Anybody Make Vegetable Cocktail Blend?

[bluelacedredhead]

And if so, would you, could you, share your recipe, Pleeeeez

[bunkie]

once again, catching up...hope it's not too late! this is the first time i ever canned tom juice. got this from idig...it's really good!

V-4 TOMATO JUICE COCKTAIL

18 lbs. ripe tomatoes (7 qts. juice)
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped carrots
1/2 c. sugar
4 tbsp. picking salt
1 tbsp. celery seeds

Skin tomatoes. Cut tomatoes into kettle. As it boils, add other vegetables, salt, sugar and spices. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Put through sieve or food mill. Return juice to pot and boil. Pour into 7 hot quart jars. Process pressure cooker 5 minutes at 5 lbs. or boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

[bluelacedredhead]

Bunkie, I made this one and one I got from a homesteading cookbook up here. Both are good, but the V4 you posted was spicier and quickly became our fave!! Thanks for posting it.

[paintmansrisk]

Excellent recipe. Considering I was not much for drinking veggie juice before I am having to pace myself so the jars Blue made up will last the winter.

[bunkie]

glad you all liked it! i always mess around with the recipes. this one i used no sugar, and added some balsamic vinegar (acid).

i know what you mean by paintman by 'pacing yourself'! hubby does the same while i'm there planning out how many jars for each week we can use so they last till summer! )

[grunt]

Take Bunkie's recipe,multiply by a bunch make sure there are some black tomatoes, and something like Dubrava's to add a bit of salt flavour, and forget the sugar and salt. Perhaps add a hot pepper or two (to taste) and make a couple of hundred quarts. If you have enough made to have something left over for the first half of gardening season, it's unbeatable when you take a break on a hot afternoon.
Val (Grungy) cans up 350 to 400 quarts every year (mostly just straight tomato juice), and there are never any leftovers.

Cheers
Dan

[canadamike]

WOW Grunt, 350 to 400 quarts of juice? You are my canning hero, Me, after a couple of hundred quarts of everything, I have a wife who wants to kill me...LOL...I get this ''CANNING AGAIN? YOU BETTER CLEAN THE KITCHEN'' KIND OF SPEACH.

I even bought a propane burner to do it in the garage. The bright side is that when I cook my tomato sauce or my pizza suce or salsa, the burner being outside the garage of course, it smells cooking everywhere on the street all the kids on the block end up here, helping me taste test the stuff and all...

I have a wife at home who ends up being pissed by it while all the neighbours wives bitch their husbands about how lucky mine his to be married to a cook....LOL!!!

I guess it is always greener on the other side...

My recipe is very similar, but I always add some carrots ( only a few, otherwise the taste takes over ) and beet greens , and a couple of peppers and some fresh basil and parsley and chervil if I have some. I do not bother peeling the tomatoes since I have a strainer.

I used to strain them fresh, before cooking them, but the taste is better if it is done after they are cooked, it is also thicker. I guess there is some pectine glued to the skin that dissolves in the cooking...

Keep it up

Michel

[bunkie]

i'm with you grunt on the exchanges for sugar and salt.

canadamike, with your canning descrption, i can smell your sauces from here!!! yumo! )

i'm thinking this stuff would also make a really nice base for a Tomato soup!

[bluelacedredhead]

Bunkie, I have a Grandmotherly tomato soup recipe around here somewhere if you'd like if you'd like it? Except this particular grandma liked her stuff with some spice!

[howdy]

Blue, Just bought a juicer and we're still learning, will respond with any new results. (gwad I hate celery juice)

[bunkie]

yes blue...new recipes are always welcome here!

howdy, that's why we mix it with other veggies and spices! ;D

[bluelacedredhead]

Okay, I've forgotten about posting this long enough.

Tomato Soup

1 peck tomatoes (12-1/2 lbs)
6 onions
1 bunch parsley
1 head celery with leaves
2 bay leaves
8 whole cloves

combine in a large stainless or enamel kettle, boil for about two hours, stirring often and taking care not to scorch the bottom of the pot.
Strain through a tomato cone or a food mill, Reserving Liquid!! Give the tomato/veggie pulp to the chickens or the compost heap and Pour the liquid back into the large preserving kettle.

Meanwhile, sift the following dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Then Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup pickling salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (powdered)
3/4 cup flour

1/4 lb unsalted butter (no substitute)

Pour on about a cup or so of the reserved liquid, until the flour & butter mixture is fluid. Then gradually add to the liquid in the preserving kettle and boil gently, stirring often, until thick and smooth.

Pour boiling hot into hot sterilized jars and process 20 minutes in a hot water bath for pint jars; 40 minutes for quarts.

Serving suggestion: Heat thoroughly, then add a half jar of milk (optional) and stir continuously to prevent curdling. Once it is smooth, you may add cooked macaroni or other pasta. Serve with crackers if desired.

[grungy]

Does anyone know where I can get some clam juice powder- could use it next summer for clamato juice.
Cheers,
Val/grungy

[Jim]

they sell clam juice in the store..never seen it powdered.

[bunkie]

i see the Tomato Soup recipe's up!!! thanks blue! gonna try it real soon...specially since it snowed again last night...arghhh...

never heard of 'powdered' clam juice?!