Canned V8~Tomato Juice

Yes folks! 

I'm STILL harvesting tomatoes...

They just keep comin' and comin'...

"the pot that won't run dry..."

I keep waiting for my husband to pull my plants, 

but until that happens I hate to see them go to waste, 

so I keep coming up with things to do with them :)  

Hopefully they'll be out soon, 

as I'm starting to run low on IDEAS!

Now How is This for BEAUTIFUL:

 V-8 tomato juice 

 I just LOVE it's RICH DEEP RED color!

You know what makes it that color?

.BEETS.

NOW, now--DON'T get turned off quite yet!

I. Don't. Like. Beets. Either.

-For Real-

But you can NOT taste them, it just really 

adds a beautiful color to the finished product!

Plus I'm sure some added 

vitamins & minerals-whatever beets provide!

So, just give it a chance :)

Alrighty: now for the recipe...

V-8/ TOMATO JUICE

You will need:

-1/2 bushel of tomatoes, washed & halved or quartered (or 26#, or 2 gallons already juiced tomatoes)

-1 bunch celery, cut into chunks

-1 bunch carrots, ends removed, and chunked

-leftover veggies from your garden, or go buy some if you want.

(I used:)

-4-5 peppers (all colors), seeded and chunked

-several onions, in large chunks

-several garlic cloves, minced

-handful of beets, peeled and chunked

Now this is what you do:

Throw all the veggies (except the beets) into a big pot.  

Add some water to help get the steaming going.  

You want the veggies to cook down to pretty mushy.  

Place a lid on the pot.

Aren't those vibrant colors just screaming: 

HEALTHY, HEALTHY, HEALTHY!? 

Place the beets into a separate pot along with a little water, and cook them until pretty tender. 

--watch so the water doesn't all boil out and it starts to burn on, 

not speakin' from experience or anything :) --

In another pot, cook the tomatoes down. 

(leave the skins on)  

Add a little water if you need to.

Then run them through the squeezo, saving the juice!

Now once the beets are all done cooking, 

add them-juice and all, to the blender & puree.

Do the same with the other veggies.

Then mix the two purees together.

Isn't that soooo pretty?

Once the tomato juice is ready.  

Place all ingredients into one big bowl & stir it up good.

Now all you have left to do is hot water bath them.  

Pints & quarts both take 35 minutes.

Mine made 6 quarts & 19 pints w/ a tad left over.

Uses:  in any recipe that calls for tomato juice or V-8 juice, such as chili, casseroles, stews, soups, 

meats in the crock pot...

You can also drink it like V-8 juice if you are that type of person.  I don't particularly enjoy that sort of a thing myself.  But I know lots of people do! 

~HAPPY COOKING & DRINKING~

Rhonda

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Linking this recipe up with the following Linky Parties:  Creations by Kara,"Showcase Your Talent", on Whats cooking, Love?, Dessert Now, Dinner Later!