Canning Tomato Juice For The Domestically Challenged

Step 1- Clean the tomatoes in cold water and cut out the cores and bad spots-NEVER can moldy, or tomatoes off of vines that have frozen they may not preserve correctly!

Step 2-Put them into the biggest pots you can find and cook down until mushy

Step 3-While they are cooking, wash your jars and lids in hot water.

Step 4-Take out your cooked tomatoes and run them through a food mill-this part is messy and kind of annoying but hey- so is life!

Step 5- Cook tomatoes AGAIN for 20 minutes. Also, fill your canning pot halfway with water and put it on the stove to get hot. This saves you time later!

Step-6-Sterilize and heat your jars upside down in a cake pan.

Step 7-  Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a teaspoon of canning salt to each empty jar.

Step 10-Fill your hot jars with the funnel and put on your lids. Put on the cap, and screw the ring on tight but not TOO tight. Also, make sure you wipe the top of each jar so you get a good seal. 

They sell a nifty little thing for getting the lids out of the pan but we rigged up our own with a magnet and a spatula.

Step 11-Put the jars in the rack of your canner-evenly from side to side so it doesn’t tip. Make sure the water is at least one inch above the jars. Let them process for 45 minutes-don’t forget to start your timer AFTER it’s boiling good!

Step 12- carefully pull up the canner rack up out of the water-I use two wooden spoons to get the handles of the rack back up on the side of the pot.

Step 13-and my FAVORITE part-listen to them POP! You will soon start hearing the greatest sound a canner can hear-your lids all popping one by one as they seal!!

Step 14. Sit the jars on a heat safe area-I use a towel on my butchers block-out of reach of any little hands your home may have. 

Step 15. Give them a few minutes and then check your seals by pushing the center of each jar lid-there should be no popping when you do this.  If you hear one pop it did NOT seal-just stick it in your fridge and eat it first!

Tada!! Fabulous, homemade deliciousness! Sit back and envision yourself as Donna Reed! You did it!!!