Making tomato juice and the tomatoes used for it.

[JohnWayne]

On another forum last spring I asked about tomatoes for making juice. One person went from rude to belligerent over it ! I try to be mild mannered and to treat everyone with respect. But I'm not one to say yes when I mean no.

The whole thing was over paste tomatoes for juice. I have tried it. Roma tomatoes I picked myself at a farm 30 miles from here. I found the tomatoes to be very weak in flavor and the juice to be far to thick for my liking.

His argument was that the water content from one tomato to another only varied 2 or 3 % and I don't dispute that. What he refused to see though was the fact that while a tomato ranges from 93 to 95% water, a watermelon is only 92%. Juice both and then pour through a cloth and see what happens.

The same can be seen in different tomato types if not as drastic. So you understand, I'm not saying you can't make juice from paste tomatoes, I'm saying I don't want the juice made from paste tomatoes.

I will be trying a Kenosha paste tomato this year. Seeds sent to me by a member here. I have high hopes that the flavor will be more to my liking but if it is, I will make sauce and or paste, not juice from them.

Now I said all the above in hopes that I don't step on anyones toes and cause an argument. If you say you can make great juice from paste tomatoes then I will not dispute it. I'm sure if you say so, then it is perfect at least for you. But I would have to try it for myself before I would ever put that much effort into something that has cost me before.

And so, I write this post looking for tomatoes with less "meat" and more gel content but also looking for others to share how they go about putting up tomato juice. Even if you do use paste tomatoes ! I may not want to try it, but I'd love to hear about it.

I myself add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of juice. Depending on the tomatoes, I sometimes add as much as a tablespoon of sugar.

I set a canner of water to boil and use a couple of wire baskets to dip the tomatoes for maybe 10 seconds and set them in the sink to drain and cool while I dunk the next basket. The skin slips right off now and I core the tomatoes and cut them if needed.

Next I run them through a mill like this one
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78199661...od-mill-no-101

If you have a better way/mill, please share !

Canning is done in two pressure canners.

I would love to hear recipes or about spices you may add. Anyone tried garlic or dill etc ?

[Stvrob]

I've never been in an argument over tomato juice before.

I wonder if Amish Paste would be a good juicing tomato? Most people descibe it as too juicy to be a true paste type tomato.

[Redbaron]

Rutgers is still the best juice tomato and has been for decades IMHO. Marglobe just behind that. However, any tomato can be juiced. Taste is personal. You have to simply test what you like.

I like just plain tomato juice with a pinch of salt and if you do season your juice, or add other ingredients, add it during cooking or preparation. Ie add your Worcestershire and Tabasco and vodka later to taste when you are drinking, not when you can the juice. Or add the Italian seasonings later when making an Italian style soup. You get the idea.

If you like juicing and canning a "V8" type juice, you might try tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, parsley, carrots, cabbage, kale, spinach, water cress, beets, onion, borage, jalapeno, basil, tarragon.

[John3]

I had some extra Brandywine and Cherokee Purple and made Tomato Juice from them - I thought it was good. Also, made some v8 like juice except I didn't have any watercress to add.
Yeap, Rutgers make good juice.

[JohnWayne]

Maybe argument wasn't the right word. This guy posted about Roma's and from that point on, no one (in his thinking it seemed) was allowed to talk about anything else. Guess he wanted his answer made sticky and the thread closed forever. But one size don't fit all.

ROFLOL I wonder if he gets torqued up driving on interstate when no one else is driving a Yugo ! Some people just have to feel they are right all the time. Maybe he was right for himself but he just couldn't seem to understand that what worked for him didn't do a thing for me......Go figure
Thanks for your input Stvrob.

[JohnWayne]

Scott, I'm not really a fan of V8, But i you find a good copycat for Clamato ! Please share !

John, I have a feeling that both Brandywine and CP's being soft, they would do well at making juice.

[Redbaron]

1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
4 (10 ounce) cans clam juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot sauce
5 dashes celery salt
5 dashes crushed red pepper flakes


Found this on the internet

Also found that the original recipe that Clamato uses was published in 1956 in the Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book.

