Now that we're officially smack in the middle of tomato season, you may find yourself dusting off thatfresh tomato saucerecipe you've had tucked away all year. And if that recipe calls for peeling the tomatoes, you usually just end up tossing those skins in the trash.
But that's a shame because there are great things you can do with them:
Freeze them
Toss the skins in a sealable bag or other airtight container and store them in the freezer. Use them and other vegetable scraps like the ends of onions and herb stems (which can also be frozen) the next time you make stock. You'll be left with a rich, flavorful base for soup that came from basically nothing.
Dry them
Lay the skins out on a parchment-lined sheet tray and bake them in a 200°F oven for 2-3 hours or longer, until they are completely dry. Let them cool and then grind them to a fine powder in a coffee or spice grinder. You could even use a blender or food processor, though you make not get as fine a grind. "Sprinkle the powder on top of tomato soup to enhance its flavor or use it as a topping forsavory yogurt," suggests our Assistant Food Editor Kat Sacks.
Or turn that that powder into tomato salt by stirring it into flaky Maldon sea salt. Then go and sprinkle it on pretty much everything—thinkgarlic bread, roasted vegetables,potato chips, buttered toast,popcorn, and steak. Or use it to rim glasses forBloody Marys.
Fry them
You can also turn them into crunchy salad toppers by pan frying the skins in oil until they're nice and crispy. Then drain them on paper towels and use them as a crispy topping onsalads, soup, andpasta.
