Freeze Leftover Canned Tomato Juice For Your Future Bloody Marys

Canned tomatoes are a handy ingredient, whether you're making things like a pot of chili, pasta sauce, soup, or something else entirely. They can save you time in the kitchen while also packing in plenty of nutrients such as calcium and iron.

When you use canned tomatoes, however, sometimes you may find you have to drain them off first, leaving you with leftover tomato juice that you don't need for your recipe. While most people pour this down the drain, you can actually put that juice to good use by freezing it into ice cubes for your next Bloody Mary.

Tomato juice ice cubes work well because you can toss them into your drink, and as they melt, they don't water the beverage down. Instead, they actually infuse extra tomatoey flavor into your cocktail and give you more to sip on! Plus, you can play around with including various herbs and add-ins to really ramp up the taste of your boozy beverage.

While you're welcome to just pour straight leftover tomato juice into your ice cube tray and call it a day, you can also play around with a few different ingredients to really elevate the ice cubes. This can be a fun way to introduce new flavors into your Bloody Mary.

One addition to try is to mix in some spices, such as salt and pepper or celery seeds. You can either stir this into your tomato juice before pouring it into the tray or sprinkle it directly into the ice mold so that it sits on top of the frozen juice. If you like a bit of spice, you could also play around with adding a dash of Tabasco sauce.

Besides spices, another way to enhance your cubes could be to add some small veggies to the center of each one. Pickle chips, chopped celery, or olives can all be great choices. Then, just pour the tomato juice on top of the veggies for a packed ice cube. Or, if you're a fan of bacon Bloody Maries, bits of this meat could work well, too. Feel free to play around with different inclusions that will add flavor to your cocktail when your tomato ice cubes melt.

The last step to making these handy ice cubes is to pour them into your molds and freeze them. While regular ice cube trays work, you can also play around with different shapes and sizes. For example, pour them into round molds to create a fun and upscale look for your finished cocktail. Or, go for something like roses, triangles, or diamonds if you enjoy a unique twist in your drinks.

Besides choosing the shape, you'll also want to think about the size. Remember, the ice cube needs to fit into your cocktail glass. In the case of Bloody Marys, that usually means a highball glass. Although you can use any shape of ice mold you like, just be sure that the final frozen liquid fits into the glass so you can actually put the cubes to good use. Finally, freeze the tomato juice, and the next time you feel like having this savory adult drink, go ahead and toss a few of the frozen cubes into your beverage!