Pelati, or peeled tomatoes, are an essential product in every kitchen in Italy. They are plum tomatoes, especially the good San Marzano variety, processed into a rich tomato sauce. Given the meatiness of the fresh tomato, they are suitable for all dishes. The San Marzano tomatoes used to make pelati have a bittersweet taste, an elongated shape and few seeds. They are grown in the provinces of Salerno, Avellino and Naples.
Peeled tomatoes are a very widely used preservation method in the Italian tradition, including in home cooking. They are prepared in high summer when the tomatoes are fully ripe, allowing them to be enjoyed year round. Plum tomatoes are generally used for this purpose, but there is no reason not to use cherry tomatoes or any other tomato variety. Certain procedures must be followed to ensure success and to avoid unpleasant problems. The pelati must be made in as clean an environment as possible, using perfectly sterilized jars.
Peeled tomatoes are the basis for many Italian dishes, beginning with the most typical dishes like those served with ragù, amatriciana or peperonata sauces, including meatballs simmered in sauce. Even a very simple tomato and basil sauce is made with peeled tomatoes, so this product is a staple in Italian pantries. With a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, a few leaves of fresh, fragrant basil, and some juicy peeled tomatoes, your delicious plate of spaghetti is ready to enjoy!
How To Keep It Fresh
Whether made at home or commercially produced, this tomato product keeps for a long time, about one year for the homemade type and up to two years if commercially produced. Pelati should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Add the tomatoes to the boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds until the skin begins to wrinkle and peel away from the flesh. Don't let the tomatoes sit too long in the water, or they will start to cook. Using a slotted spoon or a strainer, strain the tomatoes and transfer them to the bowl of ice water to cool.
The most efficient way to peel tomatoes is to blanch the tomatoes by quickly boiling them in hot water, which helps to loosen the skin from the flesh, and then shock them in an ice bath. The ice bath helps stop the cooking process and cools the tomatoes down so they're easy to handle.
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.
Size Matters. Here's the obvious one: Tiny tomatoes don't need to be peeled. Large heirloom varieties, with their tender skin, don't need peeling either. Hearty beefsteaks and those varieties bred for canning (such as plum or roma) have a pretty thick skin that wouldn't be welcomed in smooth sauces or soups.
Dial the oven up to 425°F and bake until the edges of the tomatoes are well browned. This can take 30-35 minutes. Or you can broil the halved tomatoes 6-8-inches from the heat for 8-12 minutes. Remove when the skins are split and charred.
Put your tomatoes into a pot of boiling water for 60–90 seconds. Once the tomato skins split open, transfer tomatoes into a bowl of ice water to cool. After taking them out, you'll find the skin is easy to strip away from the rest of the tomato.
Use a slotted spoon to lower as many tomatoes as will fit into the boiling water, cooking in batches if needed. Cook for about 30 seconds, then use the slotted spoon to transfer to the ice water. Once the tomatoes are cool, use your fingers or a paring knife to peel and discard the skin.
Typically, processing tomatoes are peeled by chemical lye peeling (using NaOH or KOH), steam or scalding-hot water. These three methods remove the cuticle and some of the most external cell layers of tomatoes.
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