How To Blanch Tomatoes (Peels Come Off Easily!)

Learn how to blanch tomatoes to make delicious sauces, soups, stews, and curries! It doesn’t take much effort, but homemade blanched tomatoes always add so much flavor to any recipe. We’ll also walk you through tips for how to make peeling their skin a breeze!

Tomatoes are one of the most utilized vegetables (well, fruits) when it comes to cooking. Am I right, or am I right? Whether you’re preparing a zesty tomato soup, a rich marinara sauce, or hearty stew, the tomato plays a key role in the overall taste and texture.

Blanching tomatoes is a technique used to quickly remove their skin and prepare them for canning. It’s often an overlooked skill, but it is so quick and easy! If you have about 5 minutes to spare, you can achieve perfectly blanched tomatoes.

How to blanch tomatoes

Following these simple instructions for how to blanch tomatoes, you’ll be well on your way to the smoothest, most flavor-rich sauces and soups. If you haven’t tried blanching and canning your own tomatoes, I highly recommend it!

1. Boil the water: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. It should be large enough to hold however many tomatoes you’re blanching with about an inch of water on top.
2. Score the tomatoes: In the meantime, use a paring knife to make a shallow “X” score on the bottom of each tomato. Scoring isn’t 100% necessary, but it helps the skin come off easier.
3. Prepare an ice bath: Fill a large bowl with water and ice. This is important to stop the cooking process of the tomatoes once they’re done blanching.
4. Blanch the tomatoes: Carefully lower the tomatoes into the pot of boiling water using a slotted spoon. Leave them for about 30-60 seconds, or until you can see the skin starting to loosen and wrinkle.
5. Peel the tomatoes: Using a slotted spoon again, immediately transfer the tomatoes to the prepared ice bath. When they are completely cool, peel the tomatoes using your hands or a knife.

Tips for blanching tomatoes

• Use ripe tomatoes: Ripe tomatoes have a softer texture, meaning they’ll be much easier to peel once you finish blanching them.
• Score the skin: Scoring the bottoms with a shallow “X” also helps make the peeling process easier and quicker.
• Boil the water first: Only add the tomatoes to the pot of water once it’s at a rolling boil. A rolling boil means the water stays bubbling, even as you stir it.
• Cool them quickly: To avoid mushy tomatoes, it’s important to transfer them to the cold water immediately after the skin starts to wrinkle.
• Use a slotted spoon: Compared to tongs, a slotted spoon prevents the tomatoes from falling apart while you’re removing them from the pot.

Storing blanched tomatoes

Once you’ve finished blanching and peeling the tomatoes, you can store them in a number of different ways: 

• Fridge: If you’re planning to use them up within a few days, remove the excess water and keep them in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days in the fridge.
• Freezer: If you won’t be using them right away, you can freeze blanched tomatoes for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe bag or container.
• Canned: Canning blanched tomatoes is an excellent way to preserve them for a long period without having to freeze them. Dice, crush, or can them whole, and be sure to follow the USDA canning guidelines.

How to use blanched tomatoes

Once you’ve blanched and peeled your tomatoes, you can cut them into halves, quarters, or crush them. Here are a few ideas to get you started using blanched tomatoes:

• Sauces: Blanched tomatoes are perfect for making marinara, vegan bolognese, or roasted tomato sauce.
• Soups: They add so much depth to soups like tomato soup and taco soup.
• Stews: Elevate your favorite stews, like sweet potato black bean chili or vegan tempeh chili, with homemade blanched tomatoes!
• Curries: They’re also a delicious addition to curries like jackfruit curry or tofu curry.

Blanching tomatoes FAQs