Tomato juice: Food Mill Method.
3-3 1/2 lbs tomatoes per quart.
Bottle lemon juice or citric acid.
Salt, seasonings, or herbs to taste.
Wash tomatoes, drain. Remove stem and blossom ends. Cut tomatoes in quarters. Simmer till soft, stir to prevent sticking. Press tomatoes through a sieve or food mill. Discard seeds and peels. Wash your jars, set in pan of hot water with your lids and flats. Heat juice to 190 degrees (or just a mild simmer). Simmer at 190 for 5 minutes. Do not boil. Put 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid in bottom of each jar (for quart jars) or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid in pint jars. Fill jars with hot juice. Leave about 1-inch headspace. Wipe off tops. Put lids on. I always have my water bath canner boiling by now. Place jars in rack, place rack in canner. Process in boiling water bath for 40 minutes for pints, 45 minutes for quarts.
The Juicer method is easier, as you cut out the food mill part and the pre-cooking part. I cut the washed tomatoes in chunks and run it through the juicer. I did a whole 3/4-bushel box of red tomatoes (or about 30 lbs) and one of yellow tomatoes. Then you put it in the pan and add your salt or seasonings. And bring to 190 to simmer for 5 minutes. Finish as above. The juicer type is not as thick, but it is really tasty.
Garden Blend or Vegetable Blend Juice:
25-30 lbs tomatoes
Add to taste 1/2 to 1 cup measures of each of the following vegetables that you like:
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Diced carrots
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Chopped celery
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Chopped green peppers
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Diced beets.
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Optional:
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1/4 cup chopped onions
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1/4 cup chopped parsley.
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1/4 cup diced chives.
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garlic powder and salt to taste.
You can either cook and run through food mill same as tomato juice above, or run through juicer same as above. Then bring juice to 190, simmer for 5 minutes. In bottoms of jars, do not forget your lemon juice (2 tablespoons for quarts/1 tablespoon for pints) or citric acid (1/2 teaspoon for quarts, 1/4 teaspoon for pints). Ladle hot juice into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headroom. Wipe tops of jars. Adjust lids. Process pints for 40 minutes. Process quarts for 45 minutes. If you forget to put the lemon juice in, they will still seal. Let them cool overnight, put them in the refrigerator the next morning, and use those jars first.
8/17/03