canning Tomato Juice | Why & How
A few nights ago, we canned our own tomato juice. We found out that it is very efficient and easy! Discover the three reasons why you should start canning tomato juice every year.
Canning Tomato Juice From Homegrown Tomatoes

Why Should You Can Your Own Tomato Juice?
Reason #1: Tomatoes are EASY TO GROW!
You can even grow them in containers if you don’t have room for a garden! In fact, they are so easy to grow that when they are in season, they will most likely produce far more than you can eat. Canning them is a perfect solution.
Reason #2: Homegrown tomatoes taste a million times better!
I have a friend who won’t eat tomatoes. But, she’s only ever tasted store-bought tomatoes. All the tomatoes at your local grocery, even the ones that say “picked ripe,” are picked too green to eat. With time, they turn red. However, I have read that tomatoes are the only fruit that does not ripen after it has been picked. It may be red, but the tomato tastes exactly the same as it did when it was picked. Green tomatoes have virtually no taste! Ripe tomatoes, picked red just as they start to turn soft, are bursting with flavor. Once you’ve picked and eaten a ripe tomato, you will never go back!
Reason #3: Great way to preserve an abundant tomato harvest and reduce waste!
Tomato plants can produce a lot of fruit that ripens in waves. If you don’t have a plan for it, the abundance of tomatoes can be overwhelming. Making and canning tomato juice is a great way to make use of the extra instead of letting it go to waste.
Reason #4: There are serious health concerns with factory canned tomatoes
Whether it’s canned tomatoes, tomato paste or tomato juice, factory tomato cans often contain aluminum or BPA. Over time the acid in the tomatoes attacks and absorbs these dangerous chemicals, creating a toxic stew of tomatoes that were picked green, aluminum, and BPA. Home-canned tomato products don’t carry any of these dangers, and tomatoes are a good ‘starter’ project for folks new to gardening and preserving.
Reason #5: Adds to your self-reliant food pantry.
Canning tomato juice reduces your reliance on the grocery store. Homegrown and home canned tomato juice can be used to make nutrient dense sauces, drinks, and soup bases instead of purchasing those items.
Best Tomatoes for Juicing
All tomatoes can be juiced, but some varieties are better than others. For example, paste tomatoes are excellent for tomato paste, salsa, and thick sauces, but they are too “meaty” for a large quantity of juice. A good rule of thumb is to choose a slicing variety over a paste variety if your goal is to make a lot of tomato juice.
Some good tomato choices for juicing include:
- Brandywine
- Beefsteak
- Cherokee Purple
- Black Krim
- Mortgage Lifter
Homemade Tomato Juice Recipe + Canning Instructions

The Lehman’s Tomato Juice Method
We cut our ripe tomatoes in half, and also cut out any bad spots. We filled an 8-quart kettle with one picking of our tomatoes from just two plants. Then, we added about 1 ½ cups of water and sprinkle canning salt over the tomatoes.
Next, we cooked the batch on low heat for about 20 minutes. The tomatoes are ready to juice when they are soft and the skin is wrinkly.
You can also cook in jalapeno peppers, green peppers, onions or pepper to create the flavor you like. The right kind of food mill will reduce everything to a consistent juice or sauce. We make ours plain because we use it for drinking, cooking, and making sauce. We add the other flavors when we open the canning jars.
Pre-heat your jars on a sheet cake tray in the oven. Using hot jars helps to keep them from shattering when you pour in the hot juice. It also improves the chances of having a good seal. Sterilize your canning lids in boiling water, OR follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on the box (some lids no longer need to be sterilized).
Slowly and carefully, pour the cooked tomatoes into a Lehman’s Weston Food Mill, avoiding splatters, as the tomatoes are hot. A food mill is one of the most amazing time savers ever invented for home canning! Once you pour the tomatoes into the funnel, turn the crank. It quickly and effortlessly separates the juice and pulp from the skin and seeds.
Step-By-Step Instructions
What you will need:
- Fresh, ripe tomatoes (3 ¼ pound per quart or 23 pounds per canner load- 7 quart jars)
- Large pot or saucepan
- Canner (water bath canner, pressure, or steam)
- Canning jars with lids and rings
- Food Mill, Fine Sieve, Strainer
- 1 cup water
- Lemon Juice (if needed to increase acidity for hot water bath or steam canning)
- Jar lifter, Ladle, Funnel

How to Make and Can Tomato Juice (hot water bath):
- Wash tomatoes, then core and cut them in half removing any bad spots.
- Add the tomatoes and water to a large saucepan, large stock pot, or kettle. Stainless steel is best, avoid aluminum.
- Simmer the tomatoes over low heat for about 20 minutes. As they begin to soften, crush them to release the juice.
- Run the tomatoes and juice through a food mill. strainer, or sieve, to remove the solids.
- Add lemon juice (2 TBSP per quart) if needed to adjust the pH when using a hot water bath or steam canner.
- Sterilize jars and lids and then pre-heat jars.
- Carefully pour the strained tomato juice into the jars leaving a ½ inch headspace.Place the lids and rings on he jars finger tight.
- Add the jars to the canner. Fill with water. Make sure the jars are completely submerged.
- Process the juice for 40 minutes (check to see if your altitude requires processing time adjustments).
- Move the jars from the canner to a prepared surface to cool. Leave them alone for 24 hours so the seals can set.
Tips for Canning Tomato Juice
- Only use fresh tomatoes.
- Avoid using aluminum to cook in.
- Add an acidifier and check pH level for safe canning.
- Label your jars with the date and the type of food.
- Add more flavors. Add celery, jalapeños, and other ingredients to enhance the flavor of your tomato juice. Alternatively, you can leave it plain and add more flavor based on how you plan to use each jar.
- Use multiple tomato varieties to add depth of flavor.
How to Use Home-Canned Tomato Juice
Know you know how to make lots of nutritious tomato juice, but what do you do with it all? Here are a few ideas:
- Drink it! Add any flavors you like and drink it up. You can even blend up leftover veggies to make a V8-style drink.
- Use as a base for soup and stews. You can swap tomato juice with broth at a 1:1 ratio. Make tomato soup by heating tomato juice, milk, butter, and herbs together.
- Make homemade pizza sauce. Simmer the juice with some garlic and oregano to thicken it a bit, then spread it on your pizza crust.
- Make a Bloody Mary mocktail by adding some horseradish, Worcestershire, celery salt, and Tabasco sauce.
- Use tomato juice in place of water when cooking rice and grains. This will add color, flavor, and nutrients to the grains.
- A chili base can be made with simmered and reduced tomato juice.
- Add garlic, herbs, and oil to the tomato juice and use it as a marinade for veggies and meat.
- Make spaghetti sauce by simmering and thickening the juice, adding oregano, basil, and salt, and cooking with ground beef. This sauce will be thinner than traditional spaghetti sauce, but delicious nonetheless.
Now you are ready to can your own tomato juice!
If you grow your own tomatoes, you know the joy of harvesting ripe, juicy fruit at the peak of summer. But what do you do when your vines explode with more tomatoes than you can eat fresh? Canning tomato juice is one of the best ways to preserve the flavor of summer and enjoy your harvest all year long.
Whether you’re a backyard gardener or a seasoned homesteader, learning how to can tomato juice is a practical skill that saves money, reduces waste, and gives you control over your pantry staples. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the reasons to can tomato juice, the best tomato varieties for juicing, and tips for a successful canning experience.
Original by By Galen Lehman, Lehman’s Hardware 2018 | Updated by Homesteaders of America 2025
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