Learn How to Freeze Peaches for All-Year Use

If you love peaches, you may want to enjoy fresh peaches all year round. Do you know the proper way to freeze peaches? I do, so let me share with you how to freeze peaches to use them all year use.

Does this sound hard to you? It’s not. In fact learning to freeze peaches may be one of the easiest cooking methods you ever learn.

Why do you need to freeze peaches? So that you can enjoy them year-round. When fruit is in season, it’s the perfect time to freeze them for multiple peach recipes.

Love Them Peaches

As you might have guessed from my Peach Clafouti or my Peach Galette posts, I love peaches. 

I’m sad that fresh peaches, really good, sweet ones aren’t available year-round. The summer season of peaches just isn’t long enough. So for the next few months, peaches are the name of the game.

I love buying peaches at the Farmers’ Market.

Here’s the Easy Method to Freezing Peaches

If you are like me and don’t want peach season to end, there is an easy way to have your peaches and eat them too! – even in the winter. I don’t mean buying the canned peaches on the grocery shelf which are full of sugar and preservatives.

My favorite technique is to freeze fresh peaches, which requires no special equipment and can be done in under an hour.

What Type of Peaches Should You Freeze?

1. The best type of peaches to use are what is called clingfree. These are peaches that the flesh easily releases from the pit. This makes it so much easier to remove and slice the peach.

2. You can use whatever fresh peaches are available in your area.

3. Both peaches and nectarines will freeze beautifully.

4. Peaches should be ripe, firm to the touch, but not soft or mushy.

NOTE: Use the best peaches you can to get the best results. Do not use bruised, old or mushy peaches.

What Equipment Do You Need for Freezing Peaches?

Most of these tools you will have in your kitchen:

• Saucepan or Dutch Oven (size depends on the number of peaches)
• Strainer, skimmer, or slotted spoon
• Paring Knife
• Salad spinner (trust me on this)
• Cutting board
• Stainless or glass bowl
• Rimmed baking sheet, cake pans or pie plates
• Freezer bags – preferably quart-size

How to Easily Prepare Peaches for Freezing

1. Run the peaches under warm water and dry the skin of the peaches.
2. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an “x” into the skin of all your peaches on the bottom. Cut through the skin, but not the flesh.

3. Fill a large saucepan or Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil.
4. Meanwhile fill the insert of your salad spinner with ice and water. Set near the stove top.
5. Using a large spoon, carefully place a few peaches into the boiling water. Allow them to stay in the boiling water for 30 – 45 seconds. You want to see that the skin is opening up where you cut the “x”.

6. Use a fine mesh sieve or a slotted spoon to remove each peach from the water.

7. Place the peaches in the ice water in the salad spinner for about 60 seconds. This will stop the peaches from cooking and start the cooling process. Remove them to a paper towel to drain.

8. Using your fingers, start peeling back the skin of the peach, starting where you cut the “x” into the bottom. The skin should peel away easily. Discard the skin.

NOTE: If the skin doesn’t pull away easily from the flesh, you may have to dip the peach back into the boiling water for a few more seconds, then repeat the steps above.

9. Using the paring knife, cut the peach in half. Twist the two sides of the peach and remove them from the pit. Slice the peach into about 6-8 pieces per side. Repeat with all your peaches.

Freezing the Prepared Peaches

10. Spread the peach slices out on a sheet pan (or plate) covered with a piece of parchment paper. Place the sheet pan in the freezer. This is called “quick freeze”. Allow the peaches to freeze, for 1 – 3 hours.

11. Label quart-size freezer bags with the date.

TIP: it’s always easier to label them with the contents and the date before you put food in them!

12. Fill the freezer bags 3/4 full with sliced peaches. Don’t overfill the bags. Squeeze out any air and seal the bags. Place them back in your freezer, laying them flat.

How to Thaw the Peaches?

13. Remove the bag of peaches from the freezer and place the bag in the refrigerator (4-6 hours) or under cold running water (1/2 to 1 hour). Do not refreeze.

NOTE: This technique may also be used for plums and nectarines.  Don’t hesitate or you may miss out on the last of the season’s peaches.  

Recipes for Peaches

Now you can use peaches in your favorite peach recipes year round.

These are delicious peach recipes:

• Peach Cobbler
• Peach Clafouti,
• Peach Ice Cream

Have fun in your kitchen. I’m having fun in mine. I hope you’ll save this little food lesson. It’s one to keep in your kitchen collection of helpful cooking methods. Be sure to PIN the post. Check out my Pinterest Board, Cooking Lessons.