Tomato water is a wonderful flavoring liquid to have in the kitchen. I used to make it all the time when I worked in professional kitchens, especially at the end of summer when tomatoes got ripe faster than we could eat them. Use it to dress salads, to drizzle over a toasted baguette or pasta, or toss into a room-temperature grain or bean salad. It is also wonderful in this tomato bread salad. So today I’m going to share my recipe for how to make tomato water, it sounds strange but it really is sublime and you can freeze it to have on hand when the cold days make you miss the taste of summer.
How to Make Tomato Water:
This recipe will yield one cup, but I encourage you to scale it up if you have a lot of tomatoes to use. You can ask your farmers market for “seconds” which are tomatoes that have bruising and blemishes and get a bulk discount sometimes as well.
Give it a try! And let me know what you think.
“How to Make Tomato Water”
Ingredients
- 2 large very ripe tomatoes
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Cut the large tomatoes into quarters and add to a blender along with the onion, garlic, basil, cilantro, parsley, vinegar, and salt. Puree the mixture for several minutes until it reaches the consistency of a smoothie.
- Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and line it with a piece of cheesecloth. Sieve the mixture through the strainer, using a spatula to press it until all of the liquid is extracted.
- Pour the tomato water into a mason jar or freezer-safe container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days—shake before using—or freeze for up to 3 months.