How to Peel Tomatoes Like Grandma Used To (2024)

Our Test Kitchen expert reveals her tips for how to peel tomatoes every which way.

Let’s clear the air here. Most of the time, you don’t need to peel a tomato. A quick slice or chop is all it takes to lend their juicy flavor to a sandwich, salad, or one of our many fresh tomato recipes. So why make the extra effort? When you want the texture of a dish-such as salsa, soup, jam or sauce-to be as smooth as silk, removing tomato skin is the way to go.

Tomatoes don’t need to be peeled with a blade like carrots and potatoes do. Trust us; that would get messy. A tomato’s delicate texture calls for a more creative approach. Culinary expert Christine Rukavena shows us the best way to peel a tomato—three of them, in fact. Let’s walk through each, step by step.

Find out which types of tomato will work best in your recipe.

How to Peel Tomatoes: The Blanching Method

Boiling is the quickest and most convenient way to peel a tomato. The skin lifts easily from the vegetable—erm, fruit—and the partial cooking helps preserve the tomato’s fresh flavor and plump texture.

Taste of Home

Step 1: Prepare the tomatoes

Wrangle up a large saucepan and fill two-thirds of it with water; bring to a boil. As the water heats, use the time to give the tomatoes a little prep. Give them each a gentle rinse in the sink and remove their cores. On the bottom of each, make a small X-shaped insertion with the tip of your knife.

Step 2: Boil, boil, boil

Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower the tomatoes into the water, one at a time. Cook for 30-60 seconds. You’ll know they’re ready when the skin at the “X” mark begins to loosen.

Test Kitchen tip: Keep careful watch over the tomatoes as they cook. If left in the water too long, the tomatoes will become mushy.

Taste of Home

Step 3: Cool them quick

When each tomato looks about ready, remove it from the pot. Immediately transfer it into a large bowl filled with ice water. This will prevent any further cooking.

Taste of Home

Step 4: Peel!

At last, your tomatoes are ready to peel. Pierce the outer layer with the tip of a knife and lift. The skin will glide right off.

Test Kitchen tip: Stubborn skin? Plop the tomato back into the boiling water for a few more seconds and try again.

How to Peel Tomatoes: The Roasting Method

Roasting is a hands-off technique for peeling tomatoes that gives them a robust, smoky flavor that’s great for making salsa or spaghetti sauce. This method works well with smaller, less juicy tomatoes such as plum and Roma tomatoes.

Taste of Home

Step 1: Prep

Give each tomato a gentle rinse under the sink and remove the core. Cut in half lengthwise and place cut side down in a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet.

Test Kitchen tip: For an awesome pasta sauce, toss the tomatoes in oil and Italian herbs before roasting. Use the peeled tomatoes (and the fragrant oil from the pan) in your recipe.

Step 2: Roast

Dial the oven up to 425°F and bake until the edges of the tomatoes are well browned. This can take 30-35 minutes. Or you can broil the halved tomatoes 6-8-inches from the heat for 8-12 minutes. Remove when the skins are split and charred.

Taste of Home

Step 3: Peel

Let the baking dish cool slightly. Then, have at it. The easiest way to peel off the skin is with your hands.

How to Peel Tomatoes: The Freezer Method

Have a bumper crop of tomatoes that you can’t use all at once? Clear some room in the freezer to store for a rainy day. (Yes, you can freeze tomatoes—and tons of other fresh summer produce!) Once thawed, removing tomato skins is a cinch. Use your whole peeled tomatoes in cooked foods such as soups, sauces and stews, not salads, because they lose their firm texture once frozen.

Taste of Home

Step 1: Prep and freeze

Give the tomatoes a gentle rinse, pat dry and remove their cores. Then arrange the tomatoes (whole) on a cookie sheet and send them into the freezer. Make sure they don’t touch. Once frozen, transfer to a large freezer bag and seal.

Test Kitchen tip: Make sure to label the outside of your freezer bag with a “use by” date. Tomatoes can be frozen for up to 8 months.

Step 2: Thaw and peel

When you’re ready to peel the tomato, simply run it under warm water and the skin will slip right off.

Test Kitchen tip: For less fuss, simply leave the tomatoes out for a few hours to thaw.

Taste of Home

There you have it! Peeling tomatoes is easier than you’d think. Next time you’ve got a bushel on hand, opt for these easy methods instead of buying a can of pre-peeled tomatoes. Check out our entire collection of grocery-store staples you should make instead of buy, here.

Fresh Tomato Recipes You've Got to Try

1 / 44

Mediterranean Tomato BitesMy friend Mary served these lovely appetizers at a summer gathering several years ago, and I adapted it a bit to my taste. It's a great August recipe when tomatoes and herbs are at their freshest! —Susan Wilson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Go to Recipe

Bruschetta Chicken Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Bruschetta ChickenWe enjoy serving this tasty chicken bruschetta to both family and to company. It just might become your new favorite way to use up summer tomatoes and basil. —Carolin Cattoi-Demkiw, Lethbridge, Alberta

Go to Recipe

When I had 80 pounds of tomatoes, I got creative incorporating them into meals. Sometimes I slice this loaf into squares to make sandwiches with fresh mozzarella cheese and deli meats. —Katie Ferrier, Houston, Texas

Go to Recipe

Heirloom Tomato SaladThis is a simple yet elegant dish that always pleases my guests. Not only is it tasty, but it is healthy, too. The more varied the colors of the tomatoes you choose, the prettier the salad will be. —Jess Apfe, Berkeley, California

Go to Recipe

Antipasto Platter Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Antipasto PlatterWe entertain often, and an antipasto platter is one of our favorite crowd-pleasers. Guests love having their choice of so many delicious nibbles, including pepperoni and cubes of provolone. —Teri Lindquist, Gurnee, Illinois

Go to Recipe

Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Grilled Basil Chicken and TomatoesRelax after work with a cold drink while this savory chicken marinates in an herby tomato blend for an hour, then toss it on the grill. It tastes just like summer. —Laura Lunardi, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Go to Recipe

Taste of Home

Mediterranean Pork and OrzoOn a really busy day, this meal in a bowl is one of my top picks. It's quick to put together, leaving a lot more time to relax at the table. —Mary Relyea, Canastota, New York

Go to Recipe