The Fool-Proof Way You Should Be Peeling Tomatoes

Whole peeled tomatoes are a cornerstone of cooking — any dish that requires a simmering tomato sauce calls for them by the ounces. Canned peeled tomatoes can serve the purpose wonderfully, especially if you get the right kind. But there is something to be said for fresh tomatoes, peeled by hand, and then cooked down into a hearty sauce.

The problem, of course, is that peeling fresh tomatoes with a knife or peeler can be tricky, frustrating, and risk ruining the beautiful fruit. But there is a way to easily peel tomatoes, without all the heartache — simply blanch them. To do so, score a little X on the bottom of the produce, just opening the skin. Then boil the fruit for about 30 seconds or until you see the skins curling up a bit; once ready, dunk them immediately into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. 

After, the skins should easily peel right off, leaving you whole peeled tomatoes for cooking or for turning into canned tomatoes for later applications.

The trick of blanching tomatoes is really quite fool-proof, and recommended by experts like award-winning chef José Andrés. But there are some small tricks to keep in mind in order to guarantee that your tomato peeling will go off without a hitch.

First things first, think about what tomato variety you are selecting, based on your recipe. For example, plum tomatoes are great for sauces. Once you have your tomatoes in hand, make sure you score them properly. Cut an X on the bottom of the tomato using your sharpest paring knife, and try not to dig into the actual flesh of the tomato. 

Also, make sure you do not overfill your pot with too much produce at once. If your recipe calls for dozens of tomatoes, blanch and peel them in batches to make sure they are only in the water for about 30 seconds at a time. Finally make sure your finishing ice water bath is truly cold — there should be ice cubes floating in the water along with the tomatoes. And be gentle when rubbing off the tomato skins so as not to crush your peeled tomatoes.

Now that you have your peeled tomatoes, what are the best ways to use them? The fruit is incredibly versatile, and those peeled beauties can now be used in a host of recipes. If you want a warming comfort food, try using your batch in a hearty Mexican sopa de fideo soup — a favorite that may remind you of an elevated Campbell's tomato soup.

You can dice and crush your peeled tomatoes to be used in a silky tofu tikka masala sauce or a layered multi-bean chili. They can be simmered into a thick sauce and layered on top of meatball marinara stuffed zucchini boats or your favorite homemade pizza.

But to fully take advantage of the aromatic flavor of your freshly peeled produce, try a raw tomato soup garnished with sprigs of basil, or a watermelon and tomato gazpacho that screams summer but is great for any time of year.