Homemade spicy tomato-veggie juice

Heirloom Tomatoes

By Cat, Jan, 2016 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

I have an old recipe for Easy Seafood Stew that calls for a can of V-8 juice and a can of stewed tomatoes. Now, there was a time when I would use these shortcuts – when I worked 12 hours a day and had no time to cook the old-fashioned way. But now that I’m retired, I shun processed foods because of all the additives, GMOs, and the toxins in the epoxy can-liners.

So as I’m moving my recipes from my old site to this blog, I’m updating those that call for processed foods, to use the real-deal instead.

See also: 1. Beverages Menu; 2. Miscellaneous Recipes & Info; 3. Foods (About) Menu

Homemade spicy tomato-veggie juice (V-8 substitute)

This recipe is adapted from Farm Girl Fare blog (1), and my own recipe for Sofrido that is included in my Classic Paella recipe. Makes 6 cups.

Make up a full batch of this delicious juice and refrigerate if you plan to use quickly (it should keep, refrigerated, for a week or so).

Storage for more than a week:

• For use in cooked recipes, freeze in freezer jars, but is not so good for drinking as it separates.
• For drinking, it is best to can it, because it separates when frozen and doesn’t recombine well. For hot-water bath canning, you need to add more acid; see instructions below.

I also include modified ingredient amounts for a single 1-cup serving.

Ingredients & Equipment (for 6-cups or more)

Food Mill (Moulinette)

(Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

It goes without saying, all veggies, herbs and spices should be organically raised, preferably from your local area.

• 6 lb. of vine-ripened, tomatoes (preferably heirlooms), coarsely chopped
• 2 cups chopped white or yellow onion
• 12 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
• 1½ cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped fresh carrot
• 1 large beet, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (stems are fine)
• chard, spinach or beet greens
• 2 Tbsp raw, local honey
• 2 tsp unrefined sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 6 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Sriracha; OR pinch of cayenne; OR chopped fresh chiles; to taste. OR, for a smokey-spicy flavor, ¼ hot pimentón (smoked paprika)
• ¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Equipment
• large stainless steel stock pot
• Immersion blender (hand-held stick blender)
• food mill (optional)

Ingredients & Equipment for about 1 cup juice

• 1 lb. of vine-ripened, tomatoes (preferably heirlooms), coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup chopped white or yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
• ½ cup chopped celery
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh carrot
• 1 small beet, chopped
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley (stems are fine)
• chard, spinach or beet greens
• 2 tsp raw, local honey
• ⅓ – 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
• ¼ rounded tsp ground cumin
• 2 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Sriracha; OR tiny pinch of cayenne; OR chopped fresh chiles; to taste. OR, for a smokey-spicy flavor, a pinch hot pimentón (smoked paprika)
• 2 – 3 drops Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Equipment
• small stainless steel saucepan
• Immersion blender (hand-held stick blender)
• food mill (optional)

Method:

1. Prep: Chop tomatoes coarsely; chop onion, celery, carrots, beet and parsley; cut or tear greens.
2. Place all veggies in the stainless steel pot/saucepan.
3. OR, if you want a smoother juice for drinking, blend all together with an immersion blender, then put through a food mill, then pour the juice into the pot/saucepan.
4. Add remaining ingredients; stir to combine.
5. Cook: Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until very soupy, about 40 minutes.
6. Chill for at least several hours before adjusting seasoning. 

Hot Water Bath canning instructions:

Aubuchon Hot Water Bath Canner, with Rack

Photo, right, from Aubuchon Hardware (3); the following instructions are from Farm Girl Fare recipe (1)

1. Sterilize jars and 2-piece caps in boiling water; keep hot until ready to use.
2. Heat juice 5 minutes at 190°F. Do not boil.
3. Acidify: Pint jars: add 1 Tbsp lemon juice or ¼ tsp citric acid to each jar; OR quart jars: add 2 Tbsp lemon juice or ½ tsp citric acid to each jar.
4. Ladle hot juice into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Screw on caps.
5. Process pints 40 minutes and quarts 45 minutes in a boiling water canner.

References:

1. Farm Girl Fare recipe, farmgirlfare.com/2008/10/less-fuss-more-flavor-homemade-tomato.html; originally adapted from Gourmet Magazine (2)
2. Gourmet (Simply Recipes) recipe, elise.com/recipes/archives/007310homemade_tomato_juice.php
3. Aubuchon Hardware photo: hardwarestore.com/housewares.aspx