The Key To Freezing Peaches So They Stay Good For Months
When the peach season ends, it doesn't mean you still can't enjoy all of those beautiful fruits you've been using to make your favorite homemade summer pie, easy peach crisp, or the classic peach cobbler, especially if you consider freezing them. We love peaches. And while their season is rather brief, running from June to September, per Lane Southern Orchards, the United States is still able to grow about 690,000 tons of these fuzzy sweet fruits each year.
Where in the U.S. do we find the most peaches? While it might surprise you to learn that although Georgia is nicknamed the Peach State, California grows the most amounts of this fruit in the U.S., per Greenville News. However, according to Frog Hollow Farm, this fuzzy deliciousness actually comes from China, and they are still the largest producer in the world. Regardless of who has bragging rights for being the biggest peach grower, the fruit has always been beloved. Queen Victoria was said to be a fan of it, and Thomas Jefferson planted peach trees at his Monticello home in Virginia.
Peaches are pretty fantastic, but if you are going to freeze these babies to retain all their juicy goodness for a later date, you need to know the most important aspect of this preservation method so they will stay good for months to come.
Slice and peel
According to Southern Living, if you plan on freezing peaches so you can eat them in the future, it's important to start with those in "peak season" and of the freestone variety because they have pits that are much easier to remove. However, the real key to freezing this fruit is all about the peeling and slicing before you toss it into the icebox.
The Peach Truck explains you are going to want to blanch your peaches for an easy peel. But before you do, there's a little prep. You start by making a surface incision in the bottom of each fruit in the shape of an X, as this will help with both removing the pit and peeling it. Once you mark your X, place the peaches in boiling water for about 15 seconds and then into an ice bath. When you can handle the peaches with your hands, all the peeling and cutting begins. Remove the skin and the pit, and slice up the fruits. Both Southern Living and Peach Truck recommend using a little lemon to keep them from browning.
As a pro-tip, Southern Living advises laying the slices on parchment paper in a single layer and allowing them to freeze like this for about four hours before placing them in an airtight container. They note that you will not have to defrost all your peaches at once this way.