How to Make Home Canned Tomato Juice
Enthusiastic vegetable gardeners know the difference in taste when it comes to eating ripe, succulent tomatoes from the home-grown garden versus those bought in a store. This difference in taste is also evident in sauces and juices made from the tomato. Naturally, a home-canned batch of juice made from the abundant summer harvest of a successful garden is sure to please both the palate and budget for tomato-juice fans. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- New quart glass canning jars and lids
- Saucepans
- 3 pounds fresh tomatoes
- Strainer or sieve
- Ladle
- Salt to taste, optional
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid
- Boiling-water stove-top canner
- Tongs
- Towel
Instructions
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1
Sterilize jars and tops. Jars, lids and rims should be washed with soap and warm water and rinsed thoroughly. Put clean jars in a large pan of water and lids in another. Allow both to simmer to 180 degrees F but do not boil. These should remain in hot water until ready to fill. Bands are not simmered; dry them and set aside until needed.
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2
Clean and quarter 3 pounds of tomatoes for each quart of juice you intend to make; place in a saucepan. The tomatoes will break down, releasing their natural liquids. Stir occasionally to prevent remaining solids from sticking to the pan. When the mixture resembles vegetable soup, it is ready.
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3
Strain the rendered tomatoes through a small-screened strainer or sieve. This allows liquid to drain back into the saucepan, and skins and seeds can be discarded. Push the solids against the strainer with the back of a ladle to squeeze all liquids back into the pan. Add salt to taste. Heat the liquids to 190 degrees F (about five minutes). If experimenting with your own flavorings, this is the time to add them.
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4
Fill sterilized glass canning jars with tomato juice. Add either the 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each quart jar. According to the "Ball Blue Book: Guide to Home Canning," ladle the juice into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust the two pieces of the caps to a proper fit.
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5
Place the filled quart jars in the movable wire rack of the boiling-water canner. Submerge the rack of jars into the saucepan, making sure jar tops are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Replace the lid on the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil; heat the jars for 45 minutes. This is known as "processing."
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6
Lift the canner's wire rack to access the jars. Use tongs to prevent burns while removing each jar and placing it on a towel. Do not touch the jars further or adjust lid-bands. These will need to cool for at least a half-day.
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7
Check to see whether the lids are sealed by pressing down on top of them. If the lid does not give under pressure, the seal probably worked. To make sure, remove the band from the lid and and use your fingertips to pull on the lid lightly. If it stays sealed, replace the band, wipe the jars clean and store in a cool place. If it comes off, the lid needs to be discarded. Put on a new lid and reprocess the jar.
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Tips & Warnings
Processing can be done in a stove-top canner because tomatoes are a "high acid" food and are not as prone to food-borne bacteria if boiled to the correct temperature, which is dictated by recipe and equipment.
It is extremely important to heed all safety warnings that come with your glass canning jars and boiling-water canner. Failure to comply with these safety warnings can result in severe injury and/or deadly food-borne illness.
