Tomato Juice

Quantity: An average of 23 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts, or an average of 14 pounds per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 15 to 18 quarts of juice—an average of 3-1/4 pounds per quart.

Procedure: Wash, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions. To prevent juice from separating, quickly cut about 1 pound of tomatoes into quarters and put directly into sauce- pan. Heat immediately to boiling while crushing. Continue to slowly add and crush freshly cut tomato quarters to the boiling mixture. Make sure the mixture boils constantly and vigorously while you add the remaining tomatoes. Simmer 5 minutes after you add all pieces.

If you are not concerned about juice separation, simply slice or quarter tomatoes into a large saucepan. Crush, heat, and simmer for 5 minutes before juicing.

Press both types of heated juice through a sieve or food mill to remove skins and seeds. Add bottled lemon juice or citric acid to jars. See acidification instructions on page 3-5. Heat juice again to boiling. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per quart to the jars, if desired. Fill hot jars with hot tomato juice, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Adjust lids and process. (Acidification is still required for the pressure canning options; follow all steps in the Procedures above for any of the processing options.)

Recommended process time for Tomato Juice in a boiling-water canner
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time at Altitudes of
		0-1,000 ft	1,001-3,000 ft	3,001-6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Pints	35 min	40	45	50
	Quarts	40	45	50	55

Recommended process time for Tomato Juice in a dial-gauge pressure canner
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
			0-2,000 ft	2,001-4,000 ft	4,001-6,000 ft	6,001-8,000 ft
Hot	Pints	20 min	6 lb	7 lb	8 lb	9 lb
	Quarts	15	11	12	13	14

Recommended process time for Tomato Juice in a weighted-gauge pressure canner
Style of Pack	Jar Size	Process Time	Canner Pressure (PSI) at Altitudes of
			0-1,000 ft	Above 1,000 ft
Hot	Pints	20 min	5 lb	10 lb
	Quarts	15	10	15
		10	15	Not recommended