Learning how to blanch tomatoes is a must if you want to cook self sufficiently

How to blanch your tomatoes to get them ready to cook

Posted by Kevin Quinlan ADD COMMENTS

If you want to cook with your homemade tomatoes or store bought ones you will need to know how to blanch your tomatoes. The reason you need to blanch your tomatoes before you can cook with them is that the process works to take care of the removal of any chemicals applied during their growing. Blanching your tomatoes also allow just the good juicy flavor of the inside to get into whatever your preparing instead of the surface which adds little value.

To get started you will need your tomatoes, a paring knife and a knife you can use for cutting as well as a cutting board. First step is to put water in a large pot on the stove and let it start boiling. While the water is heating take your knife and begin to cut out the stems of the tomatoes. Lightly cut an X into the bottom of each tomato and place them into a blanching basket which is basically a big bowl which looks like a metal strainer. Once all of your tomatoes are in the blanching bowl, place the bowl inside the boiling water. Once your tomatoes are in the hot water, fill your sink with cold water.

Keep your eyes on the tomatoes and you should see after about sixty seconds that the skins will begin to lift off of the tomatoes. Using tongs, remove the blanching basket from the hot water. Remove the fruit from the blanching basket into the sink and leave them there to cool. Once they are all cooled down you should be able to pull at the skin of the fruit around where you made the X mark and remove the skin from all of your tomatoes.

This is all it takes to blanch your tomatoes! Now that you know how to blanch your tomatoes, you have no excuses to go get cooking!