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Turn your fresh tomatoes into rich, flavorful homemade tomato juice with our easy to follow recipe. It’s perfect for canning and tastes so much better than store-bought juice.
Skip the Store Bought Tomato Juice
At our house, this stuff is like liquid gold. We drink it ice cold straight from the fridge, but I also save plenty to use as a base for soups, stews, sauces, and other recipes throughout the year. A simple blend of salt, onion salt, and celery salt gives it a traditional flavor (kind of like V8 but better), but you can easily customize it with pepper, basil, oregano, or your favorite seasonings. If you’ve never made your own tomato juice before, don’t worry. It’s surprisingly easy, and once you taste it, you’ll never look at store-bought tomato juice the same way again. I’m so excited for you to try it!
🩷Erica
Ingredients in Homemade Tomato Juice
- Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are all you need to make rich, flavorful tomato juice. It’s always a good idea to use nice, beefy, juicy varieties, but you almost can’t go wrong with any kind. Some of our favorites are Park’s Whoppers (these grow GREAT in our area, so this one is a favorite), Early Girl, Beefsteak, Better Boy, Celebrity, or Brandywine. Check your local nurseries to see what varieties grow best in your area.
- Water: A small amount of water helps prevent the tomatoes from sticking while they begin to cook down. Once heated, the tomatoes will release plenty of their own juices and a lot of the water that you added will just evaporate out anyway.
- Seasonings: I usually just use salt, onion salt, and celery salt when I season my tomato juice. Add the seasonings after measuring your finished juice and adjust to taste if desired.
Made With Home Grown Tomatoes
There is nothing quite like homemade tomato juice made from fresh garden tomatoes. The better the tomatoes, the better the juice, which is why I love making this recipe in late summer when tomatoes are at their peak. Look for ripe, deeply colored tomatoes that feel heavy for their size and have a sweet, fresh tomato smell. I grow tomatoes in my garden every year specifically for canning and preserving, but tomatoes from a local farm stand or farmer’s market are great too.
Tips for Making Tomato Juice at Home
Use a tomato strainer if you’re making a large batch. If you plan on canning more than a few quarts at a time, a Tomato Strainer is well worth the investment. It quickly separates the juice from the skins and seeds and saves a ton of time compared to pressing everything through a colander by hand.
Don’t worry about peeling the tomatoes first. The skins and seeds are removed during the straining process, so there’s no need to blanch and peel the tomatoes beforehand.
Use bottled lemon juice or citric acid for canning. Tomatoes vary in acidity, so an acidifier is needed to make them safe for water bath canning. Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice or ½ teaspoon citric acid per quart jar (or 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice or ¼ teaspoon citric acid per pint jar). I prefer lemon juice because it has a consistent acidity level, it’s cheap, I usually have it on hand, and you really can’t taste a difference.
Store jars in a cool, dark place. Properly canned tomato juice can last up to 18-24 months when stored in a cool pantry or basement.
New to canning? We can walk you through how to can this tomato juice step-by-step with our easy-to-follow guides. Check out our Canning 101 Guide, Water Bath Canning guide, and our guide on How to Can Whole Tomatoes (canning times will be the same).
Reduced Sodium Tomato Juice:
Store-bought tomato juice can be VERY high in sodium. By making tomato juice from scratch at home, you have full control over the amount of sodium that is added! Reduce the salt in your juice to your specifications in this recipe and enjoy your healthy drink!
Make It A Virgin Bloody Mary
Turn this tomato juice into a non-alcoholic Bloody Mary by simply adding a squeeze of fresh lemon and a few drops of hot sauce (such as Tabasco sauce). Serve with ice cubes, fresh parsley, celery, or pickles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost any ripe tomato can be used for juicing, but I prefer using a mix of varieties for the best flavor. Meaty tomatoes like Roma and San Marzano produce a thicker juice, while slicing tomatoes such as Celebrity, Early Girl, and Park’s Whopper add plenty of juice and great tomato flavor. The most important thing is to use ripe, flavorful tomatoes that are free from bruises and blemishes. Garden-fresh tomatoes always make the best tomato juice! Be sure to talk to your local nursery to see what varieties grow best in your area. They will give you the best advice!
If you are making it fresh and storing it in your refrigerator in an air-tight bottle or jar, tomato juice can last 2-3 days. If you decide to can your tomato juice, it can last 12-18 months after it has been canned. After the jar has been opened, it can last 2-3 days, refrigerated–same as if it were fresh.
Both pint jars and quart jars work great! Just make sure they have been cleaned and sanitized before using.
Read Next: Easy Dinner Ideas
More Canned Tomato Recipes
We end up with bushels of tomatoes from our garden each year and it seems they go bad before we can use them all. Here are some of our favorite ways to can tomatoes so we can enjoy them all year long. Try a few for yourself!
Recipes that Use Homemade Tomato Juice
Use this delicious homemade tomato juice as a base for so many rich recipes, like these:
Tomato Juice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 23 pounds tomatoes, (yields about 7 quarts tomato juice)
- water, approximately ¼ cup to 1 cup
Per Quart of Juice:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
Instructions
- Wash tomatoes thoroughly. Remove cores, bruises, and any blemishes. Cut tomatoes into quarters or large chunks.
- Place tomatoes in a large stockpot. Add ¼ to 1 cup water, just enough to prevent sticking. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.Simmer until the tomatoes are very soft and broken down, about 20-30 minutes.
