Blanching Tomatoes

Blanching tomatoes isn't difficult but it is time consuming.When yo have grown some beautiful tomatoes, you want to make yummy salsa, sauce or even your own ketchup.

The problem is now blanching the tomatoes and removing the skins.. If you're freezing the tomatoes for future use, there's an easier way to handle the process. However, if you need some tomatoes right now, go immediately to the pots and pans and get ready.

Before you begin blanching, prepare the following items. A bowl for ice water, a pot, a blanching basket or a slotted spoon, a sharp knife and a small trash bag or empty plastic grocery bag. The size of the pan and the bowl depend on the number of tomatoes you'll be blanching at one time.

Begin the process by preparing the tomatoes for blanching. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly first. You'll need to remove any bruised or bad areas. If you notice problems on the skin of the tomato, don't worry about those, you'll be taking the skins off anyway. Remove the stem and core from the top of the tomato.

You'll need to start a pot of boiling water. The size of the pot you use can vary. If you have a wire, mesh blanching basket, that's perfect to use. You can do several tomatoes at one time. Use the pot it fits in to boil the tomatoes. If you don't have one, the process is a little slower and you can do a few at a time.

Fill a bowl with ice water or if you're doing a large batch of tomatoes, simply plug one side of the sink and fill it with ice water. The water needs to accommodate the mesh, blanching basket if you're doing several at once.

Put three tomatoes in the boiling water at one time or simply fill the blanching basket and lower it into the water making certain that the water covers the tomatoes. Allow the tomatoes to sit for one minute in the boiling water. You'll notice the skins loosening.

Lift out the basket or use the slotted spoon to remove one tomato at a time if you're only doing three and plunge them into the ice water. You'll notice the skin loosens considerably when you do this.

You now simply peel the loose skin off with your fingers and put it in the trash bag or lift it gently off with the tip of the knife. You're tomatoes are completely blanched, peeled and ready for use.

If you're going to use the tomatoes later and intend to freeze them, avoid the entire process of blanching tomatoes and simply wash them, cut away bad spots, core them, put them in a freezer bag and freeze them. When you're ready to use them, run the tomatoes under warm water for a minute. The skins slide off instantly.

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SBI!