The June 2019 Food Science & Nutrition Journal reports that one cup of unsalted tomato juice per day lowers blood pressure and bad LDL cholesterol in 481 adults with cardiovascular disease. Finding a no salt tomato juice is impossible in Canada so here’s a simple recipe so you can make it at home.
Some tomatoes are sweeter than others, depending on their ripeness and the variety of tomato. Use the ripest tomatoes you can. Select ripe, firm and fresh tomatoes for your juice. You can mix any variety for juice—another benefit to making your own.
Roma tomatoes will give you a thicker juice, while varieties like big boy, celebrity and early girl will have more juice. Celery has a natural salty taste without the added sodium. For those who like it spicy, you can add a couple of drops of hot sauce for spice after cooking.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. very ripe garden tomatoes, cored, roughly chopped
- 1 1/4 cups organic celery with leaves, chopped
- 1/3 cup onion, chopped (optional)
- Pinch of black pepper
Directions
- Wash and clean your tomatoes, be sure to remove any bad spots and discard any tomatoes that are overly ripe or show signs of decay or rot.
- Dice up tomatoes into smaller 1/2″ to 3/4″ chunks—enough to fill a large stock pot.
- Put all ingredients into a large non-reactive pot (use stainless steel, not aluminum). If you are low in iron, put the ingredients in a cast iron pot. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until mixture is completely soupy, about 25 minutes.
- Force mixture through a sieve, chinois or food mill. Cool completely.
- Store covered and chilled. Will last for about 1 week in the refrigerator.