- Working in batches, press the tomatoes through a food mill, tomato strainer, or colander to remove the skins and seeds. Discard skins and seeds.
- Return the strained tomato juice to the stockpot and bring back to a gentle boil.
- Measure the amount of juice you have. For each quart of tomato juice, add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion salt, and ¼ teaspoon celery salt.Note: The amount of juice you get will vary depending on the variety and juiciness of your tomatoes, so always measure the finished juice before adding seasonings.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the seasonings to blend into the juice.
For canning:
- Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice to each sterilized quart jar (or 1 tablespoon per pint jar).Note: Do not skip the bottled lemon juice. Tomatoes vary in acidity, and the added lemon juice ensures the tomato juice is safe for water bath canning. Don't worry, it won't affect the taste at all. You won't even know it's there.
- Ladle hot tomato juice into jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Wipe rims clean and apply lids and bands.
- Process in a boiling water bath canner for:Pint jars: 0-1,000 feet: 35 minutes , 1,001-3,000 feet: 40 minutes, 3,001-6,000 feet: 45 minutes, above 6,000 feet: 50 minutes.Quart jars: 0-1,000 feet: 40 minutes, 1,001-3,000 feet: 45 minutes, 3,001-6,000 feet: 50 minutes, above 6,000 feet: 55 minutes.For detailed canning instructions, check out our Canning 101 Guide, Water Bath Canning guide, and our guide on How to Can Whole Tomatoes.
- Remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Check seals before storing.
Notes
- Plan on about 3 to 3½ pounds of tomatoes for each quart of finished juice.
- Store it in a cool, dry place and you’ll be able to enjoy this juice for up to two years.
- If you are looking to make a LOT of juice (which I like to make at least 25 quarts at a time) you will want to save yourself some frustration by getting a Tomato Strainer. This is the EXACT one that I use.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This looks great, but how would you break it down for pint jars rather than quarts?
I like to add some balsamic vinegar for balance. Slight sweetness and the bright vinegar make the tomato juice the star of the show!
I think this recipie deserves 10 stars , it’s delicious
I’ve saved / froze my home grown tomatoes till I had enough to make the juice
I added a few some cans that I wanted to use up as well
The Juice has the nicest tang to it ,I’ll most certainly be making more next summer
( I’m Australian ) so we are just heading into Autumn .
Thanks for adding you delicious recipe
So glad you liked this recipe! I am jealous you are on your way into tomato season, we still have a long way to go here in the States. Thank you for the nice comment and also for the 10-stars!
Good recipe. I also add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to taste. Found 12 quarts of raw tomatoes run through a Lem processor will yield approximately 8 quarts juice.
Looked hide and wide, but no source local or online for Jack’s Whopper tomatoes you recommend as best. Only find Park’s Whopper. Different? Same?
Sorry for the confusion – this was a typo on our end. The correct name is Park’s Whopper!
Why is it that when I drink tomato juice or V8 that I drink the whole can all at once?
Anybody?
It says for Canning, to follow the recipe card below… but then there’s no recipe below. So how long do you water bath can after adding the lemon juice & salt? I even clicked on the print option to see if it was noted there, but says the exact same.
Try this link for the recipe card: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/homemade-tomato-juice/#wprm-recipe-container-20180
The step for canning should be step 8.
It doesn’t say how long to process in the canner.
Process for 40 minutes for quart jars for altitudes below 1,000 feet. If you live above 1,000 feet you’ll have to check specific times online for your altitude.
So easy. I just cut up tomatoes and used my kitchenaid fruit and vegetable strainer. Done in no time. Froze it raw. Now I just pull out a jar and process for any recipe. This tomato juice recipe is quick and easy. Thanks!
I’m so glad you like the recipe! You will enjoy the fresh taste over the winter. So good!
My husband and I just made a batch and we got 10 quarts delicious ❤️ thank you for sharing this recipe
So,
I used 30 pounds of San Marzano tomatoes. Yield 14 quarts. Followed the recipe. Delicious! Thank you. Only thing I did differently was I pressure cooked the tomatoes and then pressure cooked the juice. Why? I remember reading somewhere that you lose less nutrients that way. True? I don’t know. But it turned out great so who cares?
I also had a Kitchen Aid so I bought the grinder and the strainer as you suggested. Worked perfectly and cut down on the work. From washing the tomatoes to canning the juice took 4 hours.
I certainly agree with purchasing the Kitchen Aid food processor. It’s so easy to use and saves time.
I would plain celery seed and plain onion powder. This recipe turns out very salty. I should have gone with my gut on this one.
Hey Ladies!
Thank you so much for all the inspiration and deliciousness you provide foodies like me!
I made you tomato juice the week of August 12. I did not have enough tomatoes left to put myself through the canning process so I eliminated the lemon juice and canning instructions. How long do you think it’s good in the fridge? I haven’t tried or smelled yet; just hoping you’ll say like 3-6 months in the fridge. Not sure so thanks for any reply and help!
*Homemade Tomato Juice*
Homemade tomato juice is only good in the fridge for about 2-3 days, sorry!
Excellent!
Hi, can you freeze tomato juice?
Thanks
Chris
Yes! Just make sure you leave room in the container for expansion as it freezes.
So good! I added cayenne pepper and garlic powder too!!
Do you have to water bath the juice after packing in the jars?
No, you don’t have to water bath.
Does the lemon juice alter the flavor?
No, it doesn’t alter the flavor, it just balances the pH for canning!