So why peel a tomato, right?

Right now, where I live, tomatoes are starting to come in big time.  Whether you grow your own non-GMOs or buy them from your local market you have the option using them now, or preserving them for later.

By preserving I mean either canning or freezing.  For other foods dehydration is also an option, but I tend not to go there with tomatoes myself...they are too wet.  Canning is great because it is done and over with and does not require the use of our 'finite resources' to maintain them.  They sit on a shelf until you need them.

Freezing, while easier to do in my opinion, takes a freezer and electricity to keep your product frozen.

I tend to do a little of both depending upon my lazy-ness meter, and how many jars I have in the basement. 

If you choose to can, please consult a book like the Ball Blue Book of Preserving (cheaper at walmart) or a website  that will give you all the details on the process.  My point is that before you preserve you have to prepare...

With tomatoes you generally peel and seed them.  I am admittedly lazy and do not seed my tomatoes.  I do peel them. 

First... start with tomatoes...  This works best with ripe tomatoes as the skins won't come off of the unripe places.  If your tomatoes are a bit green, let them sit in the sun for a while or in a bag with other tomatoes and they will get there.

Next... immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for about a minute. 

Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and place them into a cool water bath.

Then... peel the skins from the tomatoes.  If they don't have a split slit the skin gently with a knife.

Chop or do as you like with your tomatoes... if you want you can seed them, but I usually just chop and freeze as is or use them for sauce.

These acually went into a pot of soup to enjoy later this week....