Tomato Soda Recipe and photos by Mackenzie Smith

Ahhh, tomato season. The time of year when, if you have a garden or know someone who does and you also subscribe to a CSA, there is a good chance you will have more tomatoes than you know what to do with.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the nuanced flavor of tomatoes is to make a shrub by covering them in a 1:1 ratio (give or take) of sugar or honey to vinegar with a pinch of sea salt and letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Vinegar and sugar work harmoniously to and extract and concentrate the flavors of whatever you are preserving, and I consider this to be easier than pickling or canning because you never have to turn on the stove.

I keep shrubs going all summer long as a way to preserve the essence of seasonal fruit — and to celebrate those nuanced flavors in drinks and salad dressings.

After we got halfway through this pitcher of tomato shrub, which was truly perfect on its own, I noticed a couple of slightly overripe peaches on the counter, so I washed them off, and squeezed them into the tomato shrub before topping off with a bit more sugar and vinegar. Now we have tomato peach shrub and it tastes like Summer.

Make tomato peach soda by pouring shrub and sparkling water over ice using a 1:1 ratio and serve with a sprig of fresh mint.