Snappy Tomato Juice -- homemade and so good

 

   With an excess of tomatoes on hand, (thank you Vangie and Steve Henry), I decided to dig out my yellowed, stained recipe for Snappy Tomato Juice. It’s actually a page torn out of the July-August 1977 issue of Sphere magazine . . . and the tomato juice is so good that it warrants the effort required to complete the many steps in its preparation.   

     During the 1970s and 1980s, I waited anxiously for the next Sphere magazine. It included recipes, crafts and sewing patterns and I always found a new project to try. I was sad when it went out of business but still use recipes from that magazine.

Snappy Tomato Juice    Recipe says that it makes 3 quarts but my yield was 4 quarts (I did weight the tomatoes but also threw in a few extras for good measure

10 lbs. tomatoes, cored and chopped (no need to peel as they are run through a food mill)

2 stalks* celery with leaves, chopped

1 onion, studded with 10 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons+ beef concentrate

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon uniodized** salt

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

¼ teaspoon hot (red) pepper sauce

1.  Heat all ingredients in a large kettle to boiling; reduce heat.

2.  Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until tomatoes and onion are soft. (I taste it at this point and usually add a few more seasonings, especially Worcestershire and horseradish.)

3.  Remove bay leaf and cloves; press mixture through food mill or sieve.

Running tomatoes and celery through the food mill.

4.  Heat juice just until boiling and then add to cleaned and sterilized jars, leaving ¼” headspace in jars. Add lid and band to each jar.

5.  Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Note: For step-by-step directions (with photos), go to our recipe for Crabapple Jelly and scroll down to the sections on preparing jars, lids, bands, and water bath canner.

*Celery – head, stalk or rib? The whole celery is a head, the individual parts are the leaf stalks, but may also be referred to as ribs.

** Iodized salt is not recommended for canning recipes because the calcium silicate may cause clouding or settle in the bottom of jar. Iodine may also discolor some foods, affecting the visual quality of the canned goods, but creating no problems related to taste or safety.  Note: Kosher salt is usually pure salt and thus is also appropriate for pickling and canning.

Recipe without photos and links . . .

Snappy Tomato Juice    Recipe says that it makes 3 quarts but my yield was 4 quarts (I did weight the tomatoes but also threw in a few extras for good measure

10 lbs. tomatoes, cored and chopped (no need to peel as they are run through a food mill)

2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped

1 onion, studded with 10 whole cloves

1 bay leaf

2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 teaspoons+ beef concentrate

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon uniodized salt

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

¼ teaspoon hot (red) pepper sauce

1.  Heat all ingredients in a large kettle to boiling; reduce heat.

2.  Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until tomatoes and onion are soft. (I taste it at this point and usually add a few more seasonings, especially Worcestershire and horseradish.)

3.  Remove bay leaf and cloves; press mixture through food mill or sieve.

4.  Heat juice just until boiling and then add to cleaned and sterilized jars, leaving ¼” headspace in jars. Add lid and band to each jar.

5.  Process in boiling water bath for 15 minutes.