Who says that fermented foods must be limited to cabbage and sauerkraut? We have a plethora of recipes for all kinds of foods on this site, including beverages. Now, Kristi has taken us into the realm of alcoholic drinks. If you’re a connoisseur of Bloody Marys, try this version and let us know how it rates, okay?
A Bloody Mary is an alcoholic drink with mostly tomato juice, vodka and a couple of other spicy components, garnished with a whole stick of celery. Presumably, the drink was created in the early 1930’s, though no one really knows by whom.
Three different businesses claim to have invented the Bloody Mary. One, the St. Regis Hotel in New York, swears the very first Bloody Mary was served in its bar. Since the name Bloody Mary was a little racy for those times, they named it the Red Snapper. The name never stuck.
Many people think drinkers of the Bloody Mary want to hide the fact that they’re drinking alcohol early in the morning. But we have added alcohol to just about every other morning beverage–orange juice, coffee, and even apple cider–so, why not add it to tomato juice?
Bloody Marys are even more delicious when made with fermented ingredients. To begin, ferment the tomatoes, jalapenos, and if you choose, the celery used for garnish. The rest of the ingredients are added later.
The best part about a fermented Bloody Mary?
My favorite part of the fermented Bloody Mary is the celery; it is like an olive in a martini or icing on a cake. It makes the drink just a tad more elegant and flavorful. Using fermented celery is perfect because it still offers a wonderful crunch factor but also a more salty version of celery which goes great with the spicy and salty flavors from the hot sauce and the tomatoes.
How to Make a Fermented Bloody Mary
To Make a Fermented Bloody Mary, you will need the following.
Equipment:
• Food processor
• ½ gallon mason jar
• A set of Fermentools or another fermentation vessel
• Wooden spoon for stirring and tasting. Metal negatively reacts with the ferment.
Bloody Mary Recipe
Yield: 1 pitcher
Ingredients:
• 8-10 large tomatoes, remove stems and ends, cut in quarters
• 6 celery sticks, leave whole
• ½ – 1 jalapeno, seeded
• Juice of 1 large lime, and 1 more if you would like to use lime wedges to garnish
• 3 Tbsp Himalayan salt
• 2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, according to taste
• 1-2 oz Vodka (per glass), according to taste
• Dash of pepper
Directions:
1. Wash all the vegetables.
2. Remove stems, leaves, and ends from tomatoes, celery and jalapeno. Wear gloves when handling jalapeno to avoid burns.
3. Place half of the tomatoes, jalapeno and lime juice in the food processor.
4. Process for about a minute or until all that is left is very fine pieces.
5. Process the other half the same way.
6. Pour this mixture into a half gallon mason jar.
7. Add salt, and mix well.
8. Carefully add the celery so that it is covered by the tomato mixture. Don’t cut the pieces too short, you want them to stand up in your glass.
9. Secure Fermentools onto the jar.
10. Ferment for 24 to 48 hours.
Finishing:
Once the tomato mixture has fermented to your liking, add the Worcestershire sauce and pepper, stir well and place in a pitcher.
Pour 1-2 ounces of vodka in each drinking glass and top with the Bloody Mary mixture. Stir well.
Garnish with celery sticks or lime wedges if you like. Chill before serving and refrigerate all leftovers.
I hope you enjoy your Fermented Bloody Marys! Please Drink Responsibly!
If you are going to add beverages to your fermented foods menu, you probably need more lids and weights. The Fermentools 12-pack allows you to have several ferments going on all at the same time, plus have some tools on reserve for when you read a great recipe like this that you just have to try. Don’t let yourself come up short-handed. Visit our store today.
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Kristi is the blog owner of HomesteadWishing.com She is a wife and mother of three wonderful boys. She loves to write about food, children & parenting, tips and tricks, and survival information.