The Right Way To Cut Tomatoes For Salsa (With A Bloody Mary Bonus)

There are precious few culinary joys as pure and blissful as biting into a fresh, vine-ripened tomato, with sweet, summery, tangy juice bursting with each bite. While juice is a plus in most cases, when working with fresh tomatoes to make a zesty homemade salsa — less is more, juice-wise. So before you simply chop whole tomatoes or toss the whole fruit — be it an heirloom variety, a Roma tomato, a prized San Marzano, or a hodgepodge of whatever you have in the garden into the food processor, there's a right and wrong way to chop 'maters for salsa. 

Specifically, you'll want to slice them in a way that allows you to scoop out and remove the majority of the seeds, to create a super-flavorful, never-watery salsa. After you've de-seeded, it's important to place the chunks and pieces in a colander or sieve that allows excess juice to drain before combining with other key ingredients like peppers, lime, cilantro, onions, garlic, and salt. 

There is no one right way to create a salsa — there are so many options for texture, heat levels, sweetness, and ingredients. But no matter the salsa recipe you're using, scooping out and draining away seeds and moisture always creates a more flavorful, less runny salsa that's all the better to be scooped up and dipped into.

In most cases, you want the juiciest, most burst-in-your-mouth tomatoes possible — like when slicing whole rounds and enjoying plain with salt, or making a homemade marinara. In the case of a homemade salsa, though, tossing in all parts of the tomatoes including all the seeds and juice will result in a liquified, watery salsa that's unwieldy to scoop up on a chip and runny in a taco or burrito. Too much liquid can also dilute the other flavors in play, creating a less vibrant flavor that needs extra salt, heat, and herbs to liven it up. 

You can slice your tomatoes in half and give a gentle squeeze to remove the bulk of the inner seeds and liquid. Proceed to chop to your size if using for a chunkier salsa or pico de gallo — or prep for tossing in a food processor if a super smooth restaurant-style salsa is what you're after. Alternatively, you can slice the tomatoes and then scoop out the seeds with a spoon, and set the tomato chunks in a colander to drain for a few minutes, making sure to save the leftover juice (more on that in a sec).

After mixing with all the other ingredients, if you find your salsa is still too watery, not all is lost! A bit of added tomato paste will go a long way in thickening too-runny salsa if, despite your best attempts, the consistency is still off.

Straining away extra seeds and juice is key for the best homemade salsa, but don't think for a second about pouring that precious fresh juice down the drain. Much like reserving excess pasta water after you've cooked noodles to al dente to add later for all sorts of impactful uses, the strained-away tomato juice can easily be given a delicious, second life. So be sure to save it. 

One of the best ways to use up that leftover juice is by whipping up a fresh batch of brunchtime (or any time) bloody mary drinks. There are many ways to give your classic bloody mary a flavor boost, like adding unconventional choices of spirits. But any mouthwateringly good drink starts with high-quality basic ingredients — starting, of course, with the freshest possible tomato juice. You'll need about ¾ cup of tomato juice per bloody mary drink. Depending on the quantity of tomatoes you're slicing and dicing, you can easily have amount reserved and ready to be mixed with vodka, spices, and other seasonings. If you find yourself a bit short, mix your fresh leftover tomato juice with store-bought jarred juice if needed — the fresh juice will still elevate the cocktail, imparting your drink with a burst of bright, homemade flavor.