How to Peel a Tomato

You know how to peel a carrot, potato and maybe even a zucchini, but you may go your entire life without even peeling a tomato. Many people do, don’t feel sad.

But don’t you wish you knew how? It is easier than you think! 

Learn how to peel a tomato in just a minute! Super easy without cooking the tomato. Perfect for sauces, salads and salsas.

Peeling tomatoes is a basic kitchen skill we should all have. Peeled tomatoes are used in all sorts of tasty recipes that don’t need the waxy skin getting in the way of the tender, juicy flesh of your delicious tomatoes. 

It sounds daunting, but it really isn’t. And after you get used to peeling tomatoes, the process actually goes quite fast.

What types of recipes use peeled tomatoes? Plenty! And honestly you can use a peeled tomato in any recipe that calls for unpeeled tomatoes, just minus the skin.

 

Off the top of my head, use peeled tomatoes in salsa, marinara sauce, salads, tomato sauces, bruschetta and more! When you start to think about it, I’m sure you’ll come up with a handful of ways to use peeled tomatoes. 

If you have too many fresh tomatoes during tomato season, you’ll want to skin them before canning or jarring. 

So here it is… how to peel a tomato:

ONE. Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water, bring to a boil.

TWO. While waiting for the boiling water and then prepare a bowl of ice water to make an ice bath. It you prepare your pot of water too soon, the ice will melt by the time you need it. 

THREE. Using a sharp paring knife, score an “X” in the bottom of each tomato. You can also remove the stem. Don’t worry about getting the whole thing, the rest will come off when you peel it. 

FOUR. When the water comes to a boil, drop 1-2 tomatoes into the saucepan. Before careful to not crowd the pot. Boil for 30-45 seconds.

FIVE. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the tomatoes and plunge into ice water. Allow to sit for 1 minutes before removing to a plate.

 SIX. Skin should easily peel off the tomato.

Use tomatoes however you see fit and enjoy your new kitchen skill! 

Tools for peeling tomatoes:

Small Saucepan – Small saucepans are great for sauces, reheating and peeling just a couple of tomatoes!

Paring Knife – Every kitchen needs a good paring knife. You don’t think you need one… until ya do! 

Tongs– Another kitchen essential everyone should have! 

Recipes that use peeled tomatoes:

• Creamy Tomato Salad Dressing
• Homemade Tomato Bisque
• Tomato Jam 

Question you might have about how to peel a tomato: 

Will this work on any variety of tomato? It sure will! This technique even works on other similarly skinned fruits like peaches. 

Can I skin a tomato without boiling? You can use a very sharp knife and cut the skin off, but you will also cut off some of the tomato flesh in the process and it won’t look as pretty. 

I’ve also heard of people using a vegetable peeler, but I’ve never had luck using this method. 

Does this technique work all recipes that call for a peeled tomato? It sure does! Soup, salsa and beyond!