Tomatoes And Stone Fruits Are A Match Made In Bloody Mary Heaven
A time-tested beloved brunch beverage, the origins of the Bloody Mary are still a hot — and spicy — topic of debate. At its core, the combination of tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix with a shot of vodka is a solid drink of choice for anyone looking to incorporate a little nutritional value into their cocktail consumption. Contrary to common presumption, tomatoes are, in fact, a fruit albeit thought of as a vegetable by nutritionists. Though this may seem confusing, it opens up the many possibilities to mix up tomatoes alongside a bevy of fruits to concoct the best bespoke Bloody Mary your taste buds have ever encountered. Take your Bloody Mary to the next level by introducing stone fruit into the equation and you'll immediately notice the delicious difference.
Stone fruits and tomatoes go together in a most complementary fashion, given the similarities between the tastes and textures of each. While tomatoes tend to lean towards the savory side of the spectrum, knowing about all the different types of tomatoes will point you towards the best selections suitable to mix with stone fruits for an ideal Bloody Mary. For example, heirloom tomatoes tend to have a sweeter taste and pair well with peaches to make a great Bloody Mary base. Adding stone fruits to your Bloody Mary achieves an optimal balance between several of the basic tastes – sweet, salty, and umami in particular.
The best tomato and stone fruit combos
You might be surprised to find out just what fruits are classified as stone fruits. Of course, the obvious peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums spring to mind, all of which would make an excellent accompaniment to any Bloody Mary. Getting a little more experimental, cherries, mangoes, blackberries, raspberries, and olives are also considered stone fruits. Given this knowledge, there is a seemingly limitless number of ways to introduce stone fruits into your tomato juice mix for the ultimate Bloody Mary.
Many aficionados will insist that using fresh juice over a mixer is the ideal way to go for a traditional tried and true Bloody Mary. Making your own fresh juice allows you to tweak the flavors to suit your liking and infuse the sweetness of stone fruits to achieve a greater complexity to your overall beverage. Basic stone fruits such as peaches and apricots can be blended with your favorite tomatoes into a juice to vary the sweeter notes of your drink. Using cherries, raspberries, or blackberries will also deepen the redness of your Bloody Mary to a richer color. Olives are an obvious choice for a "dirty" twist on a classic Bloody Mary and mangoes provide an extra hint of acidity and tropical tastes. Remember to drink responsibly and enjoy experimenting with stone fruit and tomatoes as part of your Bloody Mary adventures.