Peaches are excellent to use for smoothies, jam, muffins, pies, overnight oats, or basically any other recipe that calls for this delicious, juicy fruit we all love!
But getting fresh peaches every day is not always possible, especially if they’re not in season. So, instead of depriving yourself of the tastiest fruits, why not just freeze them and use them ANY time you want?
Peaches are fine to freeze as long as you follow the freezing steps right. You’ll want to start by blanching the peaches, peeling them, and removing the pit. You will be able to keep frozen peaches in your freezer for up to 8 months.
So, keep on reading, and I’ll tell you the proper way to freeze fresh peaches because it is as easy as (peach) pie!
How to Choose Fresh Peaches?
Before we get into the freezing process, it’s always good to know how to select the freshest peaches. The fresher the peach, the better it will freeze.
Peaches should have a strong, delicious aroma when they are fully ripe. Even though a good-smelling peach is a positive indicator, you should also focus on the color when choosing them, which should be bright and vibrant.
You also want to avoid picking the ones that have green spots, which indicates that the peach did not have enough time to ripen fully.
Additionally, ripe peaches are usually juicy and easy to squeeze, so you can determine whether a peach is delicious or not by gently pressing on it.
Also, nothing is more accurate than the taste test! It will be great if there are samples at the market for you to taste first because it’s almost impossible to ensure the quality of a peach unless you give it a try.
What is the Best Container to Freeze Fresh Peaches?
For the process of freezing peaches to be successful, a suitable container is a must. You want a container that you can seal tight so it won’t leak moisture in the freezer.
You also want it to be as durable as possible to prevent it from cracking at a lower temperature. Make sure the container is of a proper size for the number of peaches you are freezing because unused space might cause oxidation.
Plastic containers, plastic freezer bags, and canning jars are all great for storing fresh peaches in the freezer.
How to Freeze Fresh Peaches?
While it is possible to freeze fresh peaches whole or without removing the skin, you’ll spend more effort when you’re ready to take them out of the freezer and use them.
Simply place fresh peaches into any suitable container to freeze them whole. But you will have to let them completely thaw before you can slice them and remove the pit.
Step 1: Blanching and Peeling
For the best color and taste, peaches should be blanched and peeled before freezing. In this process, the enzymes responsible for color and flavor loss are slowed down.
First of all, the peaches should be washed, not soaked. After draining them, create a shallow cross with a sharp knife on the bottom of your peaches before blanching.
Blanching involves submerging the peaches in boiling water for a short period of time (1 to 2 minutes), followed by dunking them in cold water in order to stop the cooking process. The aim of blanching is to enhance flavor, firm the flesh, and make the skin easier to remove.
The next step is to remove the skin after they are cool and ready to work with – you can either use your fingers or a knife. Ideally, after blanching, the skin will more or less just slide off the peach.
Step 2: Removing the Peach Pits
Now it’s time to remove the peach pits. To remove the pits from the peaches, each peeled fruit should be cut in half around the pit using a sharp knife.
Then, turn each half slowly until you can pull it apart and reveal the pit. The next step is to use your knife to pry the peach’s pit out. From here, you can freeze the peaches in halves or cut them into slices.
Step 3: Using A Color-Keeper Solution on The Peaches
Finally, you’ll want to soak the peaches briefly in a solution of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in order to maintain the beautiful color of your fresh peaches. The vitamin C in this solution stops the oxidation process when freezing peaches.
Try this pure ingredient ascorbic acid powder at Amazon.com Just mix 1 teaspoon with a gallon of water and let the peaches soak until you’re ready to complete the next step.
Step 4: Packing Peaches For Freezing
If you’re looking for a sugar-free method to freeze peaches, the water pack is the way to go. But if you don’t mind the extra sugar, you can opt for the sugar pack.
For the water pack, do not use glass jars; instead, put peaches into quart- or pint-size freezer bags or containers and leave a headspace of 1 inch for quarts and half an inch for pints. Keeping the necessary headspace, submerge the peaches with water.
For the sugar pack, start by spooning a small number of peaches into a quart- or pint-size freezer container, sprinkle some sugar, then layer again. Similar to the water pack method, leave a headspace of 1 inch for quarts and half an inch for pints. Before you freeze the peaches, cover them and let them sit for 15 minutes.
Step 5: Freezing The Peaches
After the peaches have been packed, it’s time for freezing. First, if you’re using a freezer bag or a container with a burp lid (Amazon), squeeze out or remove as much of the remaining air as possible.
Don’t forget to label the container with the date and place it in the freezer. For the peaches to freeze as quickly as possible, you’ll want to place them in your freezer in a spot that will allow plenty of air circulation around the container. Once the peaches are frozen solid, you can move them to another spot in your freezer.
Pro tip: If you’re freezing peach slices and don’t want them to clump or stick together, place them on a baking sheet (on top of parchment paper) and freeze them for 2 to 4 hours. After that, you can go ahead and place them in a container for long-term freezer storage.
Your peaches should stay good in the freezer for up to 8 months.
How to Defrost Frozen Peaches?
While most recipes do not require you to thaw out peaches (like smoothies and pies), you can absolutely do this if you want to.
Just take the peaches out of the freezer and leave them in the fridge. You should turn the container over from time to time to ensure they will evenly defrost throughout the 6 to 8 hours that this will generally take.
Use fresh, delicious peaches all year long by freezing them. Here’s an easy way.
Can You Freeze Fresh Peaches – Conclusion
So go ahead, get your fresh peaches from the best local market when they’re in season and enjoy them immediately or freeze them for later use. Either way, they will taste absolutely incredible!
