Our Test Kitchen expert reveals her tips for how to peel tomatoes every which way.
Let’s clear the air here. Most of the time, you don’t need to peel a tomato. A quick slice or chop is all it takes to lend their juicy flavor to a sandwich, salad, or one of our many fresh tomato recipes. So why make the extra effort? When you want the texture of a dish-such as salsa, soup, jam or sauce-to be as smooth as silk, removing tomato skin is the way to go.
Tomatoes don’t need to be peeled with a blade like carrots and potatoes do. Trust us; that would get messy. A tomato’s delicate texture calls for a more creative approach. Culinary expert Christine Rukavena shows us the best way to peel a tomato—three of them, in fact. Let’s walk through each, step by step.
Find out which types of tomato will work best in your recipe.
How to Peel Tomatoes: The Blanching Method
Boiling is the quickest and most convenient way to peel a tomato. The skin lifts easily from the vegetable—erm, fruit—and the partial cooking helps preserve the tomato’s fresh flavor and plump texture.
Step 1: Prepare the tomatoes
Wrangle up a large saucepan and fill two-thirds of it with water; bring to a boil. As the water heats, use the time to give the tomatoes a little prep. Give them each a gentle rinse in the sink and remove their cores. On the bottom of each, make a small X-shaped insertion with the tip of your knife.
Step 2: Boil, boil, boil
Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the tomatoes into the water, one at a time. Cook for 30-60 seconds. You’ll know they’re ready when the skin at the “X” mark begins to loosen.
Test Kitchen tip: Keep careful watch over the tomatoes as they cook. If left in the water too long, the tomatoes will become mushy.
Step 3: Cool them quick
When each tomato looks about ready, remove it from the pot. Immediately transfer it into a large bowl filled with ice water. This will prevent any further cooking.
Step 4: Peel!
At last, your tomatoes are ready to peel. Pierce the outer layer with the tip of a knife and lift. The skin will glide right off.
Test Kitchen tip: Stubborn skin? Plop the tomato back into the boiling water for a few more seconds and try again.
How to Peel Tomatoes: The Roasting Method
Roasting is a hands-off technique for peeling tomatoes that gives them a robust, smoky flavor that’s great for making salsa or spaghetti sauce. This method works well with smaller, less juicy tomatoes such as plum and Roma tomatoes.
Step 1: Prep
Give each tomato a gentle rinse under the sink and remove the core. Cut in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet.
Test Kitchen tip: For an awesome pasta sauce, toss the tomatoes in oil and Italian herbs before roasting. Use the peeled tomatoes (and the fragrant oil from the pan) in your recipe.
Step 2: Roast
Dial the oven up to 425°F and bake until the edges of the tomatoes are well browned. This can take 30-35 minutes. Or you can broil the halved tomatoes 6-8-inches from the heat for 8-12 minutes. Remove when the skins are split and charred.
Step 3: Peel
Let the baking dish cool slightly. Then, have at it. The easiest way to peel off the skin is with your hands.
How to Peel Tomatoes: The Freezer Method
Have a bumper crop of tomatoes that you can’t use all at once? Clear some room in the freezer to store for a rainy day. (Yes, you can freeze tomatoes—and tons of other fresh summer produce!) Once thawed, removing tomato skins is a cinch. Use your whole peeled tomatoes in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews, not salads, because they lose their firm texture once frozen.
Step 1: Prep and freeze
Give the tomatoes a gentle rinse, pat dry and remove their cores. Then arrange the tomatoes (whole) on a cookie sheet and send them into the freezer. Make sure they don’t touch. Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag and seal.
Test Kitchen tip: Make sure to label the outside of your freezer bag with a “use by” date. Tomatoes can be frozen for up to 8 months.
Step 2: Thaw and peel
When you’re ready to peel the tomato, simply run it under warm water and the skin will slip right off.
Test Kitchen tip: For less fuss, simply leave the tomatoes out for a few hours to thaw.
There you have it! Peeling tomatoes is easier than you’d think. Next time you’ve got a bushel on hand, opt for these easy methods instead of buying a can of pre-peeled tomatoes. Check out our entire collection of grocery-store staples you should make instead of buy, here.
