Description
Homemade Tomato Juice is fresh, flavorful, and full of natural sweetness — far better than store-bought! Made from ripe garden tomatoes, this easy recipe guides you through cooking, straining, seasoning, and canning tomato juice for year-round enjoyment. Perfect for sipping, soups, or sauces, it’s a true pantry essential that captures summer in every jar.
Ingredients
Scale
- 10 pounds ripe tomatoes (Roma, Beefsteak, or any juicy variety)
- 1 tablespoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, balances acidity)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: celery stalks, carrots, basil, or cayenne for extra flavor
Instructions
- Wash and Chop Tomatoes: Rinse well, remove stems and blemishes, and cut into quarters.
- Cook the Tomatoes: In a large pot, bring tomatoes to a gentle boil. Cook 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until broken down.
- Strain the Juice: Run cooked tomatoes through a fine sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds.
- Season and Simmer: Return juice to the pot. Add salt, sugar, and pepper. Simmer for 10–15 minutes and adjust flavor.
- Sterilize Jars: Boil glass jars and lids for 10 minutes to sterilize, keeping them hot until ready to fill.
- Fill Jars: Pour hot juice into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Wipe rims and seal with lids.
- Process in Water Bath: Process pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes in a boiling water bath.
- Cool and Store: Let jars cool undisturbed until sealed. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Notes
- Use ripe, firm tomatoes for the best flavor and color.
- Avoid aluminum pots — acidity can react with metal.
- Always sterilize jars to ensure safe long-term storage.
- Add basil, celery, or carrots for a homemade V8-style juice.
- Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy within 5 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Drinks, Preserving, Pantry
- Method: Boiled, Canned
- Cuisine: American, Homemade
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Homemade Tomato Juice, Canning Tomato Juice, Fresh Tomato Juice, Tomato Juice Recipe, How to Make Tomato Juice, Homemade V8, Healthy Drinks, Lyndy’s Kitchen