Canning Tomato Juice 101

Well I got out my large 18 quart canner and I’m getting serious about canning now.  You may can on a small scale using just a large stainless steel pan for small canning jobs, but when you are harvesting large amounts, you are going to need some serious canning supplies.  You need to start with a simple starters kit of an enamel or stainless steel 18 quart canner.  The starter kit usually comes with a wide mouth funnel and a jar lifter.  You really should have these. Starter kits usually run around $50.00 (watch garage sales, ads, auctions and flee markets to really save).  I recommend you purchase a good canning book from Kerr or Ball.  Mine is my bible and is so full of good information. 

Investing in canning jars is also expensive up front, but you reuse them year after year and you will eventually start saving.  You are also processing your own food so have total control of what goes into it.  Again, watch garage sales, auctions and flee markets.  I got my old utensils from an auction.

Today I have tomatoes coming from the garden in large quantities so I decided that for the next couple of harvests, I’m going to make tomato juice.  Since I live by myself, I want to can what I will use the most and that is probably tomato juice.  I have already canned some pizza and spaghetti sauce and frozen it and canned and frozen whole tomatoes, but I have been spending $2.69 a six pack for little 5.5 oz. cans of tomato juice and I drink a can a day, so thought I’d save by making my own.  I’ve invested in a lot of little pint size jars and I’m going to be putting some in little jars and also putting some in quart jars. I can always empty a quart of juice into little pint size jars each week and put them into the refrigerator for individual serving for myself. 

So today I’m giving you my simple recipe and my how-to-dos I've learned.  I’m going to give you two how-to-dos because of a canning tool I have called a Chinois (pronounced shin'-wah) which is a 3 piece cone shaped sieve that removes the skins and seeds from fruits and veggies without peeling them.  I'll be using it also when I'm canning apples to make apple sauce.  I got one at an auction for little of nothing.  They cost $50.00 plus on line now days.  I also picked up boxes and boxes of canning jars at auctions for like a dollar a box.  If you are frugal, an auction is a great way of saving money and picking up old beautiful utensils.  That is where I also got my small collection of crocks for pickling.

I will also give you the how to for making juice without a Chinois which is a little more work.

Without Chinois 

Select firm ripe tomatoes.  Wash, scald and peel into small pieces.  Simmer until soft.  Stir occasionally.  Put through a sieve fine enough to remove seeds.  Bring juice to a boil, salt to taste with kosher salt and a squeeze of lemon.  Taste and reseason if needed.  Pour immediately into sterilized jars filling to within ¼ inch of the top.  Put on cap and screw the band on firmly.  Process the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.  Take out and let cool.  When the lids pops, it means it is sealed.  If it does not seal (test by pushing down on the lid and it should not pop back up) take off your lid and see if the lip of the jar is clean.  Reuse a new lid and give it another 10 minute bath or you can just refrigerate it. 

With Chinois

Select firm ripe tomatoes.  Wash and cut into small pieces.  You get to skip the peeling process.   Simmer until soft.  Stir occasionally.

Put the chinois and its stand in a very large bowl and put the cooked tomatoes in the chinois sieve.  With the wooden pestle stir around the edges to remove seeds and skins.  The juice will be filtered into your bowl.

Keep emptying your juice into a large pan.   Bring  the juice to a boil, salt to taste with kosher salt and a squeeze of lemon.  Taste and reseason if needed.  You may also add a teaspoon of sugar if you want it to taste a little sweet.  It will depend on how ripe and sweet your tomatoes are.

Pour immediately into sterilized jars filling to within ¼ inch of the top.  Make sure you wipe the lip of the jar to assure sealing.  Also check for any chips on the lip.  It will not seal if it is chipped. Put on a new cap and screw band on firmly.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Take out with your jar lifter and let cool.  When the lids pops, it means it is sealed.  If it does not seal (test by pushing down on the lid and it should not pop back up) take off your lid and see if the lip of the jar is clean.  Reuse a new lid and give it another 10 minute bath or you can just refrigerate it and use in the next week.

It made 4 quarts and 12  8 oz. jars of juice.  Look at that color.  Aren't they a beautiful red?  I'll be at it again in a couple of days, but will put all of the next batch in quart jars.

From this base, the longer you simmer it you can turn it into tomato sauce or ketchup.   For sauce simmer it until it is half the volume.

Ketchup


1 peck of tomatoes
2 medium onions
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups cider vinegar
1 1/2 tbs. broken stick cinnamon
1 tbs. whole cloves
3 cloves chopped garlic
1 tbs. paprika
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. salt


For ketchup simmer onions with your tomatoes and boil until they are both soft.  Run both through a sieve.  Add cayenne pepper.  Boil until it is reduced by 1/2 the volume.

Add vinegar and spice bag of cinnamon, cloves and garlic in another pan.  Simmer 30 minutes.  Take off heat and cover with a lid and let it stand until it is ready for use.  

When tomato mixture has cooked down to 1/2 the original volume, add the vinegar mixture (1 1/4 cups).  Add the paprika, sugar and salt and boil rapidly until thick.  This should require about 10 minutes.  Pour while boiling into your sterilized jars within 1/2 inch of the top.  Make sure the lip of the jar is clean and put on the lid.  Screw the band on tightly.  Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.  Makes 6 pints.   Make sure it has sealed.  If it doesn't refrigerate it.

I know now why years ago farm wives had summer kitchens.  My mother says that her mother would can out in the machine shed in the summer and fall.  

Now sit back and look at what you have done.  I love looking at what I have preserved for winter.  It makes me feel so productive and I know what has gone into it and there are no preservatives.  I like that.

My grandson Sawyer is here for the weekend and he is asking lots of questions and watching.  He doesn't want to do any of the work, but wants to learn.  That makes me very happy.

Be happy and may God bless you and yours.