These Tipsy Tomatoes or vodka infused tomatoes are hot and spicy with a real kick of vodka. They make a great foodie gift and no self-respecting party should be without them!
Are you all organised for Christmas or are you still hunting for last-minute prezzie ideas?
If you fall into the latter category then here is a super easy wee recipe for vodka infused tomatoes that you can make today and give for a gift over Christmas.
This recipe is from my ebook Gourmet Gifts For Christmas which is available as an ebook.
I made these vodka infused tomatoes (my Tipsy Toms) every day for the Country Living magazine fairs and they really did go down a storm. You can make them literally in a matter of minutes and they look and taste amazing.
Timing is important here.
The Tipsy Toms need to rest in the fridge overnight before they are ready to give.
They have a 2 week shelf life as the vodka keeps infusing those tomatoes in the jar.
After 2 weeks it will be too strong and all you can do then is tip the jar into your food processor along with a tin of tomatoes and whizz the whole lot together to get the most amazing Bloody Mary, then drink and enjoy!
This is what you will need to make your Vodka Infused Tomatoes;
I like to use the mixed punnets of those baby tomatoes where you get red, orange and yellow colours, they just look so pretty in a jar.
If you can only get normal red then that’s absolutely fine. Go for the best quality you can get as you want good flavour here.
You will also need some fresh herbs. I like to use either a couple of sprigs of rosemary or a couple of branches of fresh thyme.
The choice is yours.
Your other ingredients are the spice mix that will give the tomatoes a real ooomph.
I use a teaspoon of dry sherry (don’t use the dark sweet sherry here as it is too cloying), half a teaspoon each of Worcester sauce, Tabasco sauce and prepared/creamed horseradish (not the sauce, just the prepared horseradish in a jar).
What type of vodka?
You also need vodka. Now don’t go buying anything pricey here, supermarket own brand is just fine.
Remember you are adding lots of flavour here so you don’t need to start with a fancy flavoured vodka.
For 1 punnet of tomatoes (that’s about 20 tiny toms) I use a basic kilner type jar and a half bottle (500ml/1 pint) vodka.
How to Make Your Vodka Infused Tomatoes;
Start with a sterilised jar all ready and waiting.
Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Using a thin skewer pierce the tomatoes all over about 4 times each. This is to permit the vodka to really get inside each and every fruit.
Pop the tomatoes into the jar and add your two sprigs of fresh herbs.
Now make up your spice mix in a small bowl/glass. Stir together the Worcester sauce, Tobasco sauce, sherry and horseradish and add in 2 tablespoons of the vodka to get it all to mix well together.
Pour this over the tomatoes and then top up with the remaining vodka to cover the tomatoes completely.
Cover the jar with a secure lid and give it a good shake.
Put in the fridge overnight to allow the flavours to develop.
Your Vodka Infused Tomatoes (Tipsy Toms) are now ready to give.
Attach a label to the jar telling the recipient to store them in the fridge and use within 2 weeks otherwise they will just have to create that amazing Bloody Mary.
How to serve vodka infused tomatoes
Serve these little beauties either as a nibble to eat on a cocktail stick, or pop one in a martini for a real surprise kick that knocks a pickled onion into the shade!
Enjoy your Christmas wherever you are. I hope my little recipes have helped you put together some ideas for gifts.
Merry Christmas!
This recipe makes a great foodie gift, so why not check out my post on how to make Christmas hampers.
Looking for more tomato recipes that make great foodie gifts too? Then check these out before you go;
Confit tomatoes (tomatoes in olive oil) with video
Oven dried (sun-dried) tomatoes in oil
Homemade tomato sauce for pasta
Tomato jam with vodka (for the grown-ups!)
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Vodka Infused Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 2 sprigs rosemary or thyme
- 1 tsp dry sherry
- 1/2 tsp worcester sauce
- 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp creamed horseradish
- 500 ml vodka
Instructions
- Start with a sterile wide mouthed jar.
- Pierce the tomatoes at least 4 times each with a skewer and fill the jar.
- Add the fresh herb sprigs.
- Mix the sauces and sherry in a small bowl or glass and mix with 2 tablespoons of vodka.
- Pour this into the jar of tomatoes and then fill up with vodka.
- Pop on a lid and shake the jar.
- Store in fridge overnight for flavours to infuse.
- Label jar saying use within 2 weeks.
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