How to... peel and seed Tomatoes

Appears in
The Cook's Book of Everything

By Lulu Grimes

Published 2009

  • About
METHOD
  1. Remove the stems of the tomatoes and score a cross in the base of each one with a knife, cutting just through the skin. Put in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 20 seconds, or so.
  2. Test one tomato to see if the skin will come off easily, otherwise leave them to soak for a few seconds more. Don’t leave them for too long or they might start to cook.
  3. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of cold water and then peel the skin away from the cross — it should slip off very easily. If the recipe asks for the seeds to be removed, cut the peeled tomato in half horizontally and squeeze out the seeds with your hands or scoop them out with a teaspoon. You can also remove the seeds from an unpeeled tomato the same way. Cut or dice as directed.