Why peel tomatoes?
Everyone seems to think it is necessary to peel tomatoes before canning or freezing them. Since I do not peel tomatoes when I'm cooking with them (soups, salsa, etc.), I'm wondering if I can freeze them without peeling them. Does freezing/canning do something to the texture of the tomato that makes the peel a problem?
Best Answer
When tomatoes are cooked (which I assume you plan on doing for canning or after freezing) the skins become tough and usually detach from the tomato. Since you usually don't mind this, you shouldn't mind it with canned tomatoes either, but many people do - even when pureed the texture is different.
When freezing you can freeze whole and the skin should come off easily when thawed.
One way to get around the texture issue would be to puree the tomatoes and then force them through a food mill, which will help to remove tough bits - do this either before canning or after freezing.
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Quick Answer about "Why peel tomatoes?"
Why would you peel tomatoes? The tomato skin is a different texture from the tomato flesh, and will remain so in sauces and purées—you'll get tiny chunks of skin instead of an uniformly smooth mixture. Moreover, the tomato skin is heavy in a kind of nutrient called flavonols, which impart a bitter flavor.Should I remove skins from tomatoes?
Why do you remove the skin from tomatoes? Removing the skin from tomatoes will allow the flavors to really penetrate the tomato a little more. The skin can often have a tougher texture so it can make the sauce or dish have a different overall texture rather than something really smooth.Why do chefs peel tomatoes?
Tomato seeds and skins are indeed packed with flavor, but they can sometimes get in the way texturally\u2014peeling and seeding tomatoes allows the tomato flesh to fully dissolve into a dish, enhancing it with its flavor, then disappearing without a trace.Is it necessary to peel tomatoes for sauce?
In order to get your tomatoes ready for mashing into a marvelous tomato sauce, you need to peel and seed them. Don't worry, it's very easy and quick to do.Why do you have to peel tomatoes before you can them?
Updated, 2020 \u2013 I've always said peeling was optional. But the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning says that peeling root crops and tomatoes greatly reduces the number of bacteria, yeast and molds. So they recommend peeling tomatoes.More answers regarding why peel tomatoes?
Answer 2
I have put tomatoes in the freezer, whole, peeled , not peeled, pureed. Later, when I cook with them, everything tastes so much better, I don't think it matters how you store the tomatoes in your freezer. I follow the same prep that most of these sites list. The tomato sauce with spaghetti in the middle of winter is divine.
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