Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and remove the skins. Tomatoes, useful tips. Peeled tomatoes in their own juice

There may be several reasons for peeling tomatoes, as well as ways to do it without much difficulty. Our article will help you choose a method that is more convenient for you and suitable for the purposes for which you want to use tomatoes.

Why peel tomatoes?

The first reason you might need to peel tomatoes is for cooking. For soup, vegetable stew, sauce, the peel removed in advance gives an advantage in taste and aesthetic qualities. If you leave the peel, during the heat treatment it will separate from the vegetable on its own and remain in the dish, twisted into unsightly and rigid spirals.

The second reason is preserving vegetables for the winter. This includes canning, in particular tomato juice, and freezing. After freezing, a tomato no longer has the same elasticity, so it is more convenient when thawed when there is no skin on it.
The third reason for peeling tomatoes is the presence of nitrates and pesticides. If you grew your own vegetables or got them from friends, the product is probably organic. But greenhouse vegetables are brought to maturity by spraying with special substances.

When growing crops for production purposes on a large scale, in addition to spraying, chemical fertilizers and pest control agents are used. All these substances accumulate mainly in the skin of the vegetable. There are especially high levels of nitrates in the thick skins of red-orange varieties.

Important! If you cut a purchased tomato in half and see thick, light veins inside, place the tomatoes in cool water for an hour. After this they can be consumed.

Methods for peeling tomatoes

To make the process of peeling tomatoes easier, we have identified three of the most convenient methods. They are equally suitable for slightly unripe and ripe vegetables. The fastest way is exposure to high temperature in a microwave oven. But this option does not always work, which is due to the peculiarities of the technology. Whatever method you choose, you need to work quickly with high temperatures. Delay will cause the tomato to lose its appearance and spread.

Blanching

For blanching you will need a knife, a saucepan, a slotted spoon, and a bowl of ice water.

Did you know? Tomatoes contain serotonin, the hormone of happiness, and thiamine, which is converted into serotonin in the human body. Therefore, these vegetables can be safely called antidepressants.

Sequencing:

Use a knife to remove the hard core from the tomatoes.
Make a cross-shaped cut at the top of each vegetable.
Place tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds.
Then, using a slotted spoon, immediately transfer the fruits to cold water for about the same time.
Take out the vegetables and, starting from the cuts, separate the peel from the pulp, holding the corner between the knife blade and your thumb.

Video: how to peel tomatoes by blanching

Using a microwave

If you have a microwave and don’t want to bother with pots, this method is for you:

Wash the tomatoes with cool water and dry them.
Make cuts on each tomato on top and small cuts on the sides.
Arrange the vegetables on a large flat plate and place in the microwave.
Set the heating mode for 30 seconds and wait for the result.

The principle of operation is simple - the peel heats up and begins to lag behind the pulp. All you have to do is remove the peeled flaps.

Important! Strictly observe the time so that the tomatoes do not burn and start to release juice. If the first approach does not work, do not put the tomatoes in the microwave a second time, try another method.

Clean manually

This method is only suitable for very ripe fruits. Its advantage is the preservation of all useful vitamins and microelements in the vegetable, which heat treatment cannot boast of.

Step-by-step instruction:

Wash and dry the tomatoes.
Cut all the tomatoes into 4 parts.
Take each slice, hook it with a sharp knife onto the edge of the peel and, slowly, pull it, removing the flap.

On a ripe tomato, the skin comes off easily; sometimes it will need to be trimmed a little. If the vegetable is slightly underripe, place the quarter on a cutting board and cut out the flesh with a sharp knife. You can use a special knife to peel tomatoes.

Video: how to peel tomatoes by hand

Can you eat tomatoes with the skin on?

The peel of tomatoes is a real storehouse of vitamins: it contains more useful substances than the entire vegetable. If the recipe does not require removing the peel, it can be eaten. But given the nitrate content, before eating, wash the tomatoes thoroughly or leave them in cold water, then dry them completely (you can use a paper towel).

The peel is good for the intestines: it is quite dense and acts on it like a massager, forcing it to be in good shape. Thanks to this, beneficial elements from food are absorbed by the intestinal walls more fully and quickly. All of the methods described above for peeling tomatoes are equally good, but in the case of the manual method, the tomato will not remain intact. Try all three options and choose the most convenient one for yourself.

The skin of tomatoes can become bitter after heat treatment, and its texture often negatively affects the consistency of the dish, so when preparing most dishes it is recommended to remove this part of the vegetable. Some housewives try to grind tomatoes so as not to waste time getting rid of the skin, but this does not always meet the requirements of the recipe. And it’s not so difficult to clean the fruit, you just need to choose the best option for exposure and carry out the manipulation according to all the rules. By the way, if you have to remove the skin very often and you need to do it quickly, then it is better to initially purchase a special knife for this purpose.

