It’s easy to learn how to deseed tomatoes. By doing so, you can avoid harmful proteins called lectins. These are components found in many plants that act as a sort of a self-defense mechanism.¹ In tomatoes, the skin and seeds contain the most lectins. However, if you want to avoid a tomato all together for certain recipes, read about this tomato free bbq sauce.

And just because a tomato has been picked and put in your grocery store, doesn’t mean it’s self-defense capabilities have been suddenly turned off. The tomato is part of the family of nightshade plants.

Whether you buy fresh or canned tomatoes, they still contain lectins, especially in the skin and seeds. And canning tomatoes doesn’t make them safer. You can even roast tomatoes and they’ll still have lectins if their skin and seeds are intact.

Tomatoes are not approved by Dr. Gundry, and are on his list of “forbidden foods”. However, if you must eat tomatoes, be sure to skin them and remove all seeds to avoid as many harmful lectins as possible.

Here is some information about why lectins are harmful, along with easy techniques for removing their seeds and skin. You’ll also learn some great recipes for sauce and salsa using deseeded, peeled tomatoes.

Why Remove The Seeds And Skin?

There is really no upside to consuming lectins, whether they come from a tomato or any other type of plant.

Lectins are hard for the body to digest. As a result, they can contribute to a condition known as leaky gut syndrome. This condition can occur when the intestinal walls become weak, causing contents from the intestines getting into the bloodstream.²
There is also evidence that lectins can have a negative effect on the immune system.³

Research also indicates that lectins may lead to digestive disorders. These issues can lead to problems such as diarrhea, severe stomach pain, and vomiting.⁴

An Easy Technique For Deseeding Tomatoes

Now, there are other reasons besides health concerns you’ll want to remove seeds – and lectins from tomatoes. One is that they can add a bitter taste to whatever type of dish you might be making. They can also make salads and other dishes soggy.

Here is an easy technique you can use to remove those troublesome seeds.

• Take a sharp knife and cut the tomato in half.
• Then cut that half into three wedges.
• Take a small spoon and carefully scoop under the seeds.
• Remove the seeds and tomato pulp and discard them.⁵

Steps For Peeling Tomato Skin: Boiling Water To Blanch And Ice Water To Peel

There are a couple of different ways you can peel the skin off of a tomato. There are also great recipes you can use to make tasty sauces and salsa, as you’ll learn in a bit.

The first technique for skinning tomatoes involves a pot of boiling water. Cut a small “X” into the bottom of the tomato (opposite the stem), and place in a pot of boiling water. This will blanch the tomato.

After about a minute, carefully remove the tomato with a spoon or tongs and place it directly into some ice water.

Once the tomato has soaked in the cold water for a few minutes, you can easily peel off the skin with your fingers or a knife. Wrap the skin in a paper towel and discard.⁶

Recipes: Seedless And Skinless Tomatoes In Sauce And Salsa

You can use seeded, skinned tomatoes in a lot of different recipes for soups and other dishes. Here is an easy sauce recipe and a simple method for making salsa.

Tomato Sauce

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

• Salt and pepper
• A teaspoon of fresh oregano leaves, minced
• Two garlic cloves (chop them into fine pieces)
• Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 28 ounces of peeled and deseeded tomatoes (chop them beforehand)

Add garlic and olive oil to a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on medium or medium-high for about a minute, then add the tomatoes. Add a little salt and pepper, and then bring the mixture to a boil. Stir continuously until the sauce becomes thick (about 15 minutes). Stir in Oregano leaves and serve.

Pair this sauce with Gundry approved noodles such as miracle or shirataki noodles.⁷

Salsa

Making salsa is just as easy as making sauce. All you need to do to add a zesty salsa to your food is to gather the following ingredients:

• A quarter-teaspoon of powdered cumin
• One clove of garlic (mince the clove)
• One diced onion
• Two tablespoons of minced cilantro
• Two tablespoons of cider vinegar
• Three one-pint jars
• Eight peeled, skinned and chopped tomatoes

P

ut all of the ingredients in a saucepan in bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes while occasionally stirring the mixture. After the salsa has cooled to room temperature, pour it into the jars. You can store the salsa for about two weeks.⁸

You can use this salsa as a dip for certain veggies such as raw carrots or as a sauce for pasture-raised chicken, or on tacos (swap out the lectin-heavy tortillas for lettuce leaves).

Worth the Effort

As you can see, you can make great recipes in your test kitchen using tomatoes that have been skinned and deseeded. They can make your food taste even better and will be far less harmful on your gut. Whether you want to use summer tomatoes or something else, you’ll find it well worth the time.

You can search the web or Dr. Gundry’s Cookbook for more low lectin or lectin-free recipes. You’ll have the peace of mind along with a happier gut by avoiding dangerous lectins.

Learn More:
Dr. Gundry’s Tomato-Free BBQ Sauce Recipe
A Comprehensive List of Deadly Nightshades
5 Delicious Lectin-Free Mexican Food Recipes

Sources
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4091380/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1115436/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10884708
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1933252
5 https://www.purewow.com/food/how-to-deseed-a-tomato
6 https://www.thekitchn.com/theres-only-one-way-to-skin-a-56372
7 https://www.marthastewart.com/333211/simple-tomato-sauce
8 https://www.thespruceeats.com/homemade-fresh-tomato-salsa-1450883