When should tomatoes be peeled?

Fresh diced tomatoes on a wooden cutting board.

Tomatoes typically don’t need to be peeled if you are going to eat them raw, but cooked tomato skins tend to peel and curl into hard, even spiky, spirals. So you’ll want to peel tomatoes before using them in recipes like tomato sauce, soup, salsa, or in a dish with a smooth texture. Even in cooked purees, you might wish to use peeled tomatoes to achieve the silkiest possible consistency. Level-up a salad or stir-fry by peeling tomatoes before adding them to your recipe.

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Recipe

Sweet, Smoky, & Savory Filipino Salmon

Shake up dinner with this bold, banana-ketchup-glazed salmon and a crisp cucumber-tomato salad. A simple, vibrant dish with serious flavor.

Make it tonight