How to Blanch Fresh Tomatoes

Every year we plant a big backyard garden and one of the main things that we grow is tomatoes! We grow all kinds of different varieties of tomatoes which I blanch, cook down into our favorite Italian tomato sauce and then can for the the wintertime. Oh yeah…I am a BIG TIME home canner!

Today I wanted to share with all of you how I go about blanching my tomatoes. It’s a really easy process!

First…wash all of your tomatoes under cool running water and lay them onto a towel. You will want to cut out any bad spots and remove the stem. Fill up a big pot with hot water. Over medium to high heat bring that water to a full boil.

You can place your tomatoes into a produce basket and then place them into the pot or you can use a large spoon or ladle to put them into the hot water. Leave the tomatoes in the boiling water for one minute. Lift or spoon them out.

Place a large colander in your kitchen sink and place the tomatoes into the colander with cold running water from the tap. I let mine sit under the running water for about 5 minutes or until they are cool enough to peel.

Nine chances out of ten you can easily peel their skins off with your hands. Every once in awhile you may need to use your paring knife. You can then cook them up and make your own tomato sauces using your own favorite recipe.

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