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Homemade Tomato Juice Canning Recipe That Uses Only Three Ingredients

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We prepare our tomato juice in early fall when tomatoes are abundant and budget-friendly. Moreover, this tomato juice canning recipe comes in handy when you have tomatoes that are starting to go bad. Just discard any spoiled bits and juice the rest in your juicer. We can tomato juice without lemon juice or any artificial preservatives. Consequently, the outcome is a homemade tomato juice that is not only delicious but also wallet-friendly!

Tomatoes used in this juice canning recipe

The choice of tomatoes for this recipe is entirely up to you; feel free to pick your favorites. Whether it’s sweet cherry or grape tomatoes or big, flavorful heirloom varieties, they all work perfectly. Just remember to remove the stems and the tough core from each tomato. The key thing to keep in mind is that the tomatoes you select should be fully ripe.

Yield

The specified in this recipe quantity of ingredients should yield enough tomato juice to fill one 32 oz. (1 L.) and one 16 oz. (500 ml.) Mason jars.

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.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Mason Jars 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.
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Choose your preferred canning method to preserve your tomato juice

For those processing this preserve using water bath or steam canner, the processing time guidelines at various altitudes are as follows:

0 – 1,000 ft: Pints – 35 mins, Quarts – 40 mins

1,001 – 6,000 ft: Pints – 40 mins, Quarts – 45 mins

Altitudes Above 6,000 ft: Pints – 45 mins, Quarts – 50 mins

Ways to Enjoy this homemade tomato juice

  • Tomato Juice Cocktails: Create classic cocktails like Bloody Mary or Virgin Mary by mixing this homemade tomato juice with vodka (for Bloody Mary) or without (for Virgin Mary). Customize these drinks with Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and various seasonings.
  • Soup Base: Use homemade tomato juice as a base for homemade tomato soup. Add cream, herbs, and spices to turn it into a creamy tomato soup, or use it as a base for other vegetable-based soups.
  • Smoothies: Combine this tomato juice with other fruits and vegetables like celery, carrots, and bell peppers to create a refreshing and nutritious smoothie.
  • Shrimp cocktail: Try this homemade tomato juice with chilled shrimp and use it in a Mexican classic – CĂłctel de camarĂłn
  • Just pour it in a glass and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

How long to boil tomato juice before canning?

As a matter of fact, everyone we’ve spoken to agrees on one key aspect of tomato juice canning recipe: no matter if you’re making it spicy, V8-style, or a simple tomato juice like ours, it’s essential to boil it for 20 minutes before you start processing it. Important to realize, that our 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 is common for homemade tomato juice to separate when it’s canned. This separation typically occurs because the solids (such as pulp) and the liquid (the juice itself) in the tomato juice have different densities, and over time, they may naturally settle into distinct layers. Important to realize, this separation doesn’t indicate spoilage or a problem with your homemade tomato juice; it’s often just a natural occurrence. Simply shake or stir the juice before using it to mix the layers back together.

Can I Reduce Sugar to make this 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?

To scale up the batch, simply double or triple the ingredients. To scale down, reduce the ingredients proportionally. For instance, if you’re halving the batch, use half the amount of each ingredient listed in the original recipe. Irrespective of the batch size make sure you boil the tomato juice for 20 minutes.

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