[John3]

They did taste good together

Do you mean Clamato like this

[nancyruhl]

I like to make tomato juice out of Kelloggs Breakfast. It is sweet and not so bitey. And oh so pretty. I only add salt, but intend to add some of my favorite herbs to the mix this year for variation.
As far as a food mill, I use this one for everything I can. http://www.amazon.com/Victorio-VKP25...dp/B001I7FP54e. With the optional attachments set, I can make seedless jams, applesauce, salsa, and the oh so messy to make but wonderful grape jam. Now, I see they have added an optional motor drive. That'll make the birthday list.

[FarmerShawn]

The only tomatoes I won't bother making juice from again are the green-when-ripes. Oh, the juice tasted just fine - but the appearance just did not whet my appetite. And I really like the GWRs, but only for fresh eating or dehydrated. Sauces and juices - no thanks.
My favorite juice flavorings include salt, pepper, just a dash of garlic (powder) and the main kicker - hot pepper powder - just enough to notice the effect, not to get all macho about. I'm out now - must make more this year!
As for tomato varieties, I use anything that tastes good. I think that, like the best cider, the best flavor comes from a complex mix of fruits and flavors.

[Durgan]

I make tomato juice out of all my tomatoes. The best are the dark fleshed ones.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?RJSIZ 17 September 2012 . Tomato Juice.Sixty pounds processed
Sixty pound of tomatoes was processed into 22 litre jars of pure tomato juice in two batches.Each litre of juice contains about three pound of tomatoes. The jars were pressure canned at 15 PSI for 15 minutes for long term storage at room temperature.Annotated pictures depict the process.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OCIMO 4 August 2012 Tomato Juice

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HYBOX 2 August 2012 Tomato Juice

http://durgan.org/2011/ Aout 200 litres over the season.

[barefootgardener]

I dont like a real thick tomato juice. Pantano Romanesco tomatoes, make a wonderful juice that is not to thick, and has a really great flavor..I only add a bit of sea salt..I use an old hand crank food mill.. It's a lot of work and cranking all those tomatoes i get, keeps my muscles in tune, but it sure takes some patience..lol

[barefootgardener]

Originally Posted by Durgan

I make tomato juice out of all my tomatoes. The best are the dark fleshed ones.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?RJSIZ 17 September 2012 . Tomato Juice.Sixty pounds processed
Sixty pound of tomatoes was processed into 22 litre jars of pure tomato juice in two batches.Each litre of juice contains about three pound of tomatoes. The jars were pressure canned at 15 PSI for 15 minutes for long term storage at room temperature.Annotated pictures depict the process.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?OCIMO 4 August 2012 Tomato Juice

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?HYBOX 2 August 2012 Tomato Juice

http://durgan.org/2011/ Aout 200 litres over the season.

Amazing photo's Durgan..Look's like you had a fantastic growing season in 2012.. My mouth is drooling.. I love the step by step photo's..

In one of the photo's, you added a few beets to help change/enhance the color of the juice..Do the beets also enhance, or change the flavor?

Ginny

[Durgan]

Three or four beets per pot do little to change the flavour, but do enhance the colour red. Often I just use the tomatoes without even adding any water. Absolutely no condiments are used.

Sometimes, I make basically a tomato based vegetable juice, using all that is available in the garden at the time.

Sure beats the stuff from the supermarket in my view. It is almost effortless to make.

The same method is used for all my canning.

[JohnWayne]

John, That has to be the best looking, best made Bloody Caesar I have ever seen ! But I am not a drinker of alcohol. Some of you may recall a number of months ago I spoke about WoodChuck Hard Apple Cider ? Well, I still have one bottle left from that six pack.

And it isn't that I don't like it. In fact, I like it to much. That stuff is Gooood ! LOL But anyhow, you are on the right track. Motts Clamato juice cocktail is what I was speaking of and there is a company out of South Texas that makes a very good Clam/tomato cocktail as well. Seems the company name started with a "V" but the grocer that carried it in my area has been closed for years and I can't recall.
Thanks for the input everyone !