Blanching Tomatoes for Cooking & Canning - How to | Club Foody

Years ago when I was living in Toronto, I was over for dinner at my friend Kathy’s. She was very proud of her pasta sauce and she couldn’t wait for me to taste it. As we were enjoying dinner together with a nice bottle of Montepulciano, she shared a hiccup she had while prepping the sauce. She bought fresh tomatoes from the farmers market and wanted to peel the skins off. Alas, after butchering a couple of them, she decided to leave them on.

There’s an easy way to remove the tomato skins without having it look like a murder scene. This technique is called “Blanching Tomatoes”. It is so simple to do and the results are bang on!

– What’s the purpose of blanching tomatoes you ask? There are a few reasons why this cooking technique is important to know…

Firstly, this is a quick and easy way to remove the tomato skins without all the mess. Secondly, besides tomatoes, blanching is an important step to do when you want to freeze vegetables and fruits. It stops the enzymes which cause deterioration of the texture and the color as well as the flavor. Thirdly, blanching tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits slows down the process of vitamin loss which is important when doing canning.

Finally, in the case of blanching tomatoes, this is a great technique to apply when making tomato soup. The skins have no business being in the soup… I’m sure you’ll agree. When making salsa, sauces, appetizers or even salads, removing the tomato skin gives your recipe a better texture for a more appealing presentation.

After watching this quick tutorial video, blanching tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables as well as nuts such as pistachios and almonds will become a handy technique to use for many reasons…

For more fun kitchen tips & tricks, click on this link… Recipe Category – Tips & Tricks