| A chinois strainer was a device used to squeeze liquid from vegetables, such as tomatoes, and strain the juice through a sieve at the same time. It consisted of two parts: 1. a metal sieve in the shape of an upside down cone, supported by three or four legs or by a separate stand, and 2. a wooden masher-type implement with a conical shape, the largest end being formed into a ball 'handle'. The wooden part of the Chinois Strainer was called a pestle; it is similar to the pestle part of a mortar and pestle set. The Chinois Strainer is still in use today by chefs. This example of a pestle, from a Chinois Strainer, probably dates to the early 1900s to 1920s. |