Use boiling water or a gas burner

Methods that use preliminary heat treatment of tomatoes are most often used at home. They are simple, affordable, and allow you to remove the entire skin in a few seconds. The only disadvantage of this approach is that during such exposure the tomatoes are already beginning to cook. And this is unacceptable for a number of dishes in which vegetables must have a clear shape and dense texture.

Using boiling water. Boil water in a saucepan. Until it reaches the desired condition, the selected tomatoes need to be washed, peeled from the stems, dried and lightly cut with a cross on the pole opposite the stalk. Tomatoes, if there are no more than 4-5 of them, place them in water and wait until the skins begin to separate. Then we take out the vegetables with a spoon and quickly peel them. Even if the products are large, you should not keep them in boiling water for more than half a minute; they will begin to boil. In cases where you need to peel a lot of vegetables at once, you should work in batches. If you put a dozen fruits in boiling water, and then take them out and peel them, at least half of the vegetables will be boiled.

Using a gas burner. We wash the tomatoes thoroughly and remove leaves and anything unnecessary; you can hold them in very cold water for a few seconds. Dry the fruits and string them onto a fork or skewer from the stem side. We turn on the gas stove burner and place the vegetable literally above the flame. Constantly rotating, process the tomato for at least 15 seconds. Then we evaluate the condition of the skin; it should burst, which will allow it to be easily removed. If you have to work with a large tomato, then first you should make cuts in several places, this will simplify the task.

Tip: There is one trick that will quickly stop the internal cooking of tomatoes. Immediately after the skin can be removed from the surface of the pulp, the fruit should be placed in very cold water for a few seconds. But it must be pre-boiled or drinkable, otherwise the product will taste like bleach.

It is worth considering that these methods do not always help remove the peel from tomatoes that are not yet very ripe. It just doesn't go away and keeps breaking off. In this case, there is no need to repeat experiments using high temperatures. It is better to simply peel the fruits with a knife, and in the future be more attentive to the process of selecting them.

Advantages and disadvantages of “cold” methods

If the recipe requires it, you can do without boiling water and a gas burner. True, with such a straightforward approach, removing the thick skin will not be easy. And the result is not always pleasing, especially if the fruits are not yet fully ripe or the variety is very dense. Pieces of peel will constantly tear, come off along with particles of pulp, and the pulp itself will be crushed with your fingers. Finally, if there are a lot of vegetables, it will take quite a long time to carry them around.

The manipulation will be a little easier if you adhere to the following rules during the process:

First, the tomatoes need to be thoroughly washed and kept in cold water, removed from the leaves, and then dried.
If the recipe allows, then the fruit should be divided into quarters; this is especially helpful when working with oblong, plum-shaped varieties.
Place the pieces on the table, skin side down, seeds on top. We take a very sharp knife and run it along the very base of the tomato, trying to remove the pulp as close to the skin as possible. We do the same with the rest of the products.
If you come across large tomatoes, then it is better not to cut them, but to take them whole in your hand and make several cuts on the peel with a pre-hot knife. Next, we take a cold knife and try to clear the surface of the product from the skin, catching the loose edges. This may take a lot of time, but the result will be optimal.

In general, if it is possible to peel tomatoes using thermal approaches, it is better to take ripe, but not yet stale vegetables. But for mechanical cleaning, products that are already slightly ripe are more suitable; the skin will come off more actively and without pulp. But, regardless of the type of exposure, you need to remember that you need to get to work only after the fruits have been thoroughly washed, especially if they will not be heated further.

Kira Stoletova

Sometimes when preparing culinary dishes it is necessary to remove the skin from a tomato. This can be done using several methods.

Boiling water treatment

When looking for an answer to the question: “How to remove the skin from a tomato?” You can turn to the most popular method - blanching. This method of pre-heat treatment involves immersing the tomato in boiling water for a short time and then in ice water. Processing is divided into several stages:

pour water into the container and bring it to a boil;
While the water is boiling, peel the tomatoes, removing the remaining stems;
On the side opposite to the cutting, cuts are made on the skin of the tomato, preferably in the form of a cross, which facilitates the process of removing the skin;
a large bowl is filled with water at a minimum cold temperature, the temperature is also lowered by adding ice to the water, a container with ice water is placed not far from the oven;
vegetables are immersed in boiling water for 30 seconds, it is preferable not to exceed this time so that the tomatoes in boiling water do not cook or soften;
vegetables are immediately transferred from boiling water to a bowl with ice and kept in cold water for 30 seconds.

Tomatoes, after preliminary heat treatment in boiling water, can be easily and quickly peeled, while peeling the skin begins from the place of the cross cut. Hard areas are cut off with a knife.

A wide-diameter saucepan or deep frying pan is suitable for blanching tomatoes.

