This is the easiest way to peel tomatoes: blanching them in boiling water to immediately shocking them in iced water, and then peel them as if they were bananas!
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With a 190 pound crop of tomatoes from my kitchen garden, so far, this is what I have been doing in the last few days: peeling, eating, cooking, and preserving tomatoes.
Why Would I Peel Tomatoes?
Technically, you can survive without peeling tomatoes. However, when a recipe calls for peeled tomatoes, every second you invest in doing the chore, it is worth it. For example, If you don’t peel your tomatoes while making tomato sauce, the skin will be separated from the flesh and you won’t have a silky, smooth final product. In addition, the flavonoids present in the tomato skin can be bitter.
In addition, Italians, who are the kings of canning and processing tomatoes, peel them and so do I. I find that pasta sauces, soups, gazpachos, and tomato bruschettas have better textures when I prepare them with peeled tomatoes. With that said, I must add that, since I have my Vitamix, I make my tomato soup and my gazpachos without peeling the tomatoes. Because the blender is so powerful, the texture of both, soups and gazpachos is smooth and silky.
How to Blanch Tomatoes
The first step to blanch tomatoes is to put some water to a boil. Then have a big bowl filled with iced water. In the meantime, rinse the tomatoes and core them (take the peduncle away) with a paring knife. With the same knife, make a very shallow cross slit around the tomato skin.
The next step is blanching the tomatoes by immersing two to three at a time, in the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds.
How to Shock Blanched Tomatoes
Once the tomatoes are blanched, immediately plunge them in iced water to stop the cooking and cool them off. The next step is either to strain the tomatoes in a pasta colander or peel them off without straining them. After years of doing this, I prefer to peel them immediately, so there is no flesh to waste.
How to Peel Tomatoes
To peel the already blanched and cooled-off tomatoes, grasp the skin with your fingers, one quarter at a time.
The peeling “process” is as simple as grasping the skin of each tomato, and peel it as if it is a banana. Easy!
Once peeled, the tomatoes are ready to be canned or processed as you want.
The following is a printable version of the above-mentioned peeling method. I hope you like it as much as I do. Thanks for subscribing to my YouTube channel and visiting my Amazon store.
How to Peel Tomatoes
- paring knife
- wooden cutting board
- glass bowl
- pot
Instructions
- Put some water to a boil.
- Have a big bowl filled with iced water. I
- Rinse the tomatoes and core them (take the peduncle away) with a paring knife.
- With the same knife, make a very shallow cross slit around the tomato skin.
- Blanch the tomatoes by immersing two to three at a time, in the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Immediately plunge them in iced water to stop the cooking and cool them off.
- Either to strain the tomatoes in a pasta colander, or peel them off without straining them.
- To peel the already blanched and cooled-off tomatoes, grasp the skin with your fingers, one quarter at a time.
- Once peeled, the tomatoes are ready to be canned or processed as you want.
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This tutorial was super helpful. I used it to have my tomatoes ready for my Italian tomato sauce. Thank you!
Thank you, Brianna!
These tips for peeling tomatoes easily will come in handy a lot since I always cook with tomatoes whenever I can! I can’t wait to follow these tips and work with tomatoes much more easily now. Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you, Ramona!
I love how you share this tutorial with us. It’s basic, but most people forgot.
Thank you so much!
Thank you, Ami Liu!
This is a great way to peel the tomatoes! So easy and quick! I follow you tips to make tomato sauce and it turned to be smooth and delicious. 😉
Thank you, Veronika.
This is the easiest tutorial for making peeled tomatoes. Great to have on hand for homemade stews and chili.
Thank you, Sharon!
This is the perfect guide to teach you how to peel tomatoes! Bookmarking for the next time I make pasta sauce!
Yesssss! Thank you, Tristin.
Great tutorial! My mom always did it this way and then we learned the same thing in culinary school – definitely a tried and true method! Can’t wait to get a garden built next year – your tomatoes are making me envious!
Hahahahahah those tomatoes were gone a long time ago. That was my kitchen garden while I lived in Southern California’s High Desert, with the perfect climate to grow tomatoes.
Wow! That’s a lot of garden tomatoes. I don’t have the space to grow that many so I end up buying a case at the farmer’s market. This is a handy trick for peeling them and takes very little time at all.
Thank you Bernice! I had that kitchen garden in Southern California. That year I ended with 383 pounds! Now, I live in Florida, and buy them at the store.
Such a great guide! I always mess up when trying to peel tomatoes. Not anymore! Thanks so much!
Thank you, Jenny!
What a great post. With the tomato crops in full force, this is a great way to peel them and use them in recipes. Looks quick and easy.
Indeed. Thank you, Gloria!