Blanching tomatoes in a pot of boiling water to peel them isn’t ideal. It partially cooks the tomatoes and it’s also time-consuming. Giuliano Hazan has a better way. Watch the video to learn his simple technique. 

The skin of a tomato is tough—no matter how long you cook (or don’t cook) it, it’ll stay tough. That’s why peeling tomatoes before using them in sauces is a good idea. Some cooks blanch tomatoes in a pot of boiling water to peel them, but not only does this partially cook the tomatoes, it’s also time-consuming.

Make it Easy: Core a tomato and cut a thin slice off the top. Draw a sharp Y-shaped peeler down the sides of the tomato, using a side-to-side sawing motion with the entire length of the blade to remove the skin in strips. A ceramic peeler is ideal for this because it stays razor-sharp, allowing you to remove the skin with minimal effort and very little loss of tomato flesh. Don’t use a serrated peeler because it can tear the skin rather than remove it.

Try it Out: Use Giuliano’s technique when making his recipes for Raw Fresh Tomato Sauce and Cooked Fresh Tomato Sauce.