Things You’ll Need
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Juice or fresh vegetables (tomato or mix of vegetables)
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Large pot
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Knife
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Cutting board
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Tomato crusher (optional)
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Ladles and Spoons
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Sieve (optional)
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Lemon juice
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Jar grabber
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Jar funnel
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Jars with lids and rings
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Canner
Preserving beverages will allow for drinking throughout the year.
When making a juice at home, it is possible to preserve it naturally for enjoyment throughout the year. The easiest way to preserve the drinks is through canning methods. Canning helps keep the juice fresh and free of bacteria with a shelf life between one and two years. The drink might require the addition of acidifiers, such as lemon juice, to make the drink stay fresh.
Step 1
Clean all materials before starting the process of juicing vegetables. You can also make the drink using juice from freshly juiced vegetables.
Step 2
Cut up the tomatoes and add them to the large pot. For seven quarts of a tomato or vegetable juice, add 22 pounds of tomatoes. Turn on the heat and bring the tomatoes to a boil. Mash the tomatoes, ideally using a tomato masher but any other similar mashing tool will work as well. Add one cup each of finely chopped vegetables like peppers, onions or celery as preferred. Stir everything together.
Step 3
Simmer the mixture for about five minutes or so. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Step 4
Turn off the heat and pour the juice through a sieve. Press on the mixture to get the juice out faster. Heat the juice a second time. Reheating is not necessary for drinks made from already-juiced vegetables.
Step 5
Add lemon juice to the empty jars. Lemon juice improves acidity so the juice keeps. When adding lemon juice, add 1 teaspoon per pint or 2 teaspoons per quart depending on the size of the jars.
Step 6
Fill the jars with the juice and put the lid and rings onto the jars. Use a funnel to prevent making a mess. Leave a half-inch of extra space at the top before closing the lid.
Step 7
Place the cans in the canner and turn on the canner according to the instructions. Exact times will depend on altitude and the type of canner. Pressure canners usually require at least 20 minutes, while water bath canners will need at least 35 minutes. Typically, either more weight or five minutes are added for every 3,000 feet in elevation. Before 1,000 feet above sea level, 35 minutes for water bath canners or 20 minutes for pressure canners is used.
Step 8
Remove the cans using the jar grabber and set them aside to cool overnight. Once they have cooled, check that the lids are tight by pressing on the center. If it makes a popping sound, it did not can properly and should be put in the fridge and drank quickly.
Tip
No additives are needed for juices like apple juice or citrus juice because they already have high enough acidity. Simply can the fruit juices without the added lemon to preserve them.
