack like plastic”, uh huh. :rolleyes: When my 25 cent plastic ice cube tray breaks, I just go down to the Dollar Tree and get another set. Beats wrestling with those evil frozen arms. And then the ice cubes shatter after all, leaving you with an ice cube tray half-filled with a jagged block of ice that WON’T COME OUT.
[/QUOTE]
And your hand sticks to the cold metal when you take it out of the freezer, and in your efforts to lift the arm without scattering the ice everywhere, the lever device contrives to pinch your fingers somewhere tender - every single time.
I have an electric knife - I use it maybe four times a year - for big roasts - it’s also quite good for cutting bread, but I can’t be bothered. It was supplied with two sets of blades and one plastic cover - so the uncovered set of blades is always there in the drawer, waiting to slice open an unwary hand.
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
Those are like the ones we had, but being an early production were not colored. They made the worst popsicles you could imagine. 3 inches of colored ice with 1 inch of concentrate at the base. The kids had to remember to bring them in from outside or you had no stick to make more. Making something thick like you do I can see working, put they don’t make what they sold them for.
[/quote]
Yep, those were the ones Mom had, except, as you say, not colored! We never had a layering problem with them. Mom used only fruit juice, usually orange juice, and when I got older I used sugar free Kool-Aid. They did suffer from the same “suck out the red, leave the ice behind” phenomenon that all frozen popsicles exhibit, but it didn’t seem a design flaw as much as a law of nature.
I don’t have one, but my neighbor does, and I borrow it a week before I have a party. Freeze Kool-Aid in it (only fill it 3/4 full) and you’ve got a gorgeous iceberg for the punch bowl in a complementary color to the punch! I freeze a few and keep them in freezer bags so when one melts into the punch, I have another to pop in. You can even freeze in grapes or mint leaves for more pretty-pretty.
Ok, I’ve got kind of a weird one. We had this, but it broke, and I’ve never found another. It’s a hamburger patty mold, it was round and had a small knob at the top. The knob turned a metal blade that separated the patty from the mold. It was all made of aluminum. My parents had one for probably 30 years until it fell apart, and now you can find them.
Anyone know what I’m talking about? Yes, I know there are presses now, but this one was different.
I bought one of them about 10 years ago. It cost a dollar and was by the cheap utensils. you may want to look in a few dollar stores, because they carry only the cheap stuff.
[QUOTE=diku]
Ok, I’ve got kind of a weird one. We had this, but it broke, and I’ve never found another. It’s a hamburger patty mold, it was round and had a small knob at the top. The knob turned a metal blade that separated the patty from the mold. It was all made of aluminum. My parents had one for probably 30 years until it fell apart, and now you can find them.
Anyone know what I’m talking about? Yes, I know there are presses now, but this one was different.
[/QUOTE]
You mean like this? (You’ll have to search on ‘hamburger’ to get the picture.)
We had one for decades, then it succumbed to dishwasher-induced aluminum decay. We bought a new one just five months ago – it was hanging on the wall of kitchen gadgets of this little hardware store. You know, one of those “Ace Affiliated” Mom & Pop stores, not a Home Depot or such.
[QUOTE=Merkwurdigliebe]
Why do you need a double boiler for scrambled eggs? I just cook them on low heat. Since eggs cook at a much cooler temp than boiling water, I dont’ see the point…
Also the thing with the electric knife…
What a weird thing, now that I think of it. I have always seen my mom use it on thanksgiving and xmas and thought nothing more of it. “It’s the knife to use when carving big meats” I always thought. But then really, why not just use a good, normal knife? I had no idea at all.
Yes, ours is a vintage 70’s model as well. The blades seem to be sharp still. I don’t know where you’d get a replacement set. Probably couldn’t.
I think ours is a black and decker.
[/QUOTE]
Well, the aforemetioned Alton Brown makes scrambled eggs in a double boiler - and they are different. Brainiac4 made mine like that once and I found them disgusting (and I think made him angry - he’d made me breakfast and I threw it away and couldn’t even choke it down - but I like crisp dried out scrambled eggs - these were very moist and I find moist eggs to be disgusting - don’t even ask about poached eggs. He loved them and I’m afraid I popped his balloon over his perfect scrambled eggs). But if you like moist scrambled eggs - try a double boiler.
Custards still work better in a double boiler - Custard is tricky in a microwave. I think custard is just tricky - but at least in a double boiler you can stir it enough.
