The word “juice” immediately leads most to think of sweet orange, apple and peach juices. And only then, having thought harder, the majority wake up: they forgot the tomato, tomato!
Tomato juice is one of the most important spins that caring housewives prepare for a variety of winter meals. It is also the best way to use the excess tomatoes that are formed as a result of a bountiful harvest. We will not discuss the traditional Spanish holiday of the tomato here – such medieval amusements are categorically incomprehensible to thrifty citizens.
Tomato juice is the healthiest product on the table. With its use, an insane number of dishes are prepared, it itself is the basis of many sauces and seasonings. Let’s try to figure out why tomato juice is useful for our body.
The benefits of tomato juice
It is difficult to overestimate the richness of the composition and the benefits of this non-alcoholic drink for our body. Here are just the main components that make up tomato juice and their beneficial properties in various metabolic processes:
- vitamins of groups A, B, P, PP and K are necessary for the normal course of energy processes, assimilation of substances, the functioning of the immune system and the gastrointestinal tract. It is important that some of these vitamins are thermally stable and are not destroyed when canning tomato juice;
- various organic acids – are involved in the cycles of nutrient processing;
- mineral components – magnesium, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, iodine and many others involved in a great variety of various processes in our body – the work of the nervous system, energy metabolism, hematopoiesis and others;
- pectins – help to lower blood cholesterol levels;
- fiber – essential for normal bowel function;
- many vegetable proteins and carbohydrates that give our body energy and building materials.
Tomato juice is prescribed for patients with anemia or for various cardiovascular diseases, with a breakdown and even depression.
In addition, it is used as a diuretic and bowel cleansing agent. And for the normalization of the digestion process, this drink is extremely good. But still, in most cases it is used simply as a healthy and tasty drink, especially in the winter months.
How to make tomato juice
Tomato juice can be prepared in different ways, and depending on the method of preparation, it will have a different consistency. For example:
1. Traditional tomato juice.
The bones, most of the pulp and peel are extracted from it, it is a fairly thick homogeneous liquid, used most often as a drink.
2. Morse.
Crushed peeled tomatoes. In essence, it is not fruit drink, but its consistency resembles that, since it contains a lot of seeds and tomato puree. It is more often used as a dressing or an ingredient in great borscht.
3. Reconstituted tomato juice.
Prepared by diluting fruit drink or tomato paste with water. Reconstituted juice technology is most often used in industry.
At the same time, depending on the consistency, tomato juice can be used both as a drink and as an independent dish. For example, the Spanish tomato juice soup gazpacho is the same tomato juice or thick juice with additional ingredients – bread, onions and spices.
In general, we can say that in terms of popularity and useful properties, tomato juice will give odds to any other type of juice. Well, except that apple can compete with it, since it is present in most canned juices as a diluent. And its popularity does not suffer at all, neither from the lack of sweet taste, nor from the thick consistency. And so he continues to be the main character in all closets and basements.
