Tomato-Vegetable Juice Blend

This tomato / vegetable juice blend is very similar to Ball’s Garden Vegetable Juice , but this version gives you more flexibility in your choice of aromatic veg, and, adds a pressure canning option for those interested.

This recipe is from the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. It also appears in So Easy to Preserve.

See also:

• Plain tomato juice

The recipe

If you wish to double or triple the batch, do the math first on paper.

Jar size choices: Either half-litre (pint) jars OR litre (quart) jars

Processing method: Either water-bath or steam canning

Yield: 7 x litre (quart) jars

Headspace: 2 cm (½ inch)

Processing time: Half-litre (pint) jars for 35 minutes; litre (quart) jars for 40 minutes. Adjust time for altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.

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Tomato-Vegetable Juice Blend

This tomato / vegetable juice blend recipe for home canning from the USDA gives you some flexibility in your choice of the aromatic veg in it.

Course Beverages

Cuisine American

Keyword Juice, Tomatoes

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Yield 7 1 litre (quart) jars

Calories 45 kcal

Ingredients

• 300 g vegetable mixture (3 cups / 10 oz. SEE Recipe Notes)
• 10 kg tomatoes (22 lbs / about 65 medium)
• salt (OR non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub)
• lemon juice (Bottled OR citric acid)

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

1. Prep and measure veg. Set aside. (SEE Recipe Notes for guidance.)
2. Wash tomatoes. Remove stems. Cut out cores and any bruised areas. Do not peel or cut yet otherwise.
3. Take 4 or 5 tomatoes, cut into quarters or smaller pieces, put in a large pot.
4. Turn heat to high, and mash or crush the pieces to release juice.
5. When juice is released and boiling, quarter a few more tomatoes, add to pot.
6. Proceed little by little, ensuring that the mixture stays boiling all the time.
7. When all the tomato is in, simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Add the prepped veg.
9. Once a simmer is reached, let simmer for about 20 minutes or until added veg is soft.
10. Stir often to prevent sticking or scorching.
11. Pass through food mill (or a strainer) to get out tomato peel and seeds.
12. Put back in pot.
13. Add salt (optional).
14. Re-heat the juice, but don't let boil.
15. Ladle hot juice into heated jars, either half-litre (pint) OR litre (quart).
16. Leave 2 cm (½ inch) headspace.
17. To half-litre jars, add ¼ teaspoon citric acid OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
18. To litre (quart) jars, add ½ teaspoon citric acid OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
19. If using salt OR salt sub, to each half-litre (pint) jar add ½ teaspoon; to each litre (quart) jar add 1 teaspoon.
20. Debubble, adjust headspace.
21. Wipe jar rims.
22. Put lids on.
23. Process in a water bath or steam canner.
24. Process half-litre (pint) jars for 35 minutes; litre (quart) jars for 40 minutes. Increase time as needed for your altitude.

Pressure canning

Processing pressure: 10 lbs (69 kPa) weighted gauge, 11 lbs (76 kpa) dial gauge (adjust pressure for your altitude when over 300 metres / 1000 feet.)

Processing time: half-litre (1 US pint) 15 minutes; 1 litre (US quart) 15 minutes (Sic. Same time for both.)

See also if applicable:  Dial Gauge Pressures.

Reference information

How to water bath process.

When water-bath canning or steam canning, you must adjust the processing time for your altitude.

How to steam can.

For salt substitute, Herbamare Sodium-Free was used as it is non-bitter and non-clouding.

Recipe notes

• For the tomatoes, you can use any type of tomato.
• The vegetable mixture can be any combination of washed, peeled, (seeded) and finely chopped: carrot, celery, onion, pepper.
• The gradual cutting and heating procedure is designed to immediately deactivate the enzyme that is released by slicing tomatoes, which otherwise causes tomato juice to separate into solids and water. The boiling temperature immediately deactivates the enzyme before it has a chance to do its work.
• You could also add other dry seasoning: ground black or white pepper, chile flakes, marjoram, oregano, cayenne pepper, etc.
• If you are cooking by weight, then how big the pieces you chop are won’t matter, as they all get squished in the end.
• The salt can be omitted, if you wish. It’s there for seasoning, not safety.
• Do not skip the lemon juice/citric acid, or heat processing of the jars. Those things are there for safety.
• Do not add clam juice etc.

Recipe source

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Complete guide to home canning. Agriculture information bulletin No. 539. 2015. Page 3-6.

Andress, Elizabeth L. and Judy A. Harrison. So Easy to Preserve. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Bulletin 989. Sixth Edition. 2014. Page 60.

Modifications made:

• Added seasoning suggestions including salt sub and other dried seasonings.

Nutrition information

Per 1 cup / 250 ml / 8 0z

• 45 calories, 584 mg sodium
• Weight Watchers PointsPlus®: 1 point
• Weight Watchers SmartPoints®: 2 points

Without salt, sodium is 15 mg per cup

* Nutrition info provided by MyFitnessPal

* PointsPlus™ and SmartPoints™ calculated by healthycanning.com. Not endorsed by Weight Watchers® International, Inc, which is the owner of the PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® registered trademarks.