How to can homemade tomato juice using a pressure cooker or water bath canner and a simple step-by-step guide. It doesn't separate, is cost-effective, and locks in the tomatoes' summer fresh flavor all year long!
Ensure none of the jars contains cracks/chips, and the lids (if reusable) and rings are rust-free.
Wash everything (the jars, lids, tongs, funnel, and kitchen counter) with hot, soapy water and rinse them well - sterilizing everything ensures you aren’t trapping bacteria IN the jars. Transfer everything except the jars and lids to a clean kitchen towel to dry.
Place a trivet at the bottom of the canner. Then:For a water bath canner: Fill it with enough water to submerge the jars with at least 2 inches of water. For a pressure canner: Fill the canner with 3 inches of water (BEFORE adding any jars). I add a little more than needed to compensate for the evaporation before processing the jars.Place the jars inside the canner to keep them warm.
Prepare and cook the tomatoes
Rinse the tomatoes thoroughly, cut out the stems, and discard any bruised/bad tomatoes.
Quarter the tomatoes and transfer about 3 cups of the tomato quarters to a large, heavy-based saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium to medium-low heat, mashing them as you do.
Gradually add the remaining tomatoes, ensuring the mixture remains boiling, mashing them as they soften. The constant boil prevents juice separation but if this isn’t a concern (it’s only a cosmetic issue), boil them all at once.
Once all the tomatoes are mashed, simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Use a manual/electric food mill to remove the skin and seeds from the juice. OR blend and then pour the mixture through a large nut milk bag or cheesecloth-lined sieve/strainer into a large bowl/back in the saucepan, squeezing the pulp to release all the juice.
Transfer the juice back to the stovetop to bring it back to a boil. This will pasteurize the freshly strained juice and keep it hot and ready to be added to the jars.
Fill the jars
Remove the jars from the canner where they were being kept warm and add the lemon juice or citric acid and optional salt:Bottled lemon juice = 2 Tbsp per quart jarCitric acid = ½ tsp per quart jarSalt = 1 tsp per quart jar
Using a funnel, pour the hot tomato juice into the jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace (space between the juice and the flat lid). Leave the correct headspace, or a false seal/siphoning may occur.
Use a clean, damp kitchen towel to wipe any spills from the jar rims, which can affect the seal. Add a lid to each jar and screw on the screw bands until finger-tight (just to the point of resistance, but not too tight that air can't escape during processing).
Use canning tongs to transfer the filled jars to the canner, ensuring they remain vertical the entire time. Place them in a single layer, making sure they aren't touching the sides of the pot or each other. Proceed with your chosen method of canning.If you live in an area with hard water, add ¼-⅓ cup of vinegar to the canner water to stop calcification on the outside of the jars.
Process the jars
Water bath canner tomato juice
Add the lid to a canner and bring it back to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
Once boiling, start a timer for 35 minutes for pint jars or 40 minutes for quart jars (adjust the time to your altitude according to USDA/ National Center for Home Food Preservation guidelines).
When the timer goes off, remove the canner from the heat and remove the lid. Leave it to sit for 5 minutes.
Pressure canner tomato juice
Lock the lid of the pressure canner, but ensure the pressure vent or petcock (depending on the type of canner you’re using) is still open.
Heat the canner over the highest heat until a steady stream of steam comes from the vent/petcock. Then, start a timer, allowing that to continue for 10 minutes.
Close the vent/petcock, allowing the pressure to build to 10 PSI (using a weighted gauge canner – it will jiggle/rock when ready) or 11 (using a dial gauge canner). Then, if using a dial gauge canner, reduce the heat slightly to maintain the correct pressure.
Set a timer to process the jars for 15 minutes. Adjust the PSI and timing for higher altitudes.When using a dial gauge canner, monitor the heat so the pressure remains right at or slightly above the correct pressure level. If the pressure drops below the recommended level, you'll need to bring it up again and restart the processing time.
Once the timer goes off, remove the canner from the heat and leave it completely untouched to naturally depressurize to 0 psi.
Remove the weight from the vent port or open the petcock and leave it for 10 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid, facing it away from you to allow steam to escape in the other direction.
Cool, inspect, and store
Use the canning tongs to remove the jars from the canner, fully upright, and transfer them to a kitchen-towel-lined worktop (or wooden board). Leave an inch between each one.Transfer them to a heat-proof surface. Otherwise, you risk thermal shock and glass shattering/breaking.
Leave the jars to cool at room temperature for 24 hours, completely untouched. While the jars cool, they will fully seal, making "pop" noises as they do. If you handle them, you risk ruining the seal or creating a fake one that unseals over time.
Remove the screw bands from the jars and inspect the lids to ensure they’re fully sealed. It shouldn’t wobble/move, flex, or make popping noises when pressed in the center.If there are any unsealed jars, reprocess them within 24 hours (use a new jar or lid if you think they may have cracks/be faulty). Alternatively, transfer them to the fridge and use the tomato juice within 2-3 days.
Label the jars and store them in a cool, dry, dark location (between 50-70ºF/10-20ºC is ideal, no higher than 95ºF/35ºC; away from direct sunlight). Keep them for 12-18 months.
Notes
Choose the best tomatoes: the key to the best tomato juice is the flavor of the tomatoes that you use – so make sure to pick juicy, ripe, preferably in-season tomatoes! Avoid overripe tomatoes, those that have cracks, wrinkles, etc. I recommend going for larger tomatoes, though cherry tomatoes work too!Adjust the method to your altitude: Most canning recipes are written for altitudes up to 1000 feet. Adjust the recipe accordingly when living higher. Refer to the National Center for Home Food Preservation’s guide for how.To avoid glass breakage: The jars and tomato juice both need to be warm when placed back in the warm water of the canner to avoid thermal shocks.Use accurate headspace: Too much can cause a "false seal" that can unseal over time. Not enough may lead to siphoning (leaks).Check the blog post to see how to use the leftover tomato pulp.