How to Seed and Skin a Tomato

Remove the skin and seeds if you are making tomato sauce.

Come late summer and fall, tomatoes are being abundantly produced in the garden. Whether you are adding cooked tomatoes to dishes or preparing them for canning and sauces, they must first be skinned and seeded. Removing the skins without damaging the fruit requires a cooking technique called blanching. Seeds can then be removed from the blanched tomatoes, leaving the rest of the tomato ready for use. Seeds can also be removed from unpeeled tomatoes if you don't wish to have seeds in your raw or salad tomatoes.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Bowl
• Ice
• Slotted spoon
• Knife

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. While the water is heating up, fill a large bowl with ice water and place it near the stove.

2. Place two or three tomatoes into the boiling water. Boil for 30 seconds, then remove the tomatoes from the water with a slotted spoon.

3. Drop the tomatoes immediately into the ice water so the cooking process is stopped. Remove the tomatoes from the water when they are cool to the touch. Repeat for each tomato you wish to peel.

4. Cut an X into the end where the tomato stem was with a sharp knife. Cut through the skin but not into the tomato fruit. Peel the skin off by gripping one of the cut pieces in your fingers and pulling it back.

5. Cut the tomato in half after it is peeled. Hold the half in the palm of your hand, and squeeze out the seeds into a bowl.

6. Scoop out any remaining seeds in the tomato half with your fingertip. Repeat for each tomato you are seeding.

Tips & Warnings

• Strain the seeds out of the tomato juice and add the juice to soups for more flavor. You can also drink the tomato juice.

• Replace the ice in the water bowl after each batch of tomatoes is cooled. The tomatoes will not cool and peel properly if the water is not ice-cold.

References

• University of Illinois Extension: Tomatoes