Drinks
Drinks
Tomatoes make more than sauces and salads — they make drinks too: homemade juice, chilled gazpacho you can sip from a glass, and simple combinations of tomato juice with vegetables and spices. All the recipes in this section are non-alcoholic.
Homemade tomato juice is nothing like the shop-bought kind: it's thicker, brighter and a little different every time — just like the tomatoes themselves.
How this section works: we include non-alcoholic tomato-based drinks that can be made at home; alcoholic cocktails with tomato juice exist, but we don't give recipes for them.
Homemade tomato juice
Juice from ripe tomatoes without a juicer — just a saucepan and a sieve.
Ingredients
- Ripe tomatoes1.5 kg
- Salt½ tsp, to taste
- Sugara pinch, optional
- Ground black pepperto taste
Method
Cut the tomatoes
Remove the stems and cut the tomatoes into large chunks.
Heat
Put the tomatoes in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring, until they release their juice and soften.
Sieve
Push the hot mixture through a sieve or pass it through a food mill to separate the skins and seeds.
Season
Return the juice to the pan, bring to the boil and add salt and, if needed, a pinch of sugar.
Chill
Let the juice cool, pour it into a clean bottle and refrigerate within 2 hours of making it. Drink within a few days.
Tip: For long-term storage, juice should only be canned using a tested recipe with added acid and a processing time — see the techniques section.
Gazpacho as a chilled soup to drink
A cold soup of raw vegetables that can be served in glasses on hot days.
Ingredients
- Ripe tomatoes1 kg
- Cucumber1 medium
- Red bell pepper1
- Red onion½ small onion
- Garlic1 clove
- Olive oil4 tbsp
- Wine vinegar1–2 tbsp
- Cold water100–150 ml, depending on thickness
- Salt and black pepperto taste
Method
Prepare the vegetables
Peel the tomatoes by blanching, or leave the skins on if you will be straining. Peel the cucumber and deseed the pepper. Roughly chop everything.
Blend
Put the vegetables and garlic in a blender and blend until smooth.
Season
With the blender running, pour in the oil and vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Thin with water to the consistency you like.
Strain
To serve as a drink, strain the gazpacho through a sieve — it will become silky smooth.
Chill
Refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 2 hours. Before serving, taste and adjust with salt and vinegar.
Tip: Don't add ice to the jug: it will dilute the flavour. Chill the glasses in advance instead.
Non-alcoholic ideas with tomato juice
- Tomato juice with a few drops of lemon juice and some ground black pepper.
- A mix of tomato and cucumber juice with fresh herbs — dill or coriander.
- Tomato juice with grated celery or a celery stick for stirring.
- A spicy version with a pinch of smoked paprika and a drop of hot sauce.
- Chilled tomato juice with basil muddled in the glass with a spoonful of water.
Related sections
- Recipes
Four home recipes: pasta with fresh tomato sauce, a salad, a puréed soup and bruschetta.
- Seasonal ideas
What to cook with tomatoes in summer, at the end of the season, in autumn, winter and spring.
- Cooking techniques
Blanching, roasting, oven-drying, sauce, homemade tomato paste, freezing and safe home canning.
- Cooking questions
Answers to common questions about choosing, storing, cooking and preserving tomatoes.
Sources
- USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
- National Center for Home Food Preservation (USDA)
Times and temperatures in these recipes are a guide: a lot depends on your hob, oven, pans and the tomatoes themselves. For home preserving, use tested recipes that give processing times.