This Homemade Tomato Juice Recipe is really so delicious; it is how tomato juice should taste. This recipe is easy to make with only a few ingredients. If you have an abundance of tomatoes, then here is a great way to use them up. Want to have fun with a Bloody Mary or Caesar Bar? We have all that you need to know.
Want more tomato recipes? Try our Simple Easy Homemade Canned Tomatoes, Roasted Italian Tomatoes, or Homemade Canned Salsa.
I love tomato juice and Clamato juice. Do you want your tomato juice spicy, then feel free to use cayenne pepper or hot sauce, even if you are not making a Bloody Mary.
Adding lemon juice lowers the pH in the tomato juice so that you can safely water bath for canning. Don’t want to water bath then simply freeze the juice for later use.
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What is in Homemade Tomato Juice?
Ingredients
Fresh Tomatoes – Find the biggest, plumpest field tomatoes that you can find. Your own garden tomatoes are great for this too. If you like, you may want to add a large pinch of sugar depending on the sweetness or acidity of your tomatoes.
Water – Plain old tap water works, but you can use filtered if you like.
Per Quart of Juice:
This is what you need to add to each quart jar of juice you will be making.
Kosher salt – You don’t want to use table salt if you are thinking of canning tomatoes. Kosher is perfect for all your needs.
Onion powder – The fresher, the better, of course. I like powder instead of onion salt. This has enough salt in it, in my opinion.
Celery salt – The flavor of the celery salt is perfect with tomato juice. Don’t use too much, though, as you are adding in salt also.
How do you Make Tomato Juice?
If you are a lover of tomato juice like I am, this is such a satisfying experience. Make sure your tomatoes are the absolute best and plump and juicy. Last season was rainy, so the tomatoes were big and juicy perfect to make juice with.
Wash and core the tomatoes, and remove any blemishes.
Cut the tomatoes in half and then into small slices or “smiles”.
Add the tomato slices to a large stock pot and add about 1 cup of water (less if the tomatoes are very juicy.)
Bring the pot to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes are softened but not mushy.
Put the tomatoes through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and skins.
Discard the skin and seeds.
Measure the amount of liquid you have and then pour the liquid back into the stock pot.
Bring to a boil, adding the amount of Kosher salt, onion powder, and celery salt based on how many quarts of liquid your tomatoes have yielded.
Boil gently, stirring until all the spices are dissolved.
Remove from heat. Pour the tomato mixture into a pitcher to cool if using right away or into sterilized canning quart jars to freeze or can. See the information below.
Recipe Pro Tips!
How can I Store or Can the Tomato Juice?
If canning tomato juice, pour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice into sterilized 1-quart jars and add the tomato juice leaving about ½ an inch of air space at the top. You can also add 1/2 tsp. of citric acid per quart. You can the juice just like you do tomatoes; read here.
Besides canning how else can I store my tomato juice?
You can freeze the tomato juice by simply pouring the juice into sterilized jars or plastic containers, allowing it to cool, seal the containers, and place in the freezer. Use within 1 year of freezing. This is my preferred method if I am only making a few jars. If you are doing a large quantity, then canning might be a better option.
Drinking tomato juice also has health benefits as it is high in vitamins like B, C, and potassium. It is also an excellent source of antioxidants. Just be careful with the salt or leave it out entirely if you want the full benefits.
WANT MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES USING TOMATOES?
Tomatoes are so fantastic in the summertime, and there is always an abundance of them either in your yard, farmers market, or grocery store. Here are some of our favorite recipes and a trick to remove tomato skins too.
Homemade Tomato Juice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 20 lbs tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups or less of water
Per Quart of Juice:
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp celery salt
Instructions
- Wash and core the tomatoes, and remove any blemishes.
- Cut the tomatoes in half and then into small slices or “smiles”.
- Add the tomato slices to a large stock pot and add about 1 cup of water (less if the tomatoes are very juicy.)
- Bring the pot to a boil and simmer until the tomatoes are softened but not mushy.
- Put the tomatoes through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and skins. You can use a food mill if you are making a large quantity.
- Discard the skin and seeds. Measure the amount of liquid you have and then pour the liquid back into the stock pot.
- Bring to a boil, adding the amount of Kosher salt, onion powder, and celery salt based on how many quarts of liquid your tomatoes have yielded.
- Boil gently, stirring until all the spices are dissolved.Remove from heat. Pour the tomato mixture into a pitcher to cool if using right away or into sterilized canning quart jars to freeze or can.
Comments & Reviews
Karen jansen says
How long do u put in a hot water bath
Tara Noland says
I always just freeze the juice but you can do a hot water bath like canning tomatoes. https://noshingwiththenolands.com/simple-easy-homemade-canned-tomatoes/ Add lemon juice to each jar and process in a boiling water bath, covering with at least 1″ of water for 40 min. for elevations of 1000-3000 ft., 3,001 to 6,000 ft. for 45 minutes and 6,001 to 8,000 ft. for 50 min. Remove jars to a towel-lined counter and make sure they make a “popping” sound so that the lids are sealed.
Julia Shinabargar says
Going to try the recipe for tomato juice.