If You Want To Remove Tomato Skins The Right Way, Put Down The Peeler

We're crawling towards the end of summer, which means we're in the thick of tomato season. If you're lucky, those of you with an abundance of backyard gardens have to figure out what exactly to do with them, which is a good problem to have. As much as we love those tomatoes, however, there's only so many juicy tomato sandwiches and heirloom tomato BLTs we can eat over the course of a few months, so one of the next best things you can do with your fresh tomatoes is to turn them into sauce or soup.

If you're looking to enjoy a smooth tomato sauce without bits of skin in it, you'll obviously want to peel them first, since they can cause your sauce to become a little bitter. However, as many of you may have experienced, a vegetable peeler won't cut it (literally), because a raw tomato's skin is so waxy that the blade will slip right off, causing you undue frustration. That's why one quick technique, blanching, will be your best ally in getting those skins off. Fortunately, all you'll need is a pot of boiling water, an ice bath, and a knife, and your tomatoes will be peeled in no time at all.

Thankfully, blanching tomatoes in order to peel them is a really easy process. First off, bring a large pot of water to a boil and set up an ice bath by filling up a large mixing bowl with ice cubes and water. Then, score an X-shaped mark on your tomatoes on the bottom end (it's the rounded end on the opposite side of the stem), and when your water has come to a boil, begin by gently lowering your tomatoes into the water.

You're not looking to cook your tomato, but rather loosen the tomato's skin from its flesh, which should take a minute or less — you'll know it's ready when you see the skin on the tomato wrinkle a bit. Then, remove the tomatoes from the water and let them rest in the ice bath until they're cool enough to handle. You should find that the skin around the scored end has peeled back a little, and now you can pull it away from the fruit in easy strips. Just stay vigilant, however, because smaller tomatoes take less time to loosen up. 

Blanching a tomato in order to peel it is one of those kitchen techniques I promise is genuinely easy, so if a recipe calls for peeled fresh tomatoes, know that you'll have those skins off in no time. Now all you have to do is to start cooking. Still in a tomato-y mood? Be sure to read why some people can't stand raw tomatoes.