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Peeling: There are several ways to peel a tomato: Cut an X at the blossom end (opposite the stem).

Dip in boiling water for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on ripeness, then into ice water. The skin will pull off easily. Spear a tomato with a fork and hold it over the flame of a gas burner, turning often until the skin is blistered. Remove skin.

Pierce the top of the tomato with a fork, then microwave on high for 15 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes and pull the skin off.

Use a serrated-edge peeler.

Seeding Tomato seeds can be bitter in cooked sauces, and the liquid that surrounds them can make some dishes watery. Seeding is simple:

Core the tomato if needed, then cut in half horizontally (across the “equator”).

Place a sieve over a bowl. Squeeze the tomato half to force out the seeds. For a plum tomato, you may need to stick your finger into the pockets to get out the seeds.

Catch the seeds in the sieve. If desired, save the juice that collects in the bowl for soups and sauces.

Slicing To get better shapes and lose less juice: Instead of slicing horizontally, cut vertically, from the stem to the blossom end.

LR FROM NOTTINGHAM ENGLAND