Juice tomato

In the early 20th century, the owner of the French Lick Hotel in southern Indiana came up with the idea of squeezing the pulp of a tomato and using it as an ingredient. In his dish, he mixed tomato pomace, sugar and sweet sauce. The news about the unusual ingredient spread to all local bars and since then, tomato juice has become one of the components of a wide variety of cocktails. The most popular of them is “Bloody Mary”, invented by the Frenchman Ferdinand Petiot. A rich bloody layer of tomato juice gives a color zest and muffles the taste of vodka. Now, in this cocktail, bartenders prefer to use reconstituted juice, prepared by diluting tomato paste, over a natural product. He deserved this advantage, since its structure turned out to be denser, which allows you to keep an even layer.

Natural tomato juice has received a great response from the consumer. So from 1920 to 1935, the turnover of its production abroad increased by 6️⃣0️⃣ times. Anastas Mikoyan decided to launch the industrial production of a new drink on the territory of the USSR, and the first batch appeared already in 1937. The product turned out to be very simple and cheap to manufacture, it is enough to rub ripe tomatoes and collect the liquid part. The benefits for the people and the cheapness of production meant great success. However, the first tastings did not cause much resonance, as the taste of the juice was very different from the usual berry and fruit drinks. A powerful advertising campaign did its job and the product began to appear more often on the tables of Soviet citizens.

Tomato juice saturates the body with vitamins and trace elements in proportions that are ideal for absorption. This vegetable is a champion in the content of lycopene, a form of provitamin A that has antioxidant and antitumor effects. The product contributes to the health of the heart, nervous system, eyes and gastrointestinal tract. Those who want to lose weight should also consider tomato juice as an alternative to high-carbohydrate foods. It is not easy to list all the benefits, but it is still worth considering its main advantages.

✅ Source of fiber – one glass of tomato drink on a daily basis can solve the problem of constipation. Tomato contains a lot of dietary fiber, which stimulates intestinal peristalsis and improves the movement of intestinal contents. Dietary fiber can be helpful for those who are losing weight, as it slightly reduces the feeling of hunger, preventing overeating. Soluble fiber is involved in the stabilization of blood glucose, due to which the drink is recommended for people with diabetes.

✅  Strengthening immunity – a huge amount of vitamin C in a package of tomato juice can not be compared with any citrus. This vitamin is used for the synthesis of protective immune particles, which are the first line of fight against pathogens of colds.

✅  Prevention of arrhythmias – potassium contained in tomatoes is necessary to stabilize heart contractions. So, with a lack of an element, the risk of heart rhythm failure increases, which can lead to rapid death or thromboembolic complications.

✅  Reduces cholesterol – the amazing property of a vegetable to prevent the formation of atherosclerotic plaques has recently been noticed by physicians. Lycopene protects blood vessels from the damaging effects of free radicals and helps remove “bad” cholesterol from the blood.

✅  Benefits for vision – vitamin A is necessary for the retina to form visual pigments – rhodopsin and iodopsin, without which visual function is impossible. Regular intake of this vitamin with food helps prevent night blindness.

✅  Protection against cancer – the antitumor properties of tomatoes are realized due to two points. First, vitamin C stimulates the increased work of antitumor natural killer cells. And, secondly, the powerful antioxidant lycopene blocks the damaging effect of free radicals, which makes cells more resistant to tumor degeneration. The anti-cancer effect of lycopene was established experimentally when representatives of the Detroit Institute found a decrease in tumor size in men with prostate cancer.

✅  Cosmetic effect – Korean beauties accidentally discovered the whitening properties of tomato, so they began to use its juice in their cosmetic masks that even out complexion. Also, the juice controls the secretion of sebum and triggers collagen synthesis, making the skin more elastic and youthful.

✅  Prevents bleeding – a tomato has a blood thinning effect due to vitamin K, which activates the formation of clotting factors in the liver. Reduces the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, caused by thrombosis.

Tomato juice can be harmful to those who consume it in large quantities. In fact, the risk of side effects is small and most often associated with poor product quality. Still, there are some situations where a drink can actually do more harm than good.

❌  Allergies – Tomatoes have a similar cross-reaction with weed allergens, so individuals with such an allergic reaction need to carefully introduce the vegetable into the diet. Signs of the reaction manifest themselves in different ways: itching, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, abdominal pain and swelling. Sometimes it is possible to notice something was wrong a few hours after drinking the drink, but more often the symptoms appear only after a few days.

❌  Negative effect on the stomach – tomato juice should not be drunk by those who have acute diseases with high gastric acidity. Gastritis and ulcers are direct contraindications, as the vegetable stimulates even more acid production, while the symptoms become more painful. Also, gastroenterologists recommend excluding the vegetable and its juice to people who often notice the appearance of heartburn.

❌  Urolithiasis – acids from tomato juice turn into solid salts that are deposited in the kidneys in the form of stones. For this reason, healthy people should not drink a lot of the product, and people with urolithiasis will have to give it up altogether.

❌  Bloating – with an abundance of fiber, active fermentation in the intestines can sometimes occur, which causes unpleasant symptoms in the form of bloating and diarrhea.

Despite all the benefits of tomato juice, love for it should be limited to 1-2 glasses per day. This amount is enough to take a lot of benefits and protect the body from the harmful effects of tomato.

The freshly squeezed drink has a rich taste of tomatoes with a sweet and sour tinge and a bright aroma of a fresh vegetable. The reconstituted juice is more watery, due to heat treatment and excess liquid, it has a less pronounced taste. Such a drink is more liquid and has a taste that is much inferior to a freshly squeezed specimen.

The most successful use of tomato juice is to drink it fresh. Of course, this is not its only role in cooking as a product. Chefs find it used in marinades, which make meat tender due to acids from the composition of the juice. Often barbecue and meat are marinated in it before baking. Another popular use is as a base for tomato soup or borsch. It is an excellent natural dye and flavor enhancer for soups and sauces of Italian cuisine, where this vegetable dough is associated with national cuisine. By adding a drink to dishes during the stewing process, you can get a delicious gravy with a slight sourness. And bartenders use this product to make an alcoholic drink – Bloody Mary.

A pasteurized packaged drink is suitable for consumption within 3️⃣ years from the date of manufacture. After opening, it remains fresh for up to 1️⃣0️⃣ days. Packed juice should preferably be stored in a dark place? at a temperature of 0-25°C. Opened packaging must be refrigerated. It is allowed to store juice in the freezer, where it is suitable for food after defrosting up to 5️⃣ years.