Canning Tomato Juice In a Water Bath

Sharing is caring!

In this step-by-step tutorial, I will take you through the process of canning tomato juice so you can enjoy the rich, fresh flavor of fresh tomatoes all year round. 

Canning your own tomato juice helps you preserve the freshest flavors of the season and gives you control over the ingredients, ensuring a healthier choice than store-bought alternatives. 

This tutorial will cover everything you need to know, from selecting the right tomatoes to sterilizing the jars and processing the juice. I will walk you through each step, providing clear instructions and handy tips along the way. 

Whether you’re a seasoned canner or new to the practice, this easy-to-follow canning recipe will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to preserve your tomato juice successfully.

So roll up your sleeves, grab your apron, and let’s get started on this delicious and rewarding journey of canning old-fashioned tomato juice.

Whether you’ve grown a surplus of homegrown tomatoes or bought tomatoes from the local farmers market, this simple recipe will quickly become one of your favorites for preserving the fresh flavor of juicy, ripe tomatoes.

And if you do grow your own, learn how to avoid these common mistakes so you harvest more than ever!

Follow along as I guide you through each stage, from selecting the perfect tomatoes to filling your jars and sealing them for long-term storage.

Why Do Tomatoes Need Citric Acid for Lemon Juice?

Foods are measured with a pH level, directly impacting the food’s safety once sealed inside a jar. 

Today, tomato varieties are bred more for easy harvesting, resulting in higher pH levels in ripe tomatoes. This article from Clemson University Extension explains it best when helping someone understand pH levels and why citric acid or bottled lemon juice has to be added to tomatoes when canning.  

NOTE: Bottled lemon juice is acceptable since it includes citric acid so that it can be substituted. But freshly squeezed lemon juice is not acceptable. Make sure to use bottled lemon juice for safe canning. 

Benefits of Canning Your Own Tomato Juice

Canning your own tomato juice offers many benefits beyond just the delicious taste. 

By making your own juice, you have complete control over the ingredients that go into it. Store-bought juice has questionable ingredients added to it. 

Secondly, you can ensure that only the best tomatoes are used. You can experiment with different tomato varieties, such as heirlooms or cherry tomatoes, to create unique blends and flavor depth to your juice. I prefer to use juicing varieties like Rutger or Celebrity. 

But if you prefer a thicker juice, I’d recommend trying a meatier variety like Amish Paste or Roma. 

You can control the amount of salt that goes into each jar. 

Not only is homemade tomato juice a delicious drink on its own, but it also serves as a tasty ingredient in various recipes, from soups and stews to casseroles, sauces, and marinades. 

The convenience of having jars of fresh tomato juice readily available on your pantry shelves means you can easily add a burst of flavor to any dish, regardless of the season.

Helpful Tips for Canning Tomato Juice

If you are new to canning, it’s important that you always follow safe, tested recipes. This recipe is found in the Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving. 

This canning recipe uses the water bath method. If you are new to it or need a refresher course, I’d recommend these three articles to help get things fresh in your mind. 

• My free eBook – The Beginners Guide to Home Canning
• The Water Bath Caning Problems and Solutions Guide
• Using Boiling Water Canners, NCHFP

This recipe in the Ball Book offers these tips:

Add one or two sprigs of fresh herbs like dill, cilantro, or parsley to the recipe while cooking it, but then says to remove the herbs before canning. This is because fresh herbs can develop intense or strong flavors over time. It also suggests using sugar, spices, or hot sauce as well. 

I don’t add any of these to this recipe. I’ve chosen to leave them out and preserve the rich flavor of simply fresh tomatoes. 

Ingredients for Canning Tomato Juice

• Fresh Ripe Tomatoes – Choose firm tomatoes with very few blemishes. Some blemishes can be cut out, so they mustn’t be perfect.
• Citric Acid or bottled lemon juice – Adding citric acid or bottled lemon juice is necessary to ensure the acidity level is safe for canning. 
• Canning salt (optional; I use and recommend it for the best flavor) – Salt helps enhance the juice’s flavor. 

Equipment Needed for Making Tomato Juice:

• Cutting board -To safely core and quarter tomatoes on. I use this organic bamboo cutting board. I like that it is made without harsh chemicals and that it is mold-resistant. 
• Knife (this knife is my favorite. I’ve used it for years) – Used for preparing tomatoes. 
• Large pot for cooking down tomatoes – Use a large pot to add tomatoes to once they are washed, and blossom ends have been removed and quartered. 
• Large spoon for stirring tomatoes – You’ll need to keep the tomatoes stirred as they are cooking to prevent sticking. 
• Food mill – For separating seeds and peels, leaving a smooth texture juice that falls through the bottom. 
• Large pot for juicing into – When you use a food mill or juicer, you’ll need something to catch the juice from the tomatoes. I use a large pot and hook my food mill to the side. (See image)
• Thermometer – Used for measuring juice temperature before it is added to the canning jars. 
• Ladle – Used for spooning juice into jars.
• Water bath canner with rack – Used for processing the jars of juice once cooked. 
• Canning jars  – Jars that are specifically designed for canning. Two common brands are Ball and Great Harvest. 
• Lids and bands – Canning lids are for one-time use; the bands can be used over and over. 
• Canning funnel – A funnel with a wide opening and a narrow stem that helps to transfer juice into jars without making a mess. 
• Clean rag or cloth for wiping jar rims – Used to clean the jars’ rims before applying lids. If scraps or juice is on the rim, it will keep the jar from sealing properly. 

