Tomato Vegetable Juice Canning Recipe
This V8-style tomato vegetable juice is a great way to preserve your garden harvest. It is a blend of tomatoes, carrots, celery, peppers, onion, and parsley. Salt is optional for flavor. You can leave it out for a lower sodium beverage.
Servings: 28 cups
Calories: 50kcal
Ingredients
- 22 pounds tomatoes
- 3/4 cup diced carrots 3 oz. - peeled and diced
- 3/4 cup chopped celery 2.5 oz. diced
- 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper 3 oz. - seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup chopped onion 3 oz. - peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves or 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt optional for flavor
- Bottled lemon juice or citric acid
Instructions
Prepare the canning equipment:
- Wash your jars, lids, screw bands, and canning tools in hot soapy water. Rinse well to remove all suds. Set aside to air dry on a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the jar rack into water bath canner, place jars in the canner, and add water to cover. Bring the canner to a simmer (180˚F) for 10 minutes, and keep the jars hot until you are ready to fill them.
Prepare the vegetables:
- Rinse the tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and parsley under running water and air dry on a kitchen towel.
- Tomatoes: Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the core, cut into quarters, and add to a large saucepan.
- Carrots: Remove ends, peel, and dice the carrots. Measure 3/4 cups (3 ounces) and add to the pot.
- Celery: Trim off the ends and chop into small pieces. Measure 3/4 cups (2.5 ounces) and add to the pot.
- Pepper: Remove the stem, seeds, and membrane from the pepper. Chop into small pieces. Measure 3/4 cups (3 ounces) and add to the pot.
- Onion: Peel and chop the onion. Measure 3/4 cups (3 ounces) and add to the pot.
- Parsley: Separate the foliage from the stems, discard the stems, and chop the parsley. Measure 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and add to the pot.
Simmer the vegetables:
- Stir to combine the vegetables, and bring the pot to a slow simmer (180˚F) over medium heat. Stir the vegetables frequently and squish the tomatoes to help release liquid.
- Once the pot is simmering, continue cooking until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent scorching. Turn off the heat and let the juice cool.
Juice the vegetables:
- Run the mixture through a food strainer or food mill to juice and remove seeds and peel.
- Return the juice to the saucepan, add salt (if using), and heat the juice to a simmer (180˚F) over medium-low heat. Do not boil.
Can the vegetable juice:
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter to remove a jar from canner, drain, and place on the towel. Keep the remaining jars in the canner so they stay hot.
- Add citric acid or lemon juice to the jar. For pints, add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid, or 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice to each jar. For quarts, add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid or 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice to each jar.
- Use your canning funnel and ladle to add hot juice into the jar leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
- Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp towel. Center a lid on the jar, and screw on the band until it is fingertip tight.
- Use the jar lifter to place the jar back into the canner, and repeat with the remaining jars. Try to leave some space in between the jars.
- Once the jars are all in canner, adjust the water level so it is at least two inches above the jar tops.
- Cover the canner and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once water boils vigorously, process pints for 35 minutes, and quarts for 40 minutes at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjust processing time for your altitude if necessary (see notes below).
- When processing time is complete, turn off the heat and let the canner cool down and settle for about 5 minutes.
- Spread a kitchen towel on the counter. Remove the cover by tilting lid away from you so that steam does not burn your face.
- Use the jar lifter to lift jars carefully from canner and place on the towel. Keep the jars upright, and don't tighten bands or check the seals yet. Let the jars sit undisturbed for 12 to 24-hours to cool.
- After the jars have cooled for at least 12 hours, check to be sure jar lids have sealed by pushing on the center of the lid. The lid should not pop up. If the lid flexes up and down, it did not seal. Refrigerate the jar and use within a few days.
- Remove the screw on bands and wash the jars. Label, date, and store your jars in a cool, dark place, between 50 to 70 degrees F. Use within 12 to 18 months. Refrigerate the juice once opened and consume within a few days. Yields about 7 quarts, or 14 pint sized jars.
Notes
This is a tested safe canning recipe from the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. Altering the recipe may make it unsafe for canning.
All times are at altitudes of less than 1,000 ft. Adjustments must be made for altitudes greater than 1,000 ft:
- Pints at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 40 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 45 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 50 minutes.
- Quarts at altitudes of 1,001 - 3,000 ft. is 45 minutes, 3,001 - 6,000 ft. is 50 minutes, and above 6,000 feet is 55 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g