Many times, recipes call for tomatoes that have been peeled and seeded. Canned diced tomatoes come in handy here, but if you want to take advantage of summer’s full-flavor fresh tomatoes, you’ll have to hone your DIY kitchen skills. It isn’t difficult, though–even if you don’t have a food mill (a device that removes the skin and seeds from soft fruits and vegetables), you can easily peel and seed tomatoes for sauces, soups, etc. Here’s how:
- Put the tomatoes in a deep bowl, leaving a bit of space at the top.
- Boil enough water to cover the tomatoes completely.
- Pour the boiling water over the tomatoes and let them sit for 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon or tongs, take out the first tomato. You’ll want to be working over a cutting board since this part gets a bit messy.
- Use a sharp knife to lift a little piece of the skin. The rest will tear off easily, in large strips. Be careful when peeling–the inner flesh of the tomato will be hot!
- Slice the peeled tomato down the center, hold it over the sink, and scoop out the seeds with your fingers. You may want to peel all of the tomatoes first and then seed them all.
- Depending on what you’re making, you may wish to chop or mince the tomatoes. If you have one of the hand blenders I mentioned in an earlier post (see “Handy Hand Blenders” for more information), you can leave the tomatoes in large chunks.
That’s it! All you need is a bowl, boiling water, and a bit of patience!
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Tags: blanching, cooking, peeling tomatoes, removing skins, tomatoes
