Yesterday I posted a recipe for matbucha, a Moroccan cooked tomato salad. When making this salad with fresh tomatoes (rather than canned), you want to use peeled tomatoes. After I posted the recipe, I suddenly thought I should post a little tutorial on how to peel tomatoes. You can’t exactly use a potato peeler, especially if they’re very ripe or soft. There are three easy ways to peel a tomato (that I know about), so I thought I’d write up a quick “how to” post. I’ve written the instructions and posted step-by-step photos below. With tomato season starting soon, it’s a helpful thing to know how to do.
So, why peel a tomato? Tomato skins, when cooked slowly in liquid or sauce, tend to separate from the soft tomato flesh. This can create a stringy, unappealing texture in an otherwise lovely sauce. Here are three simple ways you can peel a tomato. All of them are easy-peasy and take less than a minute per tomato.
In a few days, I’ll do a post about seeding tomatoes and another about roasting them– both are useful techniques to have under your belt. Can you tell I’ve got tomatoes on the brain? I’m really looking forward to the warm weather coming back. I can almost smell those fresh, ripe, sweet tomatoes at the farmer’s market…
How to Peel Tomatoes
You Will Need
- Tomatoes
For Gas Flame Method You Will Need
Gas stovetop
- Fork
For Boiling Water Method You Will Need
- Pot of water
- Large bowl of ice water
- Sharp knife
- Slotted Spoon
For Knife Method You Will Need
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
Gas Flame Method
- Using a gas flame is the easiest way to peel tomatoes, in my opinion. It also produces the best results. You will need a gas stovetop and a fork.
- Remove any stems that are still attached to your tomatoes. Rinse the tomatoes clean and pat dry. Spear the tomato with a fork at the top, where the stem core is visible.
Turn the stovetop flame to medium high. Hold the tomato an inch over the flame, turning slowly, until the skin begins to split and blister. It should take about 15-25 seconds for the skin to loosen all the way around the tomato. Don't hold it over the flame too long or it will start to cook the tomato.- Place the tomato on a smooth surface and let it cool off enough for you to comfortably touch it. Begin peeling the skin where it split, making your way all around the tomato till all the skin is peeled off.
Discard the skin and proceed with your recipe.
Boiling Water Method
- The boiling water method is useful for when you have a large batch of tomatoes to peel. You can process 3-4 tomatoes at a time using this method.
- Place a pot of water on the stove and let it come to a rolling boil. Place your bowl of ice water next to the stove so it is easily accessible. Rinse your tomatoes clean and remove any stems that are still attached.
- Using a sharp knife, slice a shallow X into the bottom of the tomato (opposite the stem side).
Gently place the tomatoes into the boiling water. If you have several tomatoes, boil them in batches of 3-4 at a time. 
Boil the tomatoes till you see the X begin to split open wider, or for 25 seconds, whichever comes first. Do not boil them for longer than 25-30 seconds or they will begin to soften and cook.- Remove the tomatoes immediately from the boiling water using a slotted spoon.
Place the tomatoes directly into the bowl of ice water and let them cool off. This will help to stop any "cooking" that has started.
Remove the tomatoes from the ice water. Begin peeling the skin at the X, pulling the skin back gently.
Not much tomato flesh should come off with the skin-- if the flesh comes off or the tomato seems soft/mushy, you've cooked it a bit too long. Try cooking it for a shorter time on the next round.- Discard the skin and proceed with your recipe.
Knife Method
- This is my least favorite method for peeling tomatoes, because you can end up discarding some tomato flesh no matter how good you are with a knife. However, it's the only method that doesn't involve heating the tomatoes, however briefly. I'm including it so you have all the options. Rinse your tomatoes and pat them dry. Slice the tomatoes into large wedges.
Work with one tomato wedge at a time. Place a wedge on a cutting board, seed side facing up, skin side facing down. Press the tomato wedge firmly to the board to keep it stable. Using a sharp knife, starting at one tip of the wedge, slice the skin away from the tomato flesh. Keep the knife as close to the skin as possible, so you're slicing off the skin only and not slicing off the flesh of the tomato.
Work your way from one tip of the tomato wedge to the other, till all the skin is removed from the wedge.
Discard the skin and proceed with your recipe.
The way my mom taught me to peel a tomato is like this.
Hold your tomato in your left hand and with your right hand use the back side (the non cutting side) of a butter knife. Go over the entire tomato “bruising” the tomato or scraping at the skin but not actually cutting it. When you’ve done the whole tomato use the tip of a sharp knife and lift a little bit of the skin. The skin should peel right off. If you get those mealy type of tomatoes this won’t work as well because the skin will take some of the flesh with it. This is a great way if you don’t have a gas stove top and you just want to peel a tomato for a sandwich.
Great tip Ann, thanks for sharing!
That’s exactly the way a dear, old friend taught me to do it, too, about 40-45 years ago. She was Austrian, married over 60 years to an Italian man. I don’t remember if it was the way HER MOTHER or her mother-IN-LAW taught her to do it that way, but over 100 yrs. ago, this is how it was being done!
good tips….thanks so much
Great tips! Last year we had so many fresh tomatoes from the garden that I ended up freezing them. They were super easy to peel for use in my tomato sauce. Just ran them under warm water and the skin came right off.
Great tips! However, I found a fruit peeler which is different from a potato peeler and it works perfectly on tomatoes as well as on fruits like peaches, plums etc. I don’t remember where I got it though…
Coincidentally, I just did the boiling water method with tomatoes last week. It worked like a charm. Now I’m definitely going to try the gas burner method next time.
Love your blog! I’m looking forward to you other two tutorials on seeding and roasting tomatoes. Tnx
I use a SERRATED vegetable peeler on tomatoes all the time and have no trouble. The straight edged vegetable peeler doesn’t work anywhere near as well.
Brilliant! I just used the boiling water / ice water method. The cross cut at the bottom made all the difference. It was simple to do and worth the extra effort because the skins just lifted off. Thankyou
Ann – just tried your method, worked perfectly!