Peeling tomatoes might seem like an unnecessary step, but if you've ever found tough skins in a silky sauce, you know why it matters. Whether you're simmering them in marinara sauce, making salsa, or preparing them for canning, learning how to easily peel tomatoes elevates your cooking. This method is simple, and watching how effortlessly they shed their skins is satisfying and almost magical. Here's my favorite method for peeling tomatoes, perfected through years of practice.
Jump to:
Why This Method Works
- Hot Water Blanching Method — A quick dip in boiling water loosens the tomato skins by breaking down the pectin just underneath it. Plunging them into ice water stops the cooking process, ensuring the flesh stays firm and intact.
- Make Slits — Scoring small cuts into the skin with a paring knife creates little flaps, making peeling as easy as removing a banana peel.
- Move Quickly — Your aim here is to loosen the skin without fully cooking the tomato. Working swiftly helps achieve perfectly peeled tomatoes that retain their fresh, juicy texture.
How to Peel Tomatoes Easily
Preparation
- Rinse the tomatoes thoroughly in cool water.
- Using a sharp knife, score a shallow "X" at the bottom of each tomato to facilitate peeling later.
- Prepare an ice bath.
Blanching the Tomatoes
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
- Carefully lower the tomatoes into the boiling water.
- Blanch for about 5 seconds.
- Tip: The timing depends on the thickness of the skin and firmness of the tomato. Over-blanching cooks fruit, making them mushy, so start with shorter amounts of time. You can always blanch them again if they're hard to peel. Roma tomatoes tend to have tougher skins; cherry tomatoes take the least amount of time to blanch.
Ice Bath and Peel
- Quickly transfer the blanched fruit into an ice water bath using a slotted spoon or spider strainer.
- Allow them to cool enough to handle.
- To peel the big ones, grab hold of a flap of skin where you scored it and peel it back like a banana. For cherry tomatoes, you should be able to pop them out of their skins by giving them a gentle squeeze.
- From here, you can slice, seed, or crush the peeled tomato, depending on whether you're canning them, cooking them, or serving them in a salad. This is also the point to core the tomato, if needed.
What to Use Peeled Tomatoes For
Now that you've got a pile of peeled tomatoes, you're halfway to a stellar sauce. Use them in my Best Tomato Sauce—slow-cooked and rich, it's a pantry staple. Or use them to make my Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe for a cozy Tuscan twist on tomato soup. If pasta's on the menu, try my super quick Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or go big with Spaghetti and Meatballs or Chicken Parmesan. For something more traditional, Bucatini all'Amatriciana is always a solid bet. If you're looking for a hearty vegetarian option, try my Chickpea Spaghetti, which delivers on flavor and protein and can be seasoned many ways. You can also try my Chinese Tomato and Egg Stir-Fry, which pairs the smooth peeled tomato texture with silky scrambled eggs and Asian spices.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Units
Ingredients
- 5 tomatoes
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife score and "x" into the bottom of 5 tomatoes. Be careful not to score them too deeply or they will fall apart when you blanch them.
- Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and lower the tomatoes into the water a few at a time.
- Blanch the tomatoes for 5 seconds and transfer them to the bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon.
- For cherry tomatoes you should be able to pop them out of their skins by giving them a twist and squeeze.
- For bigger tomatoes you can use a paring knife to get you started and then you should be able to peel the tomato using your fingers.
Nutrition Facts
FAQs
If the blanching method isn't an option, try scoring and roasting tomatoes in a hot oven until the skins loosen; then peel them once they're cool enough to handle. This method will result in partially cooking them, so it's not suitable for salads, but it will work if you plan on cooking the them into a tomato sauce or canning salsa.
Yes, by applying a flame directly to a tomato using a torch or burner you can loosen its skin. However, it's not a very controlled method and takes longer than this blanching method. But if you've got pyrotechnic tendencies, flame on!
Typically, I blanch tomatoes in boiling water for about 5-10 seconds. It's just enough to loosen the skin without cooking the tomato itself.
Yes, but it does remove the protective skin, so you'll want to use them within a day.
It's not mandatory, but peeling them yields smoother tomato sauces with no tough pieces of skin.
Eddie says
I am not sure why you want skin off on a tomato (if it's dtore bought your better off getting a can, already peeled and so much tastier in my opinion).
I;ve actually been trying to find ways to warm/cook them keepinging skin on, do little cherry tomatoes pop in your mouth but warm (even hot)
Marc Matsumoto says
Not sure where you're at, but some countries (like US/Canada/Australia) have hybridized their tomatoes to have very thin skin so it's not a big deal, but here in Japan the good tomatoes have skin that's so thick its like eating plastic wrap. That's why we peel them before using them in salads.
It's an interesting idea but it's pretty unlikely you're going to have much success cooking the tomato without having the skin come loose. It won't warm them up, but if you have a chamber vacuum you could try and pull a vacuum on the tomatoes and release it. This will compress the flesh giving it a texture more like cooked tomatoes without actually heating it up.
susan says
Wow, I didn't know you could peel LITTLE tomatoes without cooking them !!! And still have fresh tomato for salad, etc. That's great.!! Some cherry tomatoes are sooo tough. Thank you for the tip. Have a great day !!!
Marc says
Hi Susan, I'm happy to hear this was helpful! I agree, good cherry tomatoes often have really tough skin.
manuel says
Timings are wrong. about a minute and a half for cherry tomatoes, and longer for bigger tomatoes. I followed the instructions and the cherry tomatoes were raw and not easy to peel.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Manuel, the timing will vary by factors like how thick the skin of the tomatoes are, how ripe they are, and how cold they were, but a minute and a half for cherry tomatoes would basically cook them. This method is for peeling the tomatoes while they're still raw so you can use them in things like salads.
Nicky says
Thanks for the help. Homemade salsa here i come!!!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Nicky! Glad to hear it was helpful 😀