When it comes to cooking, peeling tomatoes is a very useful bit of information to know. I’ve used this method for years but have since discovered that when I’m in a hurry I can use my very sharp Victorinox knife especially useful for making a gorgeous, juicy in-season tomato salad, salsa or uncooked tomato pasta sauce. Holding the sharp knife perpendicular to the tomato, work in a sawing motion around the circumference until the tomato is peeled. If the tomato is especially tight skinned, make a slit in the skin first to get started.
Blanching Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. With a very sharp knife, cut an “X” in the skin on the blossom end of the tomatoes, not the stem end. Plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds and up to a minute, just until you see the skins peel back and loosen a bit. Remove to a colander and run under cold water over them for a couple of minutes. Let cool, peel with a paring knife. Cut tomatoes in half horizontally. Gently squeeze out the seeds from the tomato or get your thumbs in there and dig them out, I find that method quite efficient. Proceed to use as required in your recipe.