Blanching tomatoes is an effective method when you need to quickly peel a large amount of vegetables.

Processing by baking

Pre-baking allows you to easily remove the peel from a tomato, for which you use a microwave oven or oven, where the product is previously placed. Initially, a cross-shaped cut is made on the tomato. The heating mode is set to maximum power, the timer is set to 30 s.

Removing the tomato skin and pre-baking the vegetable allows you to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients it contains and the quality of the product.

The wrinkled skin allows you to determine the readiness of a tomato.

Fire treatment

Peeling tomatoes is easy if you preheat them over an open fire with a gas burner. The procedure includes the following:

the remains of the cuttings are removed;
a cross-shaped incision is made on the opposite side;
the gas burner is turned on at the maximum possible power;
Using metal tongs, hold the product above the fire at a distance of 3 cm, slowly turning it for up to 30 s until the skin darkens.

The heated tomato is cooled, for which it is also permissible to use ice water. The cooled product is peeled, starting from the cross-shaped cut.

Quite often, when preparing certain dishes, the housewife needs tomatoes. They contain a large amount of vitamins and other useful substances, and they themselves have a pleasant taste and aroma.

Usually during cooking you need to peel the tomato. Otherwise, under the influence of high temperatures, it rolls up and remains very hard, which can significantly spoil the appearance and taste of the dish. There are several proven methods for removing the skin from a tomato. Let's look at each of them in more detail.

It all depends on what kind of dish you are preparing. Soup or tomato broth, tomatoes baked in the oven or fried in a pan, or maybe assorted vegetables cooked over a fire?

Method one: using boiling water

Many experienced housewives know how to peel tomatoes using hot water. This method is the most popular and widespread. Let's take a closer look at it.

You will need a large bowl or pan, boiling water and the tomatoes themselves. First, cut each vegetable at the very top with a knife crosswise. After this, place the product in a saucepan and add hot water. The ripeness of the tomatoes must be taken into account. If they are very ripe, then it will take them half a minute for the skin to begin to come off. If the product is not ripe, then keep it in water for at least sixty seconds. In this case, it is very important not to overcook the vegetables, otherwise they will simply begin to cook.

Remove the tomatoes and place them in cold water. Now, using a thin knife, grab the end of the skin and pull it. You will see how the skin itself separates from the tomato.

Method two: blanching

Surely everyone knows how to blanch vegetables before freezing. Did you know that you can very easily peel tomatoes this way? So, how to separate the skin from a tomato using blanching?

Rinse the vegetables and boil the water. Place the tomatoes in boiling water one at a time for twenty seconds. As soon as you see that the skin is cracked, immediately remove the product from the water. Place the tomatoes in the cold liquid and carefully peel off the skins.

Method three: using a microwave

Nowadays, almost every home has such equipment as a microwave oven. It can not only help you reheat or defrost food, but also peel tomatoes. in the microwave?

Place the tomatoes on a flat-bottomed plate and make a few slits in the tops. Place the vegetables in and turn on the heating mode for 30 seconds. During this time, under the influence of microwaves, the skin will heat up and begin to separate from the pulp. All you have to do is carefully remove it.

Option four

Some housewives choose a rather complicated method of removing the skin from a tomato. They simply make cross cuts on the vegetables and try to peel them, pulling the skin away from the pulp. This method is not easy, but has a right to exist.

Method five: baking

If you cook tomatoes by roasting them completely, you don't have to peel them first. It is recommended to add salt and your favorite spices to the tomatoes. Place the vegetables on a baking dish and place it in the oven. After heat treatment, the skin will become wrinkled and begin to separate on its own. You can peel the vegetable immediately before use. This method will preserve the taste of the product and the juice in it as much as possible, as well as all the beneficial properties.

It is better not to peel tomatoes cooked over a fire first. In this case, their peel becomes covered with a black crust and easily comes off on its own. It is better to serve vegetables prepared in this way in their original form, and peel them before eating.

Removing the seeds

You probably already understand how to remove the skin from a tomato. But sometimes the recipe requires peeling the vegetable from the seeds. In order to carry out this manipulation as correctly as possible, it is necessary to cut the peeled tomatoes in half, and each half into three more parts.

After this, use a sharp knife to remove the seeds from the pulp and carefully rinse the tomatoes.

It is much more pleasant to eat tomatoes without skin (pickled or stewed, fresh or boiled). Tomato peel is poorly absorbed by the human body and is practically not digested. It also spoils the appearance of the dish, making it less appetizing. That is why many recipes recommend removing it.

The seeds also do not provide any particular benefit to the body. That is why, in order to get the best from this product, it is necessary to thoroughly peel the tomatoes completely, leaving only the pulp. Cook with pleasure and choose the methods of cleaning this vegetable that suit you. Bon appetit!