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord]
Those are like the ones we had, but being an early production were not colored. They made the worst popsicles you could imagine. 3 inches of colored ice with 1 inch of concentrate at the base. The kids had to remember to bring them in from outside or you had no stick to make more. Making something thick like you do I can see working, put they don’t make what they sold them for.
Tuperware had something else everybody had in the 60’s and 70’s. They sold jello molds with a changeable piece. A Christmas tree insert, a star and a few other designs.
[/QUOTE]
Okay, I have the solution for you. I make regular popsicles, too, and the secret is very simple…gelatin. Just freezing fruit juice or Kool-Aid results in a hard, separated product. But the addition of gelatin makes something that stays blended, and isn’t hard as a rock. Here’s the recipe I’ve used for 45 years:
Popsicles
1 3-0z package Jello
1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid in same flavor as Jello (or go wild and mix and match)
1 cup sugar
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
Mix Jello, kool-aid sugar and boiling water. Dissolve and mix well. Add cold waster, mix well. Pour into molds (20) and freeze.
For sugar-free version, use Sugar-free Jello and either 1 cup Splenda or Splenda/sugar Blend…but the sugar-free ones freeze a bit harder.
Fudgesicles
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding (or any other flavor you want)
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups milk
Mix pudding and sugar: Slowly add milk and mix well. Pour into molds (18) and freeze. If adding fruit, let mixture set up for five minutes before stirring in fruit, then pour into molds.
Sugar-free version: Use Sugar-free instant pudding, eliminate sugar (or use Splenda instead) and lower-fat milk. These also freeze a bit harder than the sugar version.
I don’t have the exact amount, but when making fruit-juice popsicles, mix unflavored gelatin with half of the fruit juice over low heat until dissolved, then add the rest of the cold juice, and freeze.
I also have one of those Tupperware Jello molds with the holiday inserts, but I never used it!
Oh, and the missing stick problem? We never lost a stick…ever. Still have every single one from the original sets. My mother was fierce about this…you didn’t get a second popsicle until you brought back all the pieces. You forget and set it down somewhere, and you had to search for it. Try to come back in the house without your stick, and your life was a misery. When it’s popsicle days at my house (they go fast when my kids know I’ve made them) I would just keep a bucket of sudsy water on the counter by the sink…all popsicle parts went in there, and soaked…made washing them a breeze, and all the pieces were together.
[QUOTE=WhyNot]
Do you mean popsicle molds? I use them all the time, although they’re not Tupperware brand like we had when I was a kid. Mine I got at the dollar store, I think. I use them to make fruit juice or pudding popsicles - my kids love 'em and they don’t have the artificial colorings or too much sugar (I cut the juice with half water for both drinking and popsicles).
[/QUOTE]
And even if you aren’t into the “good mom/lower sugar/know whats in my kids” reasons to have these around - for a buck kids LOVE to make their own popsicles. Its a cheap, easy summer activity. And for the “good mom” club - it teaches patience and science as well. For some reason - popsicles that are made with kool aid that the kids did themselves are FAR more popular than anything I can buy.
Several of these items are nice to have around with kids - like egg beaters and manual juices - they let kids “help” in the kitchen and give them a basic idea of what is happening with food - but I’m not sure I’d ever use them in reality. I don’t have an egg beater or a manual juicer - my mother still has both in her kitchen and my kids have come home to tell me how wonderful this stuff is.
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
Well, the aforemetioned Alton Brown makes scrambled eggs in a double boiler - and they are different. Brainiac4 made mine like that once and I found them disgusting (and I think made him angry - he’d made me breakfast and I threw it away and couldn’t even choke it down - but I like crisp dried out scrambled eggs - these were very moist and I find moist eggs to be disgusting - don’t even ask about poached eggs. He loved them and I’m afraid I popped his balloon over his perfect scrambled eggs). But if you like moist scrambled eggs - try a double boiler.
Custards still work better in a double boiler - Custard is tricky in a microwave. I think custard is just tricky - but at least in a double boiler you can stir it enough.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, proper scrambled eggs are custardy. If you cook it hard, what you get is a chopped omelet.
[QUOTE=acsenray]
Yeah, proper scrambled eggs are custardy. If you cook it hard, what you get is a chopped omelet.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not fond of omelets either - so I’d disagree. I like eggs scrambled until they are dry and slightly brown. I know that I have very overcooked the eggs from a “proper” standpoint - but underdone eggs are disgusting. Omelets have too much moisture in them.
[QUOTE=Zsofia]
Seriously, flour sifters? How do you sift flour, then?
[/QUOTE]
If you don’t bake and don’t make anything that requires you to roll out dough, you don’t need to.