Peeling and Dicing Tomatoes

Appears in
How to Cook Italian
How to Cook Italian

By Giuliano Hazan

Published 2005

  • About
Many advocate peeling tomatoes by first scoring the top with an X and dipping the tomatoes in boiling water long enough for the skin to separate from the flesh. But then you must take them out and burn your fingers to remove the skin while it’s hot, and wash the pot. Using a peeler as illustrated below is actually much easier.
  1. Use the peeler in a sawing motion to cut through the skin of the tomato easily.
  2. If instructed to remove the seeds, cut the tomato in half crosswise (lengthwise if using a plum tomato) and remove the seeds by scooping them out with your fingers.