How to Create Delicious Tomato Juice Recipes
Most people who are looking to begin juicing or are already experienced juicers and who enjoy tomato juice recipes are probably familiar with the V8 brand of canned vegetable juices. The promise of getting a whole serving of various vegetables in a single small can of juice is understandably appealing.
However, what many people fail to realize is that V8 is a highly processed commercial beverage with ingredients that are not the freshest, plus is made with water that is sourced from wells in industrial areas or tap water. While it is certainly preferable to drink V8 over sugary sodas or commercial fruit drinks, juicing your own "V8" tomato-based juices is a much healthier option, and will only take a matter of minutes.
First, let's discuss some options for sourcing and preparing your produce so that you can ensure you'll be creating the most nutritious and tasty tomato juice recipes. If you have your own garden or access to a garden with tomatoes, that will be the freshest source of tomatoes available to you. Since most people do not, however, the next best option is to purchase some organic, vine-ripened tomatoes from your local farmer's market or through a CSA program if you belong to one. If it turns out you need to make a trip to the grocery store, make sure to purchase organic or vine-ripened tomatoes if possible, and buy tomatoes grown locally if they are available. Local tomatoes will be fresher and will taste better in your recipes.
If you are unable to get access to organic tomatoes, be sure to have a vegetable wash on hand to rub off the pesticides in water prior to juicing. Additionally, all vegetables, whether conventionally grown or organic, should be washed well under water before being placed in the juicer.
So, now that you have your tomatoes ready to go, here are some great tomato juice recipes to get you started.
First, a simple, yet flavorful recipe that is one of my personal favorites:
3 cups tomatoes
1 celery stalk
1 cucumber
½ teaspoon sea salt
cayenne pepper (to taste)
A red bell pepper, ¼ of an onion, and even some oregano or basil can be added to this recipe if desired for a more complex taste.
For those of you who like their tomato juice with a little more of a kick, try out this spicy tomato juice recipe:
3 cups tomatoes
1 stalk celery
1/2 red bell pepper
1 apple
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of ground black pepper
3 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
Last but not least, if you are interested in recreating the taste of V8 (but in a much healthier, even tastier way!), you would combine tomatoes with lettuce, celery, beets, carrots, spinach, watercress, and parsley. Of course, you can add another veggies and herbs to create different tastes if you so desire. I've found that the recipe below is a good alternative spin on V8 – not only does it taste wonderfully complex, but actually contains ten different vegetables and, what's more, they'll be fresh!
3 cups tomatoes
3 stalks celery
6 medium carrots
1 small beet
1 bunch spinach (or 1 bag baby spinach)
1/4 head cabbage
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1/4 onion
1/2 clove garlic, or to taste
1 – 3 kale leaves
chili pepper (to taste)
Tomato juice recipes are not only easy to make with a juicer in the comfort of your own home, but more healthy and tasty than commercial juices, too. Not only are you getting the nutritional benefits of all the fresh veggies that are included in these juice recipes, but also the unique nutritional benefits of the tomato itself. Research has uncovered an important antioxidant in tomatoes known as lycopene that has a variety of cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects. Another substance in tomatoes known as P3 may help combat diabetes and has been shown to inhibit blood clot formation, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Hopefully, trying the above recipes will inspire you to create your own tomato-based recipes for juicing. There is such a wide variety of vegetables that can be effectively paired with tomatoes that the possibilities for great-tasting, nutrition-packed recipes are truly limitless.
However, what many people fail to realize is that V8 is a highly processed commercial beverage with ingredients that are not the freshest, plus is made with water that is sourced from wells in industrial areas or tap water. While it is certainly preferable to drink V8 over sugary sodas or commercial fruit drinks, juicing your own "V8" tomato-based juices is a much healthier option, and will only take a matter of minutes.
First, let's discuss some options for sourcing and preparing your produce so that you can ensure you'll be creating the most nutritious and tasty tomato juice recipes. If you have your own garden or access to a garden with tomatoes, that will be the freshest source of tomatoes available to you. Since most people do not, however, the next best option is to purchase some organic, vine-ripened tomatoes from your local farmer's market or through a CSA program if you belong to one. If it turns out you need to make a trip to the grocery store, make sure to purchase organic or vine-ripened tomatoes if possible, and buy tomatoes grown locally if they are available. Local tomatoes will be fresher and will taste better in your recipes.
If you are unable to get access to organic tomatoes, be sure to have a vegetable wash on hand to rub off the pesticides in water prior to juicing. Additionally, all vegetables, whether conventionally grown or organic, should be washed well under water before being placed in the juicer.
So, now that you have your tomatoes ready to go, here are some great tomato juice recipes to get you started.
First, a simple, yet flavorful recipe that is one of my personal favorites:
3 cups tomatoes
1 celery stalk
1 cucumber
½ teaspoon sea salt
cayenne pepper (to taste)
A red bell pepper, ¼ of an onion, and even some oregano or basil can be added to this recipe if desired for a more complex taste.
For those of you who like their tomato juice with a little more of a kick, try out this spicy tomato juice recipe:
3 cups tomatoes
1 stalk celery
1/2 red bell pepper
1 apple
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
a pinch of ground black pepper
3 drops Tabasco sauce (optional)
Last but not least, if you are interested in recreating the taste of V8 (but in a much healthier, even tastier way!), you would combine tomatoes with lettuce, celery, beets, carrots, spinach, watercress, and parsley. Of course, you can add another veggies and herbs to create different tastes if you so desire. I've found that the recipe below is a good alternative spin on V8 – not only does it taste wonderfully complex, but actually contains ten different vegetables and, what's more, they'll be fresh!
3 cups tomatoes
3 stalks celery
6 medium carrots
1 small beet
1 bunch spinach (or 1 bag baby spinach)
1/4 head cabbage
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 stalks celery
1/4 onion
1/2 clove garlic, or to taste
1 – 3 kale leaves
chili pepper (to taste)
Tomato juice recipes are not only easy to make with a juicer in the comfort of your own home, but more healthy and tasty than commercial juices, too. Not only are you getting the nutritional benefits of all the fresh veggies that are included in these juice recipes, but also the unique nutritional benefits of the tomato itself. Research has uncovered an important antioxidant in tomatoes known as lycopene that has a variety of cardio-protective and anti-cancer effects. Another substance in tomatoes known as P3 may help combat diabetes and has been shown to inhibit blood clot formation, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
Hopefully, trying the above recipes will inspire you to create your own tomato-based recipes for juicing. There is such a wide variety of vegetables that can be effectively paired with tomatoes that the possibilities for great-tasting, nutrition-packed recipes are truly limitless.
