Tomatoes are a flavorful and beautiful addition to your table. They are used in hundreds of recipes, from salsa to pasta to salads. Tomatoes are delicious cooked or raw. The only drawback to this versatile fruit is the difficulty of removing the skin and seeds. Don't let this deter you from enjoying tomatoes. With the proper technique, removal of the seeds and skin is easy.
Preparation
Boil enough water to submerge three or four tomatoes at once. Prepare the same amount of ice water in a separate bowl or pan. Wash your ripe tomatoes in cool water, remove any blemishes with a sharp knife and remove the stems.
Blanching the Tomatoes
Drop three or four tomatoes into the boiling water. Do not attempt to do more at once because they only need to be in the water for about a minute. After 60 seconds, the skin should start to split. At this point, remove the tomatoes with a slatted or wooden spoon and drop them gently into the ice water. Let them soak for 60 seconds and then remove them. The skin should easily slip off the tomato, so you should not need a sharp knife except for the occasional stubborn section. Repeat this process until you have your desired number of tomatoes. Keep the hot water hot and the ice water cold for each batch of tomatoes.
Seed Removal
With a sharp knife, slice the tomato from side to side. Do not slice from top to bottom because not all seed compartments will be exposed. With your finger or a small spoon, scoop the seeds out of the tomato. You may also squeeze the tomato to remove the seeds, but this will damage the shape, and you will lose some of the juices.
Tags: sharp knife, four tomatoes, seeds this, skin should, three four
