Content

• Part 2 of 3: Blanching the Tomatoes
• Part 3 of 3: Peeling and Storing Blanched Tomatoes
• What do you need
• Warnings

1 Wash the tomatoes under cold water. Gently wash the tomatoes under cold running water and remove all dirt and dust from them. Slowly swirl each tomato under running water to rinse it from all sides.

• Use only firm, shiny and bright red tomatoes. Set aside fruits with soft or rotting spots.

2 Cut off the ponytails with a small knife. Take each tomato, immerse the tip of the knife about 1 centimeter in it, place your thumb on the fruit, and with the other four fingers hold the knife on the blunt side of the blade. Hold the tomato with your other hand. In a circular motion, run the knife around the tail and separate it from the tomato.

• If you are using the ponytail remover, insert the serrated edge into the tomato and twist it all the way. After that, pull out the tool along with the tail.

3 Make an “x” cut at the bottom of each tomato, 2–3 centimeters long. Take a small, sharp knife and carefully cut the underside of the fruit. Cut the rind into an "x", but do not go too deep into the flesh. As a result, the heat of the boiling water will freely penetrate into the tomatoes, and you can easily separate the peel from the pulp.

• Cross lines should be about 2–3 centimeters long.

Part 2 of 3: Blanching the Tomatoes

1. 1 Boil the water in a large saucepan. Take a saucepan large enough to hold all the tomatoes and fill it about 3/4 full with water. The water should completely cover all the tomatoes. Add 12 tablespoons (240 grams) of salt to 4 liters of water. Bring the water to a strong boil (the boil should not stop while stirring the water).
   • You can do without salt, although it raises the boiling point of water. The water will boil more steadily with salt than without it.
2. 2 Prepare an ice bath. Place ice in a large bowl and cover with water. Set the bowl aside for now - you will later transfer the tomatoes to the bowl to prevent overcooking and softening.
   • If you are going to blanch more than a dozen tomatoes, prepare another bowl. For 10-12 tomatoes, one bowl of ice water is enough.
3. 3 Dip the tomatoes in boiling water for 30-60 seconds. Do not put more than 10-12 tomatoes in the water at a time, otherwise you may not be able to get them in time.
   • When the tomatoes are ready, their skins will begin to curl up.
   • It is enough to hold small tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds. The exact time depends on the size of the fruit.
   • Do not keep the tomatoes in boiling water for too long, or they will boil and soften.

Part 3 of 3: Peeling and Storing Blanched Tomatoes

1. 1 Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes one at a time. Gently remove the tomatoes from the water one by one. Hold each tomato over a sink or empty bowl to drain off excess water.
   • Turn off the heat before removing the tomatoes from the pot.
2. 2 Place the tomatoes in ice water for 30-60 seconds. After that, take them out with your hands and transfer them to a cutting board. Blot the tomatoes gently with a clean towel.
   • Turn each tomato over so that the ice cold water works over the entire surface.
3. 3 Peel the tomatoes immediately afterward, starting from the cut. If you've soaked the tomatoes correctly in boiling water and then in ice water, you can easily peel the skin off with your fingers. In those places where the peel does not separate well from the pulp, gently pry it off with a sharp knife.
   • Take your time and be careful not to cut the pulp.
4. 4 Transfer the peeled tomatoes to baking sheets and place them in the freezer. After 1 hour, check the tomatoes - if they haven't frozen properly, wait another hour.
   • While checking, gently press down on each tomato - if there are soft spots on it, freeze it for a while.
5. 5 Transfer frozen tomatoes to frozen food bags. Seal each bag as tightly as possible to restrict air access and keep the tomatoes longer. Store tomatoes in the freezer for no longer than 8 months.
   • If you want to use frozen tomatoes, you can take them out of the freezer one at a time or all together.
   • Spoiled tomatoes can become moldy, discolored, or odorless.

What do you need

• Water
• Large saucepan
• Medium bowl
• Ice
• Sharp knife
• Skimmer
• Clean rag
• Trays
• Frozen food bags

Warnings

• Use a sharp enough knife. Sharp knives are safer than dull ones because they require less force to be applied, which reduces the risk of cutting yourself. Be careful to keep your fingers away from the cutting edge.