By Heather Sperling

Tomato water is the unadulterated flavor of summer’s most versatile fruit, transformed. It’s the strained, pale yellow juice of pureed ripe tomatoes, that needs only to be seasoned with a bit of salt before becoming a refreshing, intensely flavored base for summer cocktails and soups.
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To reserve the tomato water, puree ripe tomatoes and place the mixture in triple-ply cheesecloth. Hang the bundle or let rest in a chinois, with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Leave the puree to drain at room temperature overnight; the next morning, the captured liquid will be deeply flavored and aromatic.

Chef Ken Oringer of Clio in Boston features tomato water in a twist on the classic dirty martini: a tangy, refreshing Tomato Water Martini, garnished with pickled tomatoes, caper berries and a tomato popsicle. Chef Juan Pablo Felipe of Madrid’s El Chaflan uses tomato water to create a refined gazpacho, with traditional flavors and garnishes, but a smooth, semi-solid texture.

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