Molly Baz's Ultimate Bloody Marys Are The Solution To Your Overripe Tomato Problem

Let's face it: We've all had tomatoes get overripe and unsuitable for the salad or BLT we planned to use them in. It can happen whether you get a bad batch at the store or happen to pick your own garden tomatoes at the wrong time. Luckily, there are ways to use up older tomatoes, and one creates a sweet yet tangy boozy beverage: a frozen bloody mary with watermelon.

In an Instagram video with over 10,000 likes, cookbook author Molly Baz showed off her recipe, which she called a "Fro Blo Mo." As she chopped up the tomatoes, watermelon, and celery before placing the ingredients in the freezer, Baz specified that she was using overripe tomatoes that were "on the verge" of rotting. Because tomatoes aren't the sole focus, it doesn't matter if they aren't at their ripest and juiciest. In fact, their creamier texture is beneficial to the drink's outcome.

Once the tomatoes, watermelon, and celery have hardened, Baz's bloody mary base is thrown into a blender with lemon juice, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, pepper brine, some salt, and gin, resulting in a frozen, creamy drink with a pleasantly pinkish-red color. Baz then adds more salt to the top before serving in frozen glasses rimmed with celery salt, a surprisingly versatile ingredient. For a garnish, she skewers a chunk of fresh watermelon and two yellow cherry tomatoes, laying them across the cup.

To make your own Fro Blo Mo, start with our regular bloody mary recipe, adjusting the amount of tomato based upon how much watermelon you plan to add. Then, get creative and play around with the ingredients further. For instance, Baz uses gin, but you can easily swap this out with vodka if you prefer the spirit. If you want a particularly boozy drink, you could even incorporate both or add in another liquor like vermouth, which is often paired with either vodka or gin in drinks like the vodka martini. On the other hand, if you're not a drinker, you can remove the alcohol entirely for a virgin Fro Blo Mo. The booziness of the drink is entirely up to you.

If you find that you like the sweeter, fruity edge that the watermelon brings, you can amplify this a bit more by adding in a dash of simple syrup or even another sweet flavor like cranberry or sweet gherkin. This will take a bit of the edge off the drink and make it feel more like a boozy smoothie with a spicy tomato kick. On the other hand, if you can't get enough of the spice, you can amplify this by increasing the ratio of any of the spicy ingredients or adding in a bit of actual, frozen pickled peppers rather than just the brine. Don't be afraid to play around with the recipe and get it exactly how you like it.