JuicesAmericanEasy

Fresh Tomato Juice

Name: Fresh Tomato Juice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 pounds (1800 g) ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 2 medium stalks (120 g) celery stalks, thinly sliced; ½ medium (75 g) yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped (optional); 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice, strained; 1 teaspoon (4 g) granulated sugar, only if tomatoes are tart (optional); black pepper, freshly ground, to taste (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Bright, naturally sweet tomato juice made by simmering ripe tomatoes with celery and onion, then blending and straining for a smooth, deeply flavored drink. Far better than store-bought, and easy to season to your taste.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 2 hr 30 min
Total: 3 hr 20 min
Makes: About 6 cups (1.4 liters), 6 servings of 1 cup

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Steps

Before you start

Use fully ripe, deep red, fragrant tomatoes; pale tomatoes make thin, bland juice.
Plan about 2½ hours of mostly hands-off time, since the juice needs to cool and then chill before drinking.
Make sure your blender lid can vent: hot liquid expands and can blow the lid off if sealed tightly.
Have a fine-mesh sieve and a large bowl ready before blending.

1
Prep the tomatoes
- Rinse the tomatoes.
- Cut out the stem cores and chop the tomatoes into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks, keeping all the juices and seeds.
- Thinly slice the celery and roughly chop the onion, if using.
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Ready when: Tomatoes are in uniform chunks and the board is wet with juice.
Tip: Chop over a board with a juice groove, or pour the board juices into the pot so no flavor is lost.
2
Start the simmer
- Add the tomatoes, celery, onion and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot.
- Set over medium heat and stir often for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes begin to release liquid and the bottom is wet.
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Ready when: Liquid pools in the pot and the tomatoes begin to slump.
Tip: Stir the bottom well early on so the tomatoes do not scorch before they release liquid.
3
Simmer until soft
- Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover partially and cook 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes and pressing on the tomatoes with a spoon, until the skins curl away and the celery is completely tender.
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Ready when: Tomato skins are peeling off, and a celery slice crushes easily against the pot side.
Tip: Avoid a hard boil, which dulls the fresh flavor and can make the juice taste cooked and flat.
4
Cool slightly
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, so it is hot but not scalding.
- This makes blending safer.
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Ready when: Steam has settled and the pot is no longer bubbling.
5
Blend in batches
- Ladle the mixture into the blender, filling no more than half full.
- Remove the center cap from the lid and cover the opening with a folded towel.
- Blend on low, then high, for 1 minute until completely smooth.
- Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Or use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
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Ready when: No visible chunks of skin or celery remain; the puree is uniformly orange-red and frothy.
Tip: Never seal the lid on hot liquid; steam pressure can force the lid off and cause burns.
6
Strain the juice
- Set the sieve over the large bowl.
- Pour in the puree in 2 or 3 additions, pressing and stirring with a spatula to push the liquid through.
- Discard the dry seeds and skins left in the sieve (about 1 cup).
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Ready when: What remains in the sieve is dry, pulpy and no longer drips.
Tip: For thicker, more rustic juice use a medium-mesh sieve; for silky juice, strain twice.
7
Season the juice
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste, then add salt, a pinch at a time, until the tomato flavor tastes bright.
- If the juice tastes sharp, stir in the sugar.
- Add black pepper if you like.
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Ready when: Juice tastes balanced: sweet, tangy and lightly salty.
Tip: Season while the juice is warm but re-taste after chilling, since cold dulls salt and sweetness.
8
Chill thoroughly
- Pour the juice into the jar or pitcher.
- Let it cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours until very cold.
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Ready when: Juice is cold throughout (below 40°F / 4°C).
Tip: Natural separation is normal; shake or stir well before every serving.

Good to know

Tips

Roma or plum tomatoes give thicker, meatier juice; mix with a few beefsteak tomatoes for sweetness and extra liquid.
For a spicy Bloody Mary-style mix, stir in horseradish, hot sauce and Worcestershire after chilling.
Don't discard the strained pulp right away: it can be stirred into pasta sauce or soup.
Always taste after chilling and adjust the salt and lemon; cold temperatures mute seasoning.

Make ahead

"The juice can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Stir or shake before serving, and re-season if needed."

Storage & reheating

"Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to 4 days; stir before serving as it separates. Freeze in airtight containers, leaving 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace, for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Serve cold, or warm gently in a saucepan over low heat as a soup base. This juice is not shelf-stable, so do not store at room temperature for more than 2 hours."

Substitutions

ripe tomatoes → Two 28-ounce (794 g) cans whole peeled tomatoes with juices. Use when fresh tomatoes are out of season; reduce the added salt to ½ teaspoon and taste before adding more.
fresh lemon juice → Fresh lime juice. Gives a slightly sharper, more citrusy flavor; use the same amount.
yellow onion → 1 small shallot. Gives a milder, slightly sweeter flavor.
celery stalks → ½ teaspoon celery seed. Use if you have no fresh celery; the flavor is more concentrated, so add it sparingly.