A How To on Freezing Peaches

Summer for me will be over in one week.  Tell me that’s not true.  And why does summer vacation go by faster than the school year?  August 1st, please that is still summer.  What happened to September 1st  being the end of summer?  If you can tell I am not ready for it to end.  But, I do have part of my summer in my freezer.   There are many ways to freeze peaches.  In fact, one site I found said to just wash your peaches, slip them in a freezer bag,  and thaw them in the refrigerator.   How easy is that?   Sounds like a great idea to me, but I don’t have the extra freezer space to try it.  So here’s how I did it.

My peaches were purchased in South Georgia on a Tuesday.  When I got them home I spread them out on newspaper in the garage.  They really needed to ripen a little.   On Thursday I started putting them in the freezer and by Sunday I was finished with the box.  I started with the riper ones first.

You will need:

• Large pot of boiling water enough for about 10 peaches
• Large colander to fit in a sink of ice water
• Ice – the amount will depend on how many peaches you are freezing ( I used what was in my refrigerator -freezer for 2 quarts if you are doing more just buy a 10 pound bag)
• Slotted spoon
• paring knife
• large bowl
• 2 cup measuring cup that you can fit a quart freezer bag in
• granulated sugar
• lemon juice
• quart freezer bags

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• While the water is coming to a boil wash peaches
• Fill sink with ice then water
• Working with 9-10 peaches at the time make and  very small x at the top of each peach with a paring knife
• Using a slotted spoon drop peaches in boiling water for about 45 seconds
• Quickly remove peaches with slotted spoon into the colander
• Put the colander in ice water
• Peel peaches by sliding off the peel with your hands or a knife.  It is so easy.
• Slice peaches into a bowl.
• Put quart freezer bag into a 2 cup measuring cup.  This just make it easier to spoon the fruit into the bag.
• Place 1 tablespoon of sugar in the bottom of the bag.  The amount of sugar you add will depend on the sweetness of your fruit.
• Spoon in about 2 1/2 cups of fruit.
• Place 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of the fruit.

Peaches here are peeled and being sliced into a bowl.

Place a quart freezer bag in a measuring cup.  Place about 1 Tablespoons of sugar in the bottom of the bag.  Fill with peaches and top off with 1 more Tablespoons of sugar.

Enzymatic browning can occur quickly with peaches.  It does not hurt the flavor or texture, but they will not be a pretty peachy color.  So work  quickly.  To retain the color you can juice half a lemon directly into the bowl of peach slices and give them a stir to cover.   Some of the peaches I used lemon juice and others I did not add it.   If you don’t add sugar you will get a more mushy fruit after freezing.

So now you know what to do if you find yourself with extra peaches or just pick some up from a roadside stand.  Put them in your freezer and then in the dead of winter you can have fresh peach cobbler or just a bowl of fresh sweet peaches.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks