While a vegetable peeler or paring knife is useful to peel produce, for some foods there is an easier method.
For tomatoes, blanching them in hot water works well and less flesh is lost. Heat a large stockpot of water to boiling. Core tomatoes or poke the skin with a knife and place in the hot water for about 60 seconds or until the peel starts to pull away from the flesh. Remove them from the hot water and plunge them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Gently rub the peel and it should slip off easily.
This method works well for fruits with thin skins such as peaches and nectarines.
Peeling produce is an important step to preserve food safely inĀ all methods of food preservation.