How to Peel a Tomato the Easy Way

Have you ever had a recipe that called for peeled tomatoes and you struggled to do the job without taking half of the tomato off with the skin? Well, here's a trick used by cooks everywhere that works like a charm!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• tomato
• paring knife
• pot of boiling water
• bowl of ice

1. 
   Wash Tomatoes

   PREPARE TO PEEL A TOMATO
   
   Rinse the tomatoes to be peeled under running water.
   Fill a small saucepan with water and boil.
   Fill a medium size bowl with ice.

2. 
   To Peel a Tomato Make an

   MAKE AN "X" ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TOMATO
   
   Make two cuts just through the skin on the bottom of the tomato (the end without the stem) using a paring knife; one cut from side to side and one from top to bottom making a cross with the cuts and not cutting too deep into the tomato.

3. 
   To Peal a Tomato - Dip in Boiling Water

   PLACE TOMATO IN BOILING WATER
   
   Place tomato on slotted spoon and submerge in boiling water for 20 seconds.

4. 
   Dip Tomato in Ice

   THEN PLACE TOMATO IN A BOWL OF ICE
   
   Lift the tomato from the boiling water and place in the bowl of ice for 10 to 20 seconds.

5. 
   Peel a Tomato the Easy Way!

   PEEL THE TOMATO
   
   Start at the "X" and peel the tomato. Skin should be nice and loose and easy to peel.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't leave the tomato in the boiling water too long if you want to keep the tomato firm for the recipe you will be using.

Resources

• Global Gourmet
• The Reluctant Gourmet
• Passionate about Food How to
• Culinary Cafe - Cooking Techniques
• Nutrition and Healthy Eating
• Basic Cooking Methods and Recipes
• How to Cook Anything
• I Hate Cooking Recipes
• Food Network
• All Recipes
• Cooking & Recipes

[knelson]

on 7/31/2009 Wow, great tip AND great pictures! 5* & Rec

[FrazzledNanny]

on 7/28/2009 Thanks for the great article showing the best and easiest way to peel a tomato. 5*

[violet4me]

on 7/26/2009 Great tips for those wonderful summer tomatoes!

[jerseygirlmedia]

on 7/25/2009 I LOVE tomatoes - I eat tomatoes like apples all of the time - but I hate tomato skin. I had no idea you could do this. Awesome information, thanks so much for sharing!

[billips]

on 7/21/2009 You're right - it's easy when you know how - B.