Ecuadorian Tree Tomato Juice with Fresh Lime and Raw Honey

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Score a shallow X in the base of each tree tomato and drop them in for 60 seconds, then lift them straight into a bowl of ice water.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tree tomatoes (tamarillo), about 1 1/4 lb
• 4 cups cold water, divided
• 3 tbsp raw honey, or to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 strip lime zest
• Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
• Ice cubes, for serving
• Lime wheels and fresh mint, to garnish

Instructions

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Score a shallow X in the base of each tree tomato and drop them in for 60 seconds, then lift them straight into a bowl of ice water.
2. Slip off the skins, which should peel away easily from the blanched fruit. The skin is bitter and tannic, so take the time to remove all of it.
3. Halve the peeled fruit and drop the flesh, seeds and all, into a blender with 2 cups of the cold water.
4. Blend on high for 30 seconds until completely smooth and vivid orange. Do not over-blend past that point, as pulverizing the seeds turns the juice faintly bitter.
5. Strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing the pulp with the back of a ladle to extract as much juice as possible, then discard the seeds and fibers.
6. Stir in the remaining 2 cups cold water, the honey, lime juice, lime zest strip, salt and the cinnamon if using. Stir until the honey has fully dissolved.
7. Taste and adjust: tree tomatoes range from mildly tart to sharply so depending on ripeness, so add honey a teaspoon at a time until the sweetness just balances the tang without covering it.
8. Chill for at least an hour, then remove the zest strip and pour over plenty of ice. Garnish with lime wheels and mint and stir before each pour, as the juice naturally separates.
9. Known as tomate de arbol in Ecuador and Colombia, the tree tomato grows on a small Andean tree and tastes nothing like the tomato it is named for: think passionfruit crossed with apricot, with a savory edge underneath. It is one of the most common jugos on any Ecuadorian breakfast table, blended fresh every morning. If you cannot find them at a Latin market, a blend of ripe apricot and passionfruit pulp gets remarkably close.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 98 kcal
• Protein: 2g
• Fat: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 23g
• Fiber: 4g
• Sugar: 18g
• Sodium: 45mg