Each year around late August, market stalls and grocery stores overflow with giant tomatoes in the wake of the harvest. Juicy heirlooms lie in wait for their big moment atop a BLT or sliced into a delicious caprese. But what use do they have once they’ve passed their ripest stage? Kitchen scientists online seem to have found the perfect option. Clarified tomato water.
Tomato season 🍅🍃🍸 Tomatini with Basil and Olive Oil 1-2 Campari tomatoes (cut in quarters) ¼ oz simple syrup ½ oz white balsamic vinegar 2 oz gin Pinch of flaky sea salt Cracked black pepper 3-4 basil leaves Olive oil for top Cherry tomato, basil sprig, and black pepper for garnish Start by muddling tomatoes and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker to release all the juice from the tomatoes. Add in balsamic, ginger, salt, pepper, and basil leaves. Fill the shaker with ice and shake until cold. Double-strain into a martini glass, top with some more pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with a tomato and basil leaves. #tomato#tomatini#tomatoseason#cocktailrecipes#cocktail
Roughly chop the tomatoes, toss them with a heavy pinch of salt to draw out the moisture, and pour the mixture into a coffee filter set over a bowl. Once you’ve let the contraption sit in the fridge for a few hours, you’re left with what some people online are calling “liquid gold.” This is the perfect blank canvas to try out one of the many viral Tomatini recipes covering people’s feeds.
Who wants a toma-tini? 🍅 Tomato girl summer is here, which means it’s officially time to bring this savory little cocktail back. I first tried this recipe from my friend @evie a few summers ago, and it’s been in my rotation ever since. If you’re into a dirty martini with a fresh twist, this is definitely one to try. Ingredients (per serving): — 5 cherry tomatoes — 1 bar spoon of lemon juice — 1 bar spoon of champagne vinegar — pinch of salt — .5 oz dry vermouth — 2.5 oz gin — garnish: olive oil, black pepper, cherry tomato, fresh basil Muddle together cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and champagne vinegar until tomato juices are released. Add muddled mixture, salt, vermouth and gin into a cocktail shaker with ice — shake until cold. Double strain into a martini glass. Garnish with drops of olive oil, ground black pepper, fresh basil and a cherry tomato. Enjoy! *I doubled the ingredients in the video shown* #tomatococktail#tomatini#tomatomartini#tomato#cocktail
TikTok creator Steven (@stevenfingar) demonstrates the straightforward fix for last summer’s pulpy mess. Shaking cold, strained tomato water with London dry gin, dry vermouth, and plenty of ice creates a crystal-clear, bone-dry martini. The botanical juniper in the gin plays off the green, vegetal aromas of the tomato, while the clean strain keeps the drink freezing cold and silky on the tongue.
Instead of drowning raw shellfish in thick ketchup and horseradish, this viral recipe from Gabriel (@wildtablebc) on Instagram Reels takes the savory profile straight to the raw bar. Shaking crisp tomato water with a splash of vodka or blanco tequila and a hit of black pepper gives you a bright, high-acid pour that lifts the oyster’s natural brine right out of the shell without smothering it.
It’s actually not a tomatini 🍅 •1½ cups sun gold tomato puree blended with ½ tsp of kosher salt (from about 1lb of tomatoes) •2 oz fresh lemon juice •1 oz champagne vinegar (feel free to use your fave vinegar here! like a fruity one would be delish here too) •¾ cup guava nectar •¾ cup guava liqueur •2½ cup gin •2 oz water •1 cup whole milk (u can use non dairy if necessary; gently heat the milk to 140°F before adding the cocktail; you might need to strain more than once to get it super clear; I’d opt for full-fat coconut or soy) •garnish: frozen tomato, olive oil 1. Freeze some of your tomatoes for ice cubes later. 2. Blend and strain the tomatoes! 3. Add to a large pitcher with lemon juice, vinegar, guava juice, guava liqueur, gin, and water. Stir to combine. 4. To another pitcher, add the milk. 5. Slowly pour the cocktail mixture into the milk in circular motions. Let it sit at room temperature for an hour. 6. Strain through a funnel lined with 2 damp coffee filters into a clean container. 7. Store in the refrigerator until chilled. 8. To serve, pour about 3-4 ounces of the cocktail over a frozen tomato in a chilled glass. Garnish with some olive oil. Would also be great served over a large ice cube, too! • • • #tomato#sungold#guava#milkpunch#tomatoseason
For anyone who finds standard dirty martinis too aggressively savory, Evie (@drinksbyevie) leans into the fact that tomatoes are high-acid fruit at their core. Shaking tomato water with pink guava nectar, blanco tequila, and fresh lime juice cuts the sharp acidity with floral sweetness, finished with a salted rim to keep everything balanced.
Whether you stick to the clean gin classic or branch out into tropical fruit and raw-bar shooters, keeping a container of strained tomato water in the fridge is the smartest way to send off late-summer produce.
