How to Peel Tomatoes

Whether you are preparing tomatoes for soup, canning salsa, or freezing for later, most recipes require that you peel and seed the tomatoes first. This step-by-step guide will show you how to peel tomatoes quickly and easily.

Why peel and seed tomatoes? Many recipes that use fresh tomatoes call for peeling and seeding. Tomato skins can remain tough even after cooking, particularly in recipes such as sauces or soups, where a smooth texture is preferred. Similarly, tomato seeds can introduce bitterness, and their gel-like coating adds excess moisture, potentially requiring longer cooking times to achieve the desired thickness. 

When preparing tomatoes for canning, you need to remove the peels for most recipes, as they can impact the quality and safety of the canned product. Many also require removing the seeds. 

Using a food strainer is handy when working with a large amount of tomatoes that require the skins and seeds to be removed. For example, if you are canning a large batch of tomato sauce, you can cook the tomatoes briefly and then run them through a vegetable strainer or food mill to separate the skins and seeds from the tomato pulp.

But what if you don’t have a food strainer or don’t want to pull it out for just a couple of tomatoes? Maybe you want to keep the tomatoes whole or a bit chunky for salsa instead of juicing them to a pulp. That’s where knowing how to blanch, peel, and seed tomatoes comes in handy.

Steps to Peeling and Seeding Tomatoes

The easiest way to remove tomato skins is by blanching them briefly in boiling water and then immediately cooling them in ice water. Here are the steps to peeling and seeding tomatoes using the blanching method:

Step 1: Gather the Kitchen Equipment

Simple kitchen tools are all you need:

• Large saucepan
• Large bowls
• Knife and cutting board
• Slotted spoon

Step 2: Prepare the Tomatoes

Wash the tomatoes well under running water. Use a knife to remove the cores from the stem end, and cut a shallow “X” in the bottom of each tomato. 

Step 3: Blanch the Tomatoes

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. While the water is heating, fill a large bowl with ice water.  

Once the water is boiling, plunge the tomatoes into the hot water until the skins crack and loosen, about 30 to 60 seconds. Do this in small batches, so you don’t crowd the pot. You want the water to return to a boil quickly. 

Step 4: Shock the Tomatoes

When you see the skins wrinkle and loosen, remove the tomatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge them into the bowl of ice water. This process is called “shocking.” The ice bath stops the cooking process and quickly cools the tomatoes. Repeat for all the tomatoes.

Step 5: Peel the Tomatoes

Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skin. The peels should slip right off. Use a small paring knife to remove stubborn spots.

Step 6: Remove the Seeds

To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half across the equator. Hold each half over a bowl, and squeeze and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

That’s it! The freshly peeled and seeded tomatoes are ready to use immediately in cooked recipes, frozen for later, or preserved in your favorite canning recipes.  

Here are some canning recipes that use peeled tomatoes: 

• Tomato Jalapeno Salsa 
• Zesty Salsa 
• Canning Whole Tomatoes 
• Canning Crushed Tomatoes 
• Barbecue Sauce 
• Tomato and Vegetable Juice 
• Seasoned Tomato Sauce 
• Plain Tomato Sauce 
• Stewed Tomatoes and Zucchini 
• Stewed Tomatoes and Vegetables 
• Rotel-Style Tomatoes and Chilies 

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How to Peel Tomatoes

Whether you are preparing tomatoes for a soup, canning salsa, or freezing for later, most recipes require that you peel and seed the tomatoes first. See how to peel tomatoes with this step-by-step guide.

Course Pantry

Cuisine American

Keyword how to peel tomatoes

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Calories 18kcal

Author Grow a Good Life

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes

Instructions

• Wash the tomatoes well under running water.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.
• As the water is heating, fill a large bowl with ice water.
• Once the water comes to a boil, dip your tomatoes into the boiling water until the skins crack and loosen, about 30-60 seconds.
• Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place in the bowl of ice water to cool. Repeat for all the tomatoes.
• Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the peels.
• To remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half across the equator. Hold each half over a bowl, and squeeze and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.
• Remove the cores, purée, crush, quarter, slice, or chop your tomatoes according to your recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 18kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.5g | Protein: 0.7g | Fiber: 1g

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