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🥕Ingredient Preparation
Blanching and Peeling Tomatoes
A technique often used for Romanian soups and sauces that quickly removes tomato skin and gives dishes a smoother texture.
Steps
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Score a shallow X at the base of each tomato.
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Submerge tomatoes in boiling water for 20-40 seconds until the skin starts to loosen.
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Immediately transfer tomatoes to ice water to stop cooking.
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Peel from the scored area and remove the core.
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Use peeled tomatoes for tomato sauce, stews, broths, or soups.
💡Pro Tips
- •Choose ripe tomatoes for easier peeling and better flavor.
- •Do not leave them too long in boiling water, or the flesh will soften too much.
- •Save any tomato juices released during prep for sauces or soups.
⚠️Common Mistakes
- •Skipping the ice bath - tomatoes keep cooking and lose texture.
- •Scoring too deep - you lose too much flesh while peeling.
- •Boiling too long - tomatoes become soft and watery.
