Natural form

Fresh whole tomatoes, the raw fruit source of pressed tomato juice.

Shows the origin ingredient so readers connect juice to its fruit source and understand its savory character.

Beverages

Tomato Juice

Savory juice for Bloody Marys, micheladas, and drinking

Savory and tangy, tomato juice is the base of a Bloody Mary and michelada, and sips on its own with a pinch of salt and pepper. Keep it cold and use within a week.

Tomato juice is the strained juice of ripe tomatoes — savory, tangy, lightly sweet, and rich in umami and that unmistakable bright tomato acidity. More than a drink (and the base of the Bloody Mary), it's a genuinely useful cooking liquid: thinner than passata or sauce, it braises and poaches, forms quick soups and broths, brightens stews and rice dishes, and adds tomato body to braising liquids and marinades without the thickness of paste. Often sold seasoned with salt and a little spice, it's effectively a ready-made savory cooking base.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Refrigerate
Shelf life: 7 days

Find it in

Beverages

Types & varieties

Plain/unsalted

Neutral — cooking with full control

Seasoned

Salted and spiced — Bloody Marys, soups

From concentrate

Convenient, consistent

How to use in cooking

Use tomato juice as a thin, savory braising and cooking liquid: simmer meats or beans in it, build a quick tomato soup or gazpacho, cook Spanish-style tomato rice, or stretch a stew with tomato body and acidity. It deglazes a pan into a light sauce and adds brightness to braises and chili. Because it's already seasoned in many brands, taste before adding salt. Reduce it to concentrate the tomato flavor, or use it as-is where you want liquid and tang.

How to choose

100% tomato juice (or 'tomato juice from concentrate') is the cooking standard; check whether it's salted/seasoned and adjust. Higher-quality juices taste fresher and less tinny. For Bloody Marys and gazpacho, a well-seasoned juice is convenient; for neutral cooking, an unsalted juice gives you control.

Common uses

Braise meats or beansMake a quick tomato soup or gazpachoCook Spanish-style tomato riceStretch and brighten a stew or chiliDeglaze for a light tomato sauceBuild a Bloody Mary basePoach eggs (a thin shakshuka)