How to peel and seed tomatoes

1 info

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
None
To Peel a Tomato
To Seed a Tomato

Directions

Many recipes call for peeled and seeded tomatoes. Why bother doing either? Tomato skins, especially when cooked, can form red filaments that get caught in your teeth. Tomato seeds come in a watery pulp that can dilute the flavor of the dish.

Never refrigerate tomatoes. If they're not ripe. they'll ripen at room temperature. They'll never ripen if refrigerated. If they're ripe, refrigeration will make them mealy.

Method One: 1. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut out the stem end and cut a shallow X in the rounded end. Plunge the tomato in rapidly boiling water for 15-60 seconds. The riper the tomato, the shorter the cooking time required.

2. Let the tomato cool on a plate until you can comfortably handle it, them pull off the skin with your fingers. It should slip off in broad strips.

Method Two: This method has the added advantage of producing a decorative tomato rose. Starting from the bottom, the end opposite the stem, pare off the skin in a single continuous strop, ½ to ¾ inch wide. Roll up the strip as you would a roll of paper. Set the roll on end; it will look like a rose.

Cut the tomato in half widthwise and squeeze each half in the palm of your hand, cut side down, to wring out the seeds and liquid. Work over a bowl and strainer. Push the pulp through the strainer with the back of a spoon. Reserve the tomato liquid that collects at the bottom of the bowl for sauce and soups.

One peeled, seeded tomato produces about ¾ cup chopped tomato.

High-Flavor, Low-Fat Vegetarian Cooking by Steven Raichlen pg 256 Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 10-27-95

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