Patent ID: 7550165

Claim:
A method of removing a peel from a tomato comprising the steps of: adding an electrically conductive fluid comprising a mixture of an about 0.01% salt solution and an about 0.5% to about 1.0% alkaline solution and a tomato to a container; subjecting the electrically conductive fluid and the tomato to a current for a time sufficient to create a first boiling front at a blossom end of the tomato between an inside of the peel and an outer flesh of the tomato and a second boiling front at a stem end of the tomato between the inside of the peel and the outer flesh and advancing the boiling fronts towards each other until the boiling fronts cause a pressure that removes the peel from the tomato, leaving a whole peeled tomato; and removing the peel and the peeled tomato from the container.