Simple Tomato Juice Canning Recipe
Making your own tomato juice is easy with this three-ingredient tomato juice canning recipe. No lemon juice or artificial preservatives needed! This canning recipe is virtually foolproof, even if you're new to canning.
Servings: 1 32 oz. (1 L.) and one 16 oz. (500 ml.) Mason jars
Equipment
- large pot
- large wooden or metal spoon
- potholders, oven mitts, trivets for hot dishes
- juicer
Ingredients
- 3 kg. tomatoes (6 ½ lb.)
- 1 ½ tbsp. salt
- 2 ½ tbsp. sugar
Instructions
Prepare the tomatoes
- Start by washing the tomatoes under running water to remove any dirt or residue from the skins.
- Using a sharp knife, cut off the stem end. 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.
Juice the tomatoes and cook the tomato juice
- Feed the tomato pieces through the juicer to extract the juice. Collect the juice in a bowl or container.
- 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 rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover your pot with a lid and let the juice gently boil for 20 minutes.
Prepare tomato juice for canning
- 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.
- (!) Ensure the jam is boiling as you proceed to can your tomato juice. Have your Mason jars ready because the next step, filling them with piping hot juice, must follow immediately.