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The Original, All-Metal Squeezo Strainer was designed 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 3 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 sauces 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 30-year old Squeezos out here 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, located in Troy, NY, was a natural choice as a buyer as they had already been selling Squeezos successfully for several years. Garden Way built the Squeezo until it closed its doors in the 1990s, at which time Lemra Products took over manufacturing the Squeezo.