 Spicy Tomato Juice
*a by product of making 'Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce' If you have read my blog before, you know that I like to Pressure Can Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce (without meat) and use that in soups, stews and casseroles as well as pizzas and pastas...while preparing my tomato sauce, I usually end up with a good 3-4 pints of tomato juice. Why not turn that into a tasty, spicy drink and Can along with your sauce - or place in fridge for immediate drinking? The time to start collection of the juice is when the sauce has cooked down 1/3 of the way in your large stockpot. At this point, I take a ladle and skim off all the "juice/water" that resides in the stockpot (it floats to the top if you let the sauce simmer without stirring for a few minutes) I run that liquid through my sieve into a large bowl, collecting the juice is a process - its not an "all at one time" collection. While the tomato sauce needs to be stirred to prevent scorching, I do lower the heat in the final step of making my sauce so that it still simmers and brings the 'water/juice' up to the top layer in the stockpot that I can skim...if I collect a bit of what I call "tomato mush" or what would look a lot like tomato puree into my sieve, I go ahead and scrape some that into the juice bowl below (it will flavor my juice that much more - I add about a cup) I spend about 30 minutes collecting the juice from the sauce pot. Once I feel confident that my tomato sauce is ready for jarring, I turn my attention to seasoning the juice. Keep in mind, all the original flavorings (spices) from making the Sauce is already in the 'juice' you've collected (onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, pepper). Take a clean tasting cup and fill - drink a bit and see where you are at. If the juice tastes too watery, take some more tomato mush/puree from your sauce and stir into juice. Most times, I feel the need to add more black pepper... To make mine a spicy tomato juice, I add a few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne powder (remember to start small, and increase the heat and taste at each addition with a new clean cup - you can add spice/heat but, you cannot take away!) Once the juice is to your liking, you can now Pressure Can that juice along with your sauce. Enjoy! ~ Diane My Link to: Fresh Homemade Tomato Sauce http://www.canningandcookingathome.com/dianes-food-blog/fresh-homemade-tomato-sauce Pinterest Pin: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/530510031080716846/ Photos by: Diane Baker for Canning and Cooking at Home |
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