To make a fresh drink or recipe substitution tomato sauce can be quickly converted into juice. Stewed and peeled tomatoes are pureed to make tomato sauce and straining the liquid from tomato sauce then creates tomato juice. Moisture can be drained (strain) from or added to (augment) tomato sauce to change it into a pourable juice.
Strain
Line a large mesh strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth. Nest the lined strainer in a large mixing bowl, ideally one with a pour spout.
Pour the tomato sauce over the cheesecloth, in an even thickness of 1 inch or less. Press the sauce through the strainer with a spatula in a circular motion. After all the liquid has drained, collect the corners of the cheesecloth to form a pouch filled with the leftover tomato paste.
Squeeze the cheesecloth pouch over the strainer. Discard or save the paste and store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for later use. Pour the strained tomato juice into a jar or carafe, add to a recipe or serve immediately.
Augment
Add equal parts tomato sauce and purified water to a blender. If a recipe calls for a single cup of tomato juice, then add a ½ cup of tomato sauce and a ½ cup of purified water.
Blend the two ingredients together at high speed in five second pulses. Test the consistency of the mixture with a long spoon.
Puree the water and sauce until you are satisfied with the smoothness of the texture. Add the tomato juice into a recipe or pour over ice to drink.
Tip
Season the tomato juice carefully with salt, fresh herbs or hot sauce to balance the sweetness of the tomatoes.
Use pressure canners to safely seal jars of tomato juice for room temperature storage.
References
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Jeffrey Brian Airman is a writer, musician and food blogger. A 15-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Airman has used his experience to cover food, restaurants, cooking and do-it-yourself projects. Airman also studied nursing at San Diego State University.