• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Norecipes - Elevating Everyday Meals

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cuisine
  • Ingredient
  • Type
  • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cuisine
    • Ingredient
    • Type
    • Start Here
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Ingredient » Vegetable

    Updated: May 27, 2023 by Marc · 6 Comments

    How to Peel Tomato Skin

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    Why peel tomatoes?

    Supermarket tomatoes are usually grown in greenhouses, so the fruit tends to be thin-skinned, but tomatoes grown outdoors and ripened under the sun tend to have thicker waxy skins that can be unpleasant to eat and can ruin the texture of pasta sauces.

    By peeling the tomatoes before using them, you can not only make them easier to eat; it also exposes the vibrant colored flesh under the dull skins which can make salads more colorful.

    Why does boiling tomatoes make them easier to peel?

    As a tomato cooks the cell walls in the flesh break down, causing the tomato to dissolve. By quickly boiling and chilling the tomato it allows you to dissolve a layer of tomato just under the skin without cooking the tomato through. This releases the skin making it slide off very easily.

    How long should I blanch tomatoes for to peel them?

    This depends on the size of the tomato and how ripe it is. The larger the tomato, the longer it can take, and the less ripe the tomato, the longer it will take. I usually let cherry tomatoes go for 2-3 seconds while I start out with 5 seconds for bigger tomatoes. Bowl of peeled tomatoes.

    Do the tomatoes need to be scored?

    I usually score them as it makes it much easier to tell when they’ve blanched for long enough (the skin will start to pull away from the are the tomato was scored). Scoring them also makes tomatoes easier to peel once they’ve been blanched. That being said, it does leave little marks on the bottoms, so if you want the tomatoes to maintain a perfect shape, you can skip this step.

    Can I peel a tomato without boiling it?

    You can steam them or microwave them, but both of these methods have their drawbacks. When you add things to a steamer, you have to open the lid, releasing the steam. It takes a while to get the temperature back up after you’ve added the tomatoes and closed the lid. This can result in more of the tomato being cooked than if you were to blanch them in boiling water.

    Similarly, microwave ovens heat unevenly, so some parts of the tomato may get overcooked while other parts won’t get hot enough to make them easy to peel. You’ll also need to do them a few at a time to make them cook as evenly as possible so starting and stopping the microwave a bunch of times is a bigger hassle than just dunking them in boiling water. Overhead shot of a bowl of peeled tomatoes.

    What can I do with peeled tomatoes?

    So many possibilities here. I love peeling tomatoes when I use them in salads as it makes them juicier and exposes the vibrant colored flesh making the salad more colorful. Here's a recipe for my Tomato Purslane Salad as well as my Watermelon Tomato Salad.

    For sauces like my Basic Tomato Sauce, I like to peel the tomatoes because it avoids those waxy curls of skin that tend to get stuck between your teeth.

    Bowl of peeled tomatoes.

    How to Peel Tomatoes

    4 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Discuss
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Total Time 5 minutes mins
    Yield 5 tomatoes

    Units

    Ingredients 

    • 5 tomatoes

    Instructions

    • Using a sharp knife score and "x" into the bottom of each tomato. Be careful not to score them too deeply or they will fall apart when you blanch them.
      Score the tomato skin using a paring knife.
    • Prepare a large bowl of ice water.
      Prepare an ice water bath to rapidly chill the tomatoes after they've been blanched.
    • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and lower the tomatoes into the water a few at a time.
      Dropping cherry tomatoes into boiling water to peel them.
    • Blanch the tomatoes for 5 seconds and transfer them to the bowl of ice water using a slotted spoon.
      Cherry tomatoes falling into an ice water bath after being blanched.
    • For cherry tomatoes you should be able to pop them out of their skins by giving them a twist and squeeze.
      Peeling cherry tomato.
    • 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.
      Peeling tomato with a paring knife.
    Recipes in your inboxDon't miss out SIGN UP!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Nicky says

      February 25, 2020 at 9:39 pm

      Thanks for the help. Homemade salsa here i come!!!

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        February 27, 2020 at 9:05 am

        Hi Nicky! Glad to hear it was helpful 😀

        Reply
    2. manuel says

      December 04, 2021 at 8:52 am

      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.

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        December 05, 2021 at 12:20 am

        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.

        Reply
    3. Eddie says

      February 19, 2023 at 7:13 pm

      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)

      Reply
      • Marc Matsumoto says

        February 19, 2023 at 7:53 pm

        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.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

    Start Here →

    Trending Recipes

    • Luxuriously smooth scoop of homemade matcha ice cream.
      Matcha Ice Cream (No-Churn)
    • Edamame
    • Experience the irresistible allure of my butter chicken recipe, showcasing tender chicken pieces swimming in a luxuriously smooth and flavorsome sauce.
      Butter Chicken
    • A glossy mirrorlike shine is the hallmark of any great Japanese chicken teriyaki, and this one comes together from just 4 simple ingredients.
      Authentic Chicken Teriyaki
    • A staple of Chinese-American take-out joints, this Chicken Chow Mein recipe is an easy and delicious one-pan meal.
      Chicken Chow Mein
    • Kung Pao Chicken

    Trending Categories

    • Summer
    • Japanese (Modern)
    • Japanese (Traditional)
    • Japanese (Chinese)
    • Stir Fry
    • Easy Weeknight

    Hi, I'm Marc Matsumoto, a retired chef living in Tokyo, and I founded No Recipes to empower home cooks of all levels by sharing essential techniques and my kitchen secrets.

    Start Here →

    Trending Recipes

    • Luxuriously smooth scoop of homemade matcha ice cream.
      Matcha Ice Cream (No-Churn)
    • Edamame
    • Experience the irresistible allure of my butter chicken recipe, showcasing tender chicken pieces swimming in a luxuriously smooth and flavorsome sauce.
      Butter Chicken
    • A glossy mirrorlike shine is the hallmark of any great Japanese chicken teriyaki, and this one comes together from just 4 simple ingredients.
      Authentic Chicken Teriyaki
    • A staple of Chinese-American take-out joints, this Chicken Chow Mein recipe is an easy and delicious one-pan meal.
      Chicken Chow Mein
    • Kung Pao Chicken

    Trending Categories

    • Summer
    • Japanese (Modern)
    • Japanese (Traditional)
    • Japanese (Chinese)
    • Stir Fry
    • Easy Weeknight

    Footer

    About

    • About
    • Help Me
    • Hire Me
    • Photography
    • FAQs

    Connect

    • Email Updates
    • Contact

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy

    Copyright © 2023 Marc Matsumoto. All rights reserved