How to Blanch Tomatoes

If you are a fan of growing tomatoes, then you will most likely come to a time in the summer when tomatoes are ripening faster than you can use them. There are plenty of easy ways to preserve them so they don't lose their wonderful flavor and freshness. Most recipes will call for blanched tomatoes and if you want to freeze them or make sauce from them, they will need to be blanched.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Start with nice ripe red tomatoes. Give them a quick wash in cold water. If they have a spot, remove it with a sharp knife. Remove any stems and the actual stem core from the top of the tomato. Don't worry about any blemishes in the skin as the skin will be removed later.

2. 

   Prepare a pot of boiling water large enough for two or three tomatoes as well as enough water to cover them. There is no point in trying to work with a whole bunch of tomatoes at once as they only need to be in the water for about one minute.

3. 

   Prepare a large bowl of ice water. If you do not have enough ice to chill the tomatoes down thoroughly, then use cold running water. Keep the water cold for each new batch of tomatoes. Have a large slotted spoon ready as well as a colander for draining.

4. 

   Drop the tomatoes into the rapidly boiling water. Pay attention to them as within 60 seconds their skin should split. Immediately remove them from the water with the slotted spoon and dip them into the cold water. After about a minute, remove them from the water and remove their skins. They should slip right off. If not, use a sharp paring knife to remove any stubborn spots.

5. 

   At this point they can be cut in half and the seeds can be squeezed out. The tomato is now ready for using in a sauce recipe or sliced for a salad or frozen as is.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish