Organic tomatoes are better to use than commercially-grown tomatoes that use pesticides. You don’t want to be able to taste chemicals in your juice. You can choose one variety or a combination. [1] X Research source Early Girl and Big Boy varieties produce more juice, while Roma tomatoes produce thicker juice (if using Roma tomatoes (paste tomatoes), you may want to combine them with some other, juicier tomato varieties).
If the mixture seems too dry to boil, add a few cups of water until you have enough liquid in the pot to boil.
If you feel unsure about how much sugar, salt, or pepper to use, it is best to start with too little. You can do a taste test before you remove the tomatoes from the heat and add more seasoning, as necessary.
Shake the sieve occasionally to unclog the holes and allow more juice to drip into the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to squeeze the tomato mash against the bottom of the sieve. Pressing down on the mash will help squeeze out any juice that is still trapped inside the tomatoes. Discard the solids left behind inside the sieve. These solids will not have much, if any, culinary value.
Note that it is not recommended to can tomato juice without using a canner. The tomato juice must be heated to a high temperature in order to kill bacteria and ensure the juice will be safe to drink when you open the jars. [3] X Trustworthy Source National Center for Home Food Preservation Publicly-funded center dedicated to educating consumers about research-backed safety practices for preserving food Go to source Either a boiling water canner, a dial-gauge pressure canner, or a weighted-gauge pressure canner will work.
Add lemon juice or vinegar. The acidity of lemon juice and vinegar helps preserve the tomato juice. Add one teaspoon per jar. [4] X Research source Salt. Salt acts as a preservative as well, and if you wish to use it, add one teaspoon for each quart. Keep in mind that salt will alter the flavor of the juice.
