Tomato juice

Tomato juice

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy	73 kJ (17 kcal)
Carbohydrates	3.53 g
Sugars	2.58 g
Dietary fiber	0.4 g
Fat	0.29 g
Protein	0.86 g
Vitamins and minerals Vitamins Quantity %DV^† Vitamin C 78% 70.1 mg
Other constituents	Quantity
Water	94.24 g
^†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[1] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[2]

Tomato juice in a glass, decorated with tomato slice and sprig

Tomato juice is a juice made from tomatoes, usually used as a beverage, either plain or in cocktails such as a Bloody Mary, a Caesar, or Michelada.

History

Tomato juice was first served as a beverage in 1917 by Louis Perrin at the French Lick Springs Hotel in southern Indiana, when he ran out of orange juice and needed a quick substitute. His combination of squeezed tomatoes, sugar and his special sauce became an instant success as Chicago businessmen spread the word about the tomato juice cocktail.^[3][4]

Production

Many commercial manufacturers of tomato juice also add salt. Other ingredients are also often added, such as onion powder, garlic powder, and other spices. In the United States, mass-produced tomato juice began to be marketed in the mid 1920s, and became a popular breakfast drink a few years thereafter.^[5]

In the United States, most tomato juice is made from tomato paste,^[6] but pressing is allowed as well. The tomatoes are required to be ripe (using a color standard on the finished product), mostly blemish-free, and mostly deseeded. The total solid content is more than 5.0%, with no added water allowed. Additional salt and organic acidulants, but not sweeteners, are allowed.^[7]

In Canada, tomato juice is unconcentrated and pasteurized. The other requirements are largely similar, except that additives allowed are a sweetening agent, citric acid and salt. Reconstituted juices in general are required to be labelled clearly.^[8]

Uses

Tomato juice with other ingredients found in Bloody Mary mix

In Canada and Mexico, tomato juice is commonly mixed with beer; the concoction is known in Canada as Calgary Red-Eye, and in Mexico as Cerveza preparada. Tomato juice is the base for the cocktails Bloody Mary and Bloody Caesar, and the cocktail mixer Clamato. In the UK, tomato juice is commonly combined with Worcestershire sauce. In Germany, tomato juice is a base ingredient in the Mexikaner mixed shot.

Chilled tomato juice was formerly popular as an appetizer at restaurants in the United States.^[9]

Tomato juice is frequently used as a packing liquid for canned tomatoes, though it is sometimes replaced by tomato purée for international commerce due to tariff issues on vegetables vs. sauces. According to Cook's Illustrated magazine, tomatoes packed in juice as opposed to purée tend to win taste tests, being perceived as fresher tasting.^[10]

Tomato juice is used in the preparation of tomato juice agar, used to culture various species of Lactobacillus.

Tomato juice is a popular drink among airplane passengers. A small study by Yan and Dando hints that this is due to an increased perception of umami flavor while in the loud and pressurized environment of the cabin.^[11] An alternative explanation is that it has become tradition similar to eating popcorn at the cinema.

See also

• Juicing
• List of juices
• V8

References

1. United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
2. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp. 120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
3. Anne Hattes. "Tomato Juice". Relish, August 2009.
4. "History". French Lick Springs Hotel. Archived from the original on May 22, 2016. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
5. Kathleen Morgan Drowne; Patrick Huber (2004). Nineteen Twenties. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 122. ISBN 9780313320132. Retrieved November 7, 2020.
6. "Heinz deal to save hundreds of jobs at Leamington plant". CBC News. February 26, 2004. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
7. "Federal Register :: 21 CFR § 156.145". Retrieved September 17, 2022.
8. Branch, Legislative Services. "Consolidated federal laws of Canada, Food and Drug Regulations C.R.C., c. 870 B.01.006.1(c); B.11.007". laws.justice.gc.ca. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
9. "Taste of the '60s: The Way Things Were". Washingtonian. November 2013. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
10. "Crushed Tomatoes". Cook's Illustrated. May 2007. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
11. Yan, Kimberly S.; Dando, Robin (March 16, 2015). "A Crossmodal Role for Audition in Taste Perception" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 41 (3): 590–596. doi:10.1037/xhp0000044. PMID 25775175. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2019.