How to Freeze Peaches
Peaches ripen quickly during the summer often leaving us with more than we can use. Learn how to freeze peaches so that they are preserved for months.
One of the best ways to preserve fresh peaches is to freeze them in slices. Unlike canning, the texture and flavor remain mostly unchanged.
Freezing peaches is quick and easy. When you find yourself with too many peaches, prepare them using the method below and keep them in the freezer for later. This is very similar to the method for freezing avocados.
When are Peaches in Season?
Stone fruits including cherries, plums, nectarines, and peaches are in season in the summer. Here in California, our peach and other stone fruit trees have ripe fruit from mid-June to July.
Peaches ripen on the tree and quickly fall to the ground if left unpicked. They will continue to ripen, and much more quickly than other fruit such as avocados, off the tree.
How to Blanch & Peel Peaches
Grocery store frozen peach slices are sold peeled. Before freezing your peaches, decide if you want to peel them or not.
If you’re sure you’re going to use your frozen peaches for preserves or a recipe that requires peeled peaches, you can blanch and peel them before freezing. However, I prefer to keep the peach skins on for snacking and smoothies.
If you do want to peel your peaches and the skins don’t naturally come off easily (mine usually do when ripe), you can blanch them. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the peaches to the boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath. The skins will come off very easily after blanching.
Can You Freeze Whole Peaches?
While I freeze tomatoes whole during the summer, peaches are best cut before freezing. Peaches are much easier to pit and cut before freezing. Once frozen they are rock hard, and after thawing they are a bit softer than when fresh.
If you don’t want to cut your peaches into slices, just cut them in half vertically, remove the pit, and freeze the halves according to these instructions.
How to Freeze Peaches
STEP 1: CHOOSING PEACHES
Start with peaches that are ripe, as once they are cut they will not ripen any further. Though you want them to be ripe, they should not be so soft that they cannot be easily cut into slices without falling apart.
STEP 2: SLICE
Cut the peaches in half vertically around the pit. Remove the pit and then cut the halves into slices.
Some people recommend soaking the peach slices in lemon water to prevent browning. However, I have not found this necessary and haven’t experienced any browning. This would only be an issue if you’re planning to leave sliced peaches exposed to the air for a long time prior to freezing.
STEP 3: FREEZE #1
Line your sliced peaches on a sheet pan lined with parchment, close, but not touching so they don’t stick together.
Freeze the sliced peaches until frozen. This will take a few hours but you can leave them in overnight.
STEP 4: FREEZE #2
Once the peaches are frozen they need to be moved to a freezer-safe storage container. Transfer them to a gallon-sized freezer bag and remove as much air as possible from the bag. Now they are ready to store in the freezer!
How to Thaw and Use Frozen Peaches
Frozen fruit lasts in the freezer for up to 8 months when stored properly.
To thaw your frozen peach slices, let them sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Frozen peach slices make a tasty cold snack on a hot day as-is. You can also use them in a variety of recipes.
Use frozen (thawed or not) sliced peaches in pies, peach crisps, or preserves.
Add frozen peach slices directly from the freezer bag to the blender to make smoothies and slushies. To make the frozen peach drink above, blend the juice of 1 orange with about a cup of frozen peaches and a few ice cubes.
How to Freeze Peaches
Learn how to freeze peaches in slices so that they are ready for smoothies, jam, pies, and more all year long!
Ingredients
- 10 peaches (ripe but firm)
Instructions
- Before beginning to freeze peaches, decide if you want to freeze them with the skin on or off. I freeze mine with skin-on for smoothies and crisps. If you are making jam you'll want to remove the skin. See notes for how to blanch and peel peaches or skip to number 2.
- Line a large cookie sheet (that will fit in your freezer) with parchment paper. To slice the peaches, cut in half vertically around the pit. Remove the pit. Cut the peach halves into ½-inch slices.
- Lay the peach slices on the prepared cookie sheet in a single layer. Place the whole cookie sheet into the freezer until the peach slices are frozen, about 3 hours or overnight.
- Transfer the frozen peach slices to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Your frozen peaches are now ready to store in the freezer. Frozen fruit lasts in the freezer for up to 8 months.
Notes
Use freestone peaches (the variety with pits that are not attached to flesh) for freezing.
How to Blanch Peaches for Peeling
If you want to peel your peaches before freezing, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the peaches and boil for 30 seconds. Immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. The peach skins will now come off very easily.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 peachAmount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Nutritionix. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your favorite calculator.
