Turn Up the Heat

• The skin slips off tomatoes easily if you roast them for a short time under the oven broiler. This method works best on tomato slices or diced tomatoes when you don't mind a smoky flavor in the finished dish. The smoky flavor imparted during roasting is especially well suited to tomato sauces and soups. Arrange the cut tomatoes on the pan with the skin side facing up. Set them 6 inches below the preheated broiler and roast for 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the tomato slices, or until the skins begin to blister and darken. Cool the tomatoes to room temperature before pulling off the loosened skin.

The Big Chill

• Tomato skins slip off easily after freezing, but the tomato pieces won't be as firm as they were previously so are best used only in cooked dishes. Spread out the cut tomatoes on a wax-paper or parchment-lined tray and place them in the freezer for 15 to 30 minutes, or until they are frozen solid. Rinse them briefly under warm water so only the surface thaws, then pull the skins off the pieces. Add the still frozen tomatoes to the other ingredients before cooking, or thaw them completely before finishing preparation.

Boil and Bubble

• Although the poaching method is most commonly used to peel whole tomatoes, it doesn't work well with diced or sliced tomatoes because they fall apart in the boiling water. You can still poach the tomatoes if you have only cut into the skin or cut out the stem end, if they are still relatively whole. Bring a pot of water to a full boil and drop in the tomatoes. Boil for about 45 seconds, or just until the skins begin to wrinkle. Cool the tomatoes quickly in a bowl of ice water before slipping off the skins. This method retains the fresh texture of the tomatoes so they are suitable for both cooked or uncooked use.

A Cut Above

• If you must skin the tomatoes for fresh use but have already cut them into slices or diced them, carefully cutting off the skin with the tip of a paring knife is the best method. This method is time consuming, messy, and will result in the loss of some of the tomato flesh. Insert the knife tip between the skin and flesh, as close to the skin as possible, and cut the skin free from the flesh.