Peeling a tomato may not be something you often need to do, however recipes sometimes require the tomato to be peeled and seeded. Peel and seeds can often bring with them a bitter taste so some recipes require them to be removed. So here is a simple way to peel a tomato without too much effort. You can also use this method to peel plums and peaches.
- Wash the tomato and remove the stem. Make sure you only remove as much of the tomato as is necessary to detach the stem and the surrounding green skin.
- On the bottom of the tomato cut a shallow X. This will help when you are peeling the tomato later.
- Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside for later. Then bring a pot of water to boil. Drop the tomato into the boiling water and remove after 30 seconds (or when the skin begins to peel).
- Quickly remove the tomato and place the tomato into the bowl of ice water. Leave the tomato in the ice water for at least 5 minutes. The tomato needs to be cool all the way through so that the cooking process will stop which began in the boiling water.
- Once the tomato is chilled take it out from the ice water. The tomato should still be firm, but the skin should be wrinkled or hanging off.
- Using your hands, peel the skin off.
- If parts of the skin are stubborn, use a sharp paring knife. Be careful not to squeeze the tomato.
- You should be left with a perfectly peeled tomato.
