Getting ready for JAM!

Last year I started making my own jam.  I'd done it a few times before, in small batches, but last year I wanted to make enough that I NEVER had to buy jam at the store again.  We eat a lot of jam around here...PB&Js are still my favorite sandwich.  Anderson takes one to school everyday, and even uses jam on his pancakes.  Last year I made 34 pints, I think, and we are down to our last two jars.  Perfect timing, because raspberry season is just around the corner! 

Tonight I was talking to David about investing in a good food mill/strainer for when we make jam this year.  My raspberry jam ROCKS, but it is quite seedy because I don't have anything to strain out the seeds.  I could squeeze all my raspberries through cheesecloth, but who wants to do that?  I decided that I needed a strainer.  I did some research online and from what I can tell the two best strainers are the Squeezo for almost $200, and the Victorio for around $70.  Both get great reviews, and I figured that for the price I would go with the Victorio.  I haven't done a ton of canning, other than my jam, so it didn't make sense to spend a ton of money on this purchase...the $70 strainer would be fine. 

As I'm telling David this he gives me one of his funny looks, runs to the basement, and returns with a box containing this: 

It is the EXACT Victorio food mill/strainer I was thinking about purchasing!!  When David first came to Ohio for his new job he rented a room from a guy named Jim until we sold our house in NY.  Jim happened to have this brand new strainer that he was never going to use and offered it to David.  David, knowing how much I love to make jam, took it but never told me about it.  I was so excited that I washed it and put it together tonight, just to make sure all the parts and pieces were there--they were!  Forget roses and chocolates...give me a kitchen gadget that makes making jam easier and I'm yours!!!   And after leafing through the instructions/recipes I've decided that in addition to my jam I'm also going to try making my own tomato sauce, salsa, applesauce, and grape juice this year.  I could also can my own soups, but I would need a pressure canner for that and I only have a water bath canner.  Hmm...what are the chances that David has a pressure canner in the basement too?