Canned Tomato Juice

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1Wash 7 quart jars, bands, and new lids in hot soapy water and keep the jars hot in simmering water, a warm dishwasher, or a low oven until ready to fill.
2. 2Simmer the new lids in hot water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
3. 3Wash the tomatoes, score an X in the blossom end of each, blanch 30 to 60 seconds in boiling water until the skins split, transfer to an ice water bath, slip off the skins, and remove the cores; quarter the tomatoes.
4. 4Place the quartered tomatoes in a large stockpot, crush the first batch to release juice, then heat gradually, adding the rest of the tomatoes while stirring, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until softened.
5. 5Run the softened tomatoes through a food mill or sieve to remove the skins and seeds, producing smooth tomato juice, then return the juice to the pot, bring it back to a boil, and stir well.
6. 6Add the required acid directly to each hot, empty jar first: 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid per quart jar (half that per pint), plus salt if using.
7. 7Fill the jars with the hot juice, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace since this is a thin liquid product.
8. 8Remove air bubbles with a nonmetallic spatula, wipe the rims clean, center the lids, and apply the bands fingertip tight.
9. 9Process in a boiling-water canner, water covering the jars by 1 to 2 inches, timing from a full rolling boil: 35 minutes for pints and 40 minutes for quarts at 0-1,000 ft, adding 5 minutes at 1,001-3,000 ft, 10 minutes at 3,001-6,000 ft, 15 minutes at 6,001-8,000 ft, or 20 minutes above 8,000 ft.
10. 10Turn off the heat, let the jars rest in the canner for 5 minutes, then remove them with a jar lifter to a towel-lined counter and leave undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours.
11. 11Verify seals by pressing the lid centers, label with contents, acid added, and date, and refrigerate any jar that did not seal.
12. 12Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to about 1 year; refrigerate after opening and use within about a week.
13. 13The bottled lemon juice or citric acid is required, not optional, because natural tomato acidity varies too much to safely rely on alone.