My friend is looking for a recipe for V-8 juice. She tried doing it on her own but it doesn't taste right. Does anyone have one? thanks!!!!

-- Pat (pmikul@pcpros.net), September 12, 2000

Answers

I made my own V8 but it isn't very much like the stuff in the store (it's better and more healthy). I just used my steamer/juicer and extracted the juice from a lot of veggies - tomatoes, onion, carrots, celery, peppers etc (whatever I had) and canned it with a little salt. If you read the ingredients on the V8 can it is mostly tomatoes and lettuce, which doesn't amount to much. I think they add sugar too. Mine separates so you have to shake it up. I use it mostly in soups and stews, and sometimes my husband will drink it. Mary

-- Mary Fraley (kmfraley@orwell.net), September 12, 2000.

The difference may be in not including enough salt to get a similar taste. I don't have a V8 label handy, but do for one of the store brands of vegetable juice. An eight-ounce serving contains 650mg of salt, or 27% of the recommended daily amount. I believe V8 also includes citric acid.

I believe the basic V8 process is to create a very thick tomato paste. Then other vegetables, such as carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress and spinich are pulverized, the juice squeezed out and then the juice is dehydrated to a powder. When the tomato paste is being reconstituted flavors and citric acid are included also. An eight-ounce serving does contain 6g of sugar, but I don't know if it is from sugars in the vegetables, such as beets.

A typical breakfast for me is two large glasses of vegetable juice to which hot sauce has been added. However, I need to plan where I am going to be in about an hour as it has a very laxative effect on me.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), September 12, 2000.

== I made my own V8 but it isn't very much like the stuff in the store ==

Heehee! Probably 'cause yours has more veggies than salt!!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), September 13, 2000.

Tomato Juice Cocktail: 12 large, ripe tomatoes...4 med. carrots...2 lg peppers...4 celery stalks....2 onions...1 garlic cloves...1/4c. lemon juice...2T. honey or to taste...1T. salt...1/2t. black pepper...2 bay leaves...2 sprigs fresh basid or dill or thyme...Prepare and juice the veggies, or chop everything and simmer over low heat 45 to 50 min. stir occasionally til veggies are soft. Pick out herbs, strain. More garlic and some hot pepper is nice.

Heat juice to a boil...pour into hot jars...1/2in headspace...process 30 min at 10# pressure. Can be frozen

Mixed Veggie juice: 18 lg, tomatoes...6 med cucumbers...3med peppers...6 celery stalks...6 med summer squash...6 med carrots...3lg. onion...3c. cabbage...1 garlic clove...3c. water...1/3c lemon juice...1T. honey... 1T. salt...1/2t. black peppper...2 bay leaves crumbled... 2 springs parsley or watercress...2 sprig thyme or basil..I like more garlic and some hot peppers. Prepare veggies and process same as above except pints 55 mint and at. 1 hour and 25 min. You don't absolutely have to have everything.

If you don't like either of these, you can you them for guidlines. Enjoy!

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), September 13, 2000.