Homemade Spicy Tomato Juice Canning Recipe

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When ripe tomatoes are abundant and making homemade juice becomes cost-effective, many of the canning aficionados start on their annual tomato juice-canning journey. If you are one of them and looking for recipes, we are here to help. Because variety is key, we created not one but three recipes for canning tomato juice that you may like. This homemade spicy tomato juice canning recipe is one of them. But here’s the beauty of this and our other recipes for canning tomato juice – it’s not about the prime tomatoes. In essence, it’s a rescue mission! When you’ve got tomatoes that are teetering on the edge of freshness, those with blemishes and imperfections, don’t despair. Just salvage what’s still usable. As long as you discard the spoiled bits and let your juicer work its magic, you could have a pantry full of your own homemade tomato juice.

Spicy Tomato Juice Canning Recipe

Discover the fiery kick of our homemade spicy tomato juice! Packed with bold flavors and just a little bit of heat, it's the perfect companion for cocktails, soups, and snacks. Looking for a preservative-free tomato juice canning recipe? Our spicy tomato juice recipe delivers on that too!

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Equipment

• large pot with a heavy bottom
• large spoon
• juicer
• pot holders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
• pairing knife or tomato corer

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Ingredients

• 3 kg (6.5 lb.) tomatoes
• 1.5 tbsp. salt
• 2.5 tbsp. sugar
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 hot Portugal pepper or jalapeno pepper.

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables

• Start by washing the tomatoes and hot pepper under running water to remove any dirt or residue from the skins.
• Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem end from tomatoes. This is the part where the core is attached.
• Remove the tomato core. There are a couple of methods to remove the core:

  ◦ Use a Knife: Insert the knife blade at a slight angle into the tomato where you removed the stem. Carefully cut around the core in a circular motion, angling the knife slightly toward the center of the tomato to remove the core.

  ◦ Use a Tomato Corer: A tomato corer is a kitchen tool designed specifically for removing tomato cores. Insert the corer into the tomato where you removed the stem, then twist and pull it out to extract the core.
• Remove any blemished or spoiled parts.
• Once the core is removed, you can slice the tomato into pieces small enough to fit into your juicer. Usually, cutting a tomato in half will be enough.
• Deseed hot pepper and cut in half
• Peel garlic cloves. Cut in half.

Juicing and cooking the tomato juice

• Feed the tomato pieces, hot pepper and garlic through the juicer to extract the juice. Collect the juice in a bowl or container. It is best to feed hot pepper and garlic halves together with tomato pieces.
• Use a suitable size tall pot to mix the extracted juice with salt and sugar. Taste the juice for seasoning. See if you want to add more salt or sugar at this stage. Do remember that salt will take time to dissolve and your juice will concentrate its flavor and become saltier after boiling.
• Place the pot over medium heat, bringing the tomato juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the juice gently boil for 20 minutes.

Preparing tomato juice for canning

• At the same time as you are starting on the juice you need to start sterilizing the jars you will use. Make sure that you steam the jars for 20 minutes using our recommended sterilization method
• As your homemade tomato juice boils, you will notice foam rising to the surface. Use a spoon or a ladle to gently skim off this foam and discard it. Foam usually contains impurities from the tomatoes, and removing it helps clarify the juice.
• Have your Mason jars ready for immediate canning of your spicy tomato juice.

Not sure how to sterilize canning jars? Find the answer about “dos and don’ts” of canning jars sterilization.

The specified in this recipe quantity of ingredients should yield enough tomato juice to fill three 8.5 oz (250 ml) Mason jars.

Preserve Type Juice

Cuisine European

Diet Low Calorie | Vegan | Vegetarian

Keyword canning tomato juice without lemon juice | Easy | homemade tomato juice | how to make spicy tomato juice | spicy tomato juice canning recipe | Tomato juice | tomato juice canning recipe | tomato juice recipe canning

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Ways to enjoy this homemade spicy tomato juice

• Sipping Cold: Serve it cold over ice with a pinch of pepper for a refreshing and zesty drink.
• Spicy Bloody Mary: Mix this spicy tomato juice with vodka, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and other seasonings to make a classic Bloody Mary cocktail. Garnish with celery, olives, or pickles.
• Virgin Mary: Make a non-alcoholic version by omitting the vodka and enjoy a Virgin Mary with the same spicy kick.
• Soup Base: Our homemade spicy tomato juice is great as a flavorful base for tomato soups or gazpacho, enhancing their taste with a spicy twist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to boil tomato juice before canning?

Everyone we’ve spoken to agrees on one key aspect of tomato juice canning recipes, whether it’s spicy, V8-style, or simple like ours, it’s crucial to gently boil it for 20 minutes. This spicy tomato juice canning recipe is no exception. Important to realize, that this recipe is an Old World, Eastern European recipe where it would be canned using the open kettle (inversion canning) method. Therefore, it is critical to, at the very least, pasteurize it by means of boiling the juice under the closed lid for a sufficiently long period of time. If you are going to use any other canning method, we still recommend boiling it for 20 minutes before you begin canning it. While the closed lid becomes less critical for these other canning methods, remember that keeping the lid closed will reduce the juice liquid evaporation and concentration.

My tomato juice separates when it’s canned. Is it normal?

Indeed, it’s common for homemade tomato juice to separate after canning! Solids and liquid in the juice have different densities and can naturally settle into layers over time. This doesn’t mean it’s spoiled; just shake or stir before use.

Can I Reduce Sugar to make this tomato juice?

Our recommended ratio of sugar to salt works well for most people. But, you can make this tomato juice recipe your own by changing the amount of sugar or salt you use. Some variations we’ve seen skip sugar altogether, while others use an equal 1:1 ratio of sugar to salt.

How can I increase/decrease size of this tomato juice batch?

It you want to make more juice then you need to double or triple the ingredients. If you want to maker less, then you need to reduce ingredients proportionally. For example, halving the batch means using half of each ingredient while always boiling the juice for 20 minutes in a pot with a lid closed.

What do I do with leftover tomato pulp?

Don’t worry; there’s a solution! You can transform it into a pasta sauce. Stay tuned for a recipe. If you’re a frugal person, this is a perfect way to minimize food waste.