Homemade Tomato Juice from Fresh Tomatoes

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Choose ripe tomatoes for the juice — a juicy variety is best.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash the tomatoes and cut them into quarters, cutting out the stem ends and any bad spots. I run mine through a modern juicer, so there's no need to peel them — the juice comes out very clean. If you're using a meat grinder, blender, or an older juicer, peel the tomatoes first: score an X in the top of each, dip them in boiling water in a colander for a minute, then plunge them into cold water and the skins will slip right off.

3. Step 3:

   

   Run the prepared tomatoes through a juicer or other machine to extract the juice.

4. Step 4:

   

   From 1.5 kg (about 3.5 lb) of juicy tomatoes I got 1 liter of raw juice. The yield varies a little depending on the tomatoes — that 1 liter of raw juice cooked down to almost 800 ml of finished juice.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour the raw juice into a roomy pot, since the foam will rise as it boils. Start heating it on low, then turn it up to medium-high and bring it to a boil. As soon as it boils, drop the heat to the lowest setting. Cook, stirring constantly, so the juice heats evenly and doesn't scorch.

6. Step 6:

   

   The foam will gradually settle and disappear.

7. Step 7:

   

   Add salt and sugar to taste to the now-clear, reduced juice, stir, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Whether to add sugar is up to you — many people use only salt — but a little sugar balances out the tartness; try a glass first as an experiment, and if you like it, season the whole batch the same way. Pepper, on the other hand, is best added at serving time, since it's strictly a matter of taste — kids tend to refuse it with pepper, and with no salt at all.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour the juice into a jar and let it cool uncovered, then refrigerate it. Chilled juice is lovely to drink, and many people like to add pepper; shake before serving. You can also can the hot juice for winter: pour it into sterilized jars, seal right away with sterile lids, turn them upside down, and leave to cool wrapped in a blanket. Store in a dark, cool place — it keeps well into the summer, no extra sterilizing needed (though it usually gets drunk fast!).