Type and composition
Tomato juice, like any other, can be made from both fresh vegetables and concentrates. The date of manufacture will help to determine what kind of raw materials the manufacturer used. For example, there are no fresh tomatoes in winter or spring, so no matter what the manufacturer writes, there can be no directly squeezed juice at this time. But summer and autumn juices may well be made from fresh tomatoes.
Most often, reconstituted juices are sold in stores. The composition of such a drink is mashed potatoes or tomato paste, water and table salt. Buy juice based on puree, not paste – it undergoes deeper technological processing, as a result of which there are practically no nutrients left in it.
Some manufacturers, by the way, fill this gap – they add vitamin C to tomato juice, which is designated on the pack as “”.
If there is an inscription “” on the label – do not be alarmed. Homogenization is a process of repeated grinding of a product, creating a homogeneous consistency. Thanks to this, the juice does not stratify.
Appearance and calorie content
Качественный tomato juice should have a natural dark red color, thick and uniform. Too liquid juice may indicate that the manufacturer has saved on raw materials and added too much water. Of course, such a drink will not bring harm, but you will not get the desired taste either.
Do you see maroon juice in front of you? Most likely, the drink was overheated, breaking the sterilization regime. Such tomato juice will not please you either with vitamins or taste.
It should be said that tomato juice is the lowest in calories. There are only 100 kcal in 20 grams of this juice. For comparison, in 100 grams of grape juice – 65 kcal.
Packaging and shelf life
Cardboard packaging protects the product from exposure to sunlight, and therefore contributes to better preservation of vitamins. Well, in glass packaging you can always see the color of the product and evaluate its consistency. The shelf life of tomato juice is from 6 months to 3 years. Better to purchase a product that is no more than 6 months old. The fact is that over time, the vitamins in the juice are gradually destroyed, and by the end of the shelf life, there are negligible nutrients in the product.
Quality checking
Of course the quality tomato juice It is difficult to check in a store, but at home you can do it easily. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to a glass of water, and then mix the resulting solution with the same amount of juice. If the color of the drink has not changed, be careful – there are artificial colors in the juice.
You can also check the juice for artificial flavors. Most are oil-based and can be detected by touch. You need to rub a drop of juice between your fingers. If the feeling of fat remains, then a synthetic flavor has been added to the juice.