The skin on the tomato remains dense even after heat treatment of the vegetable, which is not very pleasant when eating the dish. It gets stuck between the teeth, sticks to the roof of the mouth and spoils the appetite with its presence, so it is wise to get rid of the skin of the tomato before cooking it.

There are several ways to remove the peel, that is, blanch tomatoes without much effort, without damaging the pulp. The most effective of them are described in our article with a visual video.

Advice: To make it easier to remove the skin from a tomato, the main condition is to first make a shallow cross-shaped cut on the side opposite to the cutting.

How to Blanch Tomatoes to Peel

Despite the density of the protective layer of the tomato, it can be easily separated by pouring boiling water over the vegetable. The method is not applicable to all varieties, but only to thin-barked ones.

Sequencing

Place the tomatoes in a deep container and pour boiling water for 1 minute.
Drain the water and let the fruits cool.
The thin skin can be easily removed. It is enough to pry the folded edge with your fingernail or the tip of a knife.

Advice: After you have managed to remove the skin from a tomato using a hot method, it is better to immediately immerse the peeled vegetable in cold boiled water to stop the heat treatment process.

Temperature difference - from hot to cold

This method is more effective than blanching tomatoes because it works with all varieties of tomatoes. If you are short on time and have difficulty figuring out how to peel several tomatoes quickly, this is the solution to the problem.

Sequencing

Pour water into a saucepan and bring the liquid to a boil.
Prepare the tomatoes: wash and remove the stems with the tip of a knife.
Make a cross-shaped cut on the opposite side to make removing the skin easier.
Pour cold water into a deep bowl and add ice to lower the temperature as much as possible.
Place tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. It is better not to exceed this period of time so that the vegetables do not cook or soften.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water and leave there for the same amount of time.
After this treatment, tomatoes are easy to peel. Hard areas can be carefully trimmed with a knife.

Among the options for how to peel tomatoes, there are also more non-standard ones.

How to remove the skin using a microwave or electric oven

As in the previous methods, a cross-shaped cut is required at the top of the tomato. The device mode is set to maximum power, and the timer is set to 30 seconds.

This way you can blanch homemade or store-bought tomatoes, and thanks to baking, the maximum nutrients are preserved. The method is relevant for situations when you need to peel one or more tomatoes at once.

You can determine readiness by the wrinkled skin of the product.

How to clean with a gas torch

To learn how to peel a fresh tomato over the open fire of a gas burner, and not bake it in the process, it is advisable to learn the correct sequence of actions and adhere to all points.

Important: For small cherry tomatoes it is better not to use this method.

Instructions:

Wash the tomatoes.
Remove cuttings.
Make a cross-shaped cut on the other side.
Turn on the burner to maximum.
Prick the tomato at the stem with a fork, skewer, or take it with metal tongs.
Bring the vegetable to the fire at least 3 cm away, slowly turn it for 30 seconds until the skin begins to burst.
The heated tomato should be cooled, for which ice water in a deep container is also suitable.
After this, you can peel the vegetable, starting with a cross-shaped cut.

For the described procedure, a gas stove, oven, fireplace, fire or gas grill is suitable.

Advice: When holding metal tools brought to an open fire, it is advisable to protect your hands with special potholders or mittens.

Baking

When you have a large number of tomatoes and you have time, you can place the vegetables in an oven preheated to 180 degrees, placing them in a single layer on a frying pan or sheet. The principle is the same as with any hot method - you need to wait until the tomatoes shrink a little under the influence of high temperature (after about a few minutes), and then quickly cool them and remove the skin with the blunt side of a knife. Before baking, you should first make cuts, as usual.

How to Peel Using a Knife or Peeler

It is possible to remove the peel without heat treatment using a potato peeler, special kitchen tools, or a regular, but very sharp knife.

Important: The “cold” method is more suitable for overripe soft tomatoes, as well as for small quantities.

Tomatoes must be thoroughly washed and then dried. First remove the stalks.
If the recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, it is easier to peel them with a sharp knife and cut them into slices.
Large fruits are cut crosswise with a hot tool, and then the loose peel is pryed off and removed in the usual way.
To simplify the process as much as possible, you need to first freeze the vegetable for 10-15 minutes. But it is worth considering that after this some of the beneficial substances will be lost.
The procedure is easily carried out using a special serrated knife for peeling tomatoes.

Tomatoes peeled in this way do not always have an attractive appearance, but they can be used to make sauce or juice.

Advice: Bright, neatly and thinly cut tomato peels can be used to decorate holiday dishes, making flowers from it. The peel can be in the form of a spiral or petals, which is convenient for decoration.

To prevent tough and inedible tomato skins from spoiling the food experience, any cook should know how to remove it thoroughly and quickly. You can choose the appropriate method based on the ripeness of the fruit and the intended recipe. Let our advice help you cope with this task easily.