Tomatoes are one of the most popular vegetables eaten in America.
This versatile food can be found in sauces, pastes and soups.
However not all tomatoes are created equal and certain varieties are better for specific uses.
Paste and sauce tomatoes frequently have few seeds and a meaty interior.
Soup tomatoes have few seeds, but more liquid.
Tomatoes that work well for juicing are often large with few seeds and lots of liquid.
Growing tomatoes to be used in juice can allow cooks to create their own special recipes.
Red Juicing Tomatoes Brandywine is an excellent tomato for making juice.
This large beefsteak variety produces tomatoes up to 2 pounds.
It has an intense flavor that blends well with spices that may be added to a juice recipe.
Brandywine is a vine tomato that produces tomatoes approximately 90 days from planting.
This plant will need to be started indoors in areas with a short growing season.
Seeds germinate in 7 to 14 days and should be planted 24 inches apart when placed outside.
Stake the plant or provide some vertical support for the vine to grow.
This variety is sensitive to freezing temperatures so wait until the ground is warm before transplanting seedlings.
Other similar beefsteak varieties include Crnkovic Yugoslavian and Czechs Bush.
Not all tomatoes that make excellent juice are red.
Yellow Juicing Tomatoes The Golden Sunray is an excellent juicing tomato that ripens to a beautiful golden-yellow color.
This plant will produce tomatoes 75 to 90 days after planting.
Plant these seeds indoors approximately 6 weeks before the ground is expected to be warm.
Transplant the seedlings so they are 24 inches apart in the garden.
These are also vine tomatoes and will need a structure for the vines to climb.
As with the Brandywine these prefer full sun.
The fruits have a full flavor.
Other similar yellow tomatoes that can be used for making flavorful juice include the Gold Medal, Nebraska Wedding and Dr.
Wyches Yellow.
These large producers have meaty interiors with few seeds, making juicing easier.
Juice Recipe Making tomato juice is actually quite simple with the correct tools.
Some cooks prefer to remove the skins before making the juice while others simply strain out the unwanted parts of the tomato after it has been cooked.
The following recipe can be modified by adding onions, celery or Tabasco sauce as desired.
3 pounds tomatoes Salt Sugar Remove the stems and cores of the tomatoes and cut the tomatoes into pieces.
Place these pieces inside the blender and puree.
Pour the mixture through a sieve slowly to remove the seeds and skin.
Stir in the salt and sugar to taste and drink.
This fresh juice will keep refrigerated for about 1 week.
It can also be frozen and thawed for a taste of summer during the long cold winter months.
Growing heirloom tomatoes for specific purposes such as juice, paste, sauce or soup allows more control over the flavor.
Many cooks and gardeners discover a new favorite by growing something a little out of the ordinary.