How To Blanch Tomatoes

Blanching is a cooking process wherein the food substance, usually a vegetable or fruit, is plunged into boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water  to halt the cooking process.

Today let us learn how to blanch tomatoes at home.

Method

Wash the tomatoes well.

Using a sharp knife, cut an "x" at the bottom of the tomatoes for easier peeling.

Bring water to boil. Place the tomatoes  gently in the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. 

(The time varies depending upon the size of the fruit).

The smaller ones take lesser time.

After 2 minutes, switch off the heat.

Immediately remove the tomatoes with a slotted ladle and place it in cold water for 30 seconds.This is done to prevent it from getting cooked further.

Remove it from cold water and peel the skin gently. 

To de-seed, cut each tomato in half and scoop out the seeds. Discard the seeds.

Blend it to a puree. Tomato puree is now ready to be used for gravies, soups, sauce etc. 

Storage and shelf life 

Measure and freeze in ice cube tray, store the frozen cubes in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Stays good for 2 weeks.

Alternatively, you can also store it in clean containers in the freezer. By measuring the puree and storing it - it becomes easier to use them in recipes.

Thaw it before using it for preparing any dishes.