Homemade Tomato Juice Canning Recipe

Step 1:  Prepare Canning Gear

Start by washing all canning equipment in hot, soapy water. This includes – lids, bands, jars, and all the canning tools. Rinse everything well and set lids and bands aside to air dry. 

Jars can be placed in your water bath canner that is filled with warm water and placed on a large burner on your stove. Ensure that your jars are covered with water.  

Heat water bath canner to simmer at 180°F (82°C) and leave simmering while working with tomatoes. This time should extend beyond 10 minutes to ensure that jars are sterile. 

Step 2:  Prepare Tomatoes for Juicing

The first step is to make the juice before it can be canned. 

At this point of prep in the recipe, neither the seeds nor the peels need to be removed, making canning tomato juice easy to start.  

Thoroughly wash tomatoes under cold water, and remove blossom ends and any bruises or blemishes. 

Then, core and quarter them and toss them into a large pot for cooking down to run them through a food mill. 

How to Keep Tomato Juice From Separating

When canning, tomatoes are well known for separating. This is because they contain an enzyme called Pectose (Pectinesterarse), which begins to break down when exposed to air. This breakdown often causes tomato products to separate into layers of sauce and water. 

If you are not concerned with separation, you can core and quarter all the tomatoes and cook them all at once for juicing. 

But if you are not OK with your juice possibly separating, you’ll need to work in smaller batches to prevent this from happening. 

1. Add about a pound of quartered tomatoes to the pot, quickly heating it to 180°F (82°C) immediately while smashing or crushing the tomatoes with a potato masher to kill the enzyme. 
2. Then, continue to add and crush a small amount of quartered tomatoes into the boiling mixture. Ensure they continue to boil consistently until all the remaining tomatoes are added.  

Step 3:   Juicing Tomatoes for Canning

Once tomatoes are cooked and soft, simmer them for an additional 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. 

Then, to remove the peels and seeds, run the tomatoes through a food mill, electric food strainer, or juicer. If you have a Kitchen Aide mixer, they have this handy juice attachment that works well. My friend has one. I’ve used it and now have it on my wish list to get soon. But for now, I still use this T-fal manual food mill it does a great job. 

Whichever you use, place it over the second large pot to catch all juice as you extract the seeds and pulp from the cooked tomatoes.

After you have run all the tomatoes through your mill, return the juice to the kettle. Insert a cooking thermometer, heat the juice to 190°F, and cook at this temperature for an additional 5 minutes. 

Step 4:  Filling Jars

Place a kitchen towel on the counter. Use your jar lifter and remove one hot jar from your canner. Drain the water out of it back into the canner and sit it on the towel. Add to each jar the following: 

Add Citric Acid or Lemon Juice

PINTS – ¼ teaspoon citric acid or 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice. QUARTS – ½ teaspoon citric acid or 2 Tablespoons bottled lemon juice. 

Salt (optional)

PINTS – ½ teaspoon; QUARTS – 1 teaspoon in each jar.

Next, place the canning funnel on your hot jar, and using a ladle, carefully fill the jar with hot tomato juice, leaving ¼-inch headspace. 

Wipe the rim of the jar with a damp cloth. Center the lid on the jar, place it on the band, and tighten it to fingertip tight. Place your jar back into the canner and repeat until all jars are filled. 

Step 5:  Processing in Water Bath Canner

Once all the jars are filled, adjust the water level to ensure that the jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover the canner with the lid, and bring water up to a rolling boil. 

How long do you water bath tomato juice? Once the boil begins to roll, start the timer and process for pint jars for 35 minutes or quart jars for 40 minutes. 

After the process is complete, turn off the heat and remove the cover, lifting it away from your face so steam does not hit your face. Allow the jars to settle or remain in the canner for an additional 5 minutes.  

Place a towel on the counter and then carefully lift the rack from the canner. Next, carefully remove each jar with a jar lifter from the canner and place it on the towel. 

Make sure to leave space around each jar so that they are not touching. Keep the jars upright, and refrain from tightening the bands. 

Leave the jars to cool, undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. The lids will seal during this time. Test seals by pressing gently on the center of each lid. If the lid does not pop or flex, the jar is sealed and safe to store on the shelf. 

Wash jars with a warm, clean cloth, label them, and store tomato juice in the pantry or on your canning shelves in a cool, dark area. 

Even More Ways of Preserving Tomatoes

• Canning Whole Tomatoes
• Easy Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Homemade Pizza Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes
• Fresh Homemade Spaghetti Sauce for Canning
• How to Freeze Fresh Tomatoes for Easy Peeling

Love canning? You’ll love these Recipes

• Canning Green Beans
• Homemade Dill Pickles
• Tangy Spicy Pickles
• Easy Homemade Sweet Pickle Relish

Sharing is caring!