Skinning tomatoes... in November?

Can you believe our Northern Californian farmer's markets are STILL offering tomatoes?!  I have been taking advantage of this opportunity by buying them by the pound(s), letting them fully ripen at home, and then blanching and freezing them for use throughout the year.  

I come across so many recipes that call for cans of whole or diced tomatoes - and I think the real (fresh deal is so much more delicious - not to mention free of preservatives and unnecessary sodium.

Before culinary school, I had no idea how to skin a tomato.  It's actually quite simple and they freeze well so you can use them throughout the year.  Here are my tips for skinning tomatoes:

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil 
2. Meanwhile, combine the same amount of salt, ice and water in a large bowl and place it beside the stove.  Both containers of water should be salted like the sea.
• Be sure to leave room for the water to rise once the tomatoes have been added.
3. Using a sharp knife, cut around and remove the top of the tomato (the spot where the tomato was attached to the vine) so that a small hole remains. This is called coring.
4. Next cut a shallow ‘x’ at the base of the tomato. This is called scoring.
• These incisions will make it easier to peel the tomato skin off after the tomato has been blanched  
• It's easy to recall this process by remembering the phrase core and score.
5. Once the water has come to a boil, carefully plunge the prepared tomatoes into the water and allow them to sit for 8-10 seconds - or until you see the skin start to peel away at the base and top of the tomato.
6. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes from the boiling water and immediately transfer them to the ice water 
7. Bring the water back to a boil before blanching the next batch of tomatoes.
8. Just as soon as the tomatoes have cooled, drain them in a colander - don't let them sit in the cold water too long.  The incisions you had made previously should make peeling the tomatoes a very easy task 
9. At this point the tomatoes can be combined in a large ziploc bag and placed directly in the fridge or freezer - or you can use them immediately! 
• If you want to crush them to make a puree or juice, place the cooled peeled tomatoes in a large bowl and carefully squeeze the tomatoes with your hands.  Be sure to wear an apron as they are prone to squirt!

 How easy is that?