How to Freeze Peaches – Easy Ways to Preserve the Summer Flavor

Fresh, flavorful, and easy-to-eat, you can eat peaches in a variety of ways. In addition to eating them fresh or as preserved in cans and filled with syrup, you can also add variety to your method of eating peaches by freezing them. However, when attempting to freeze peaches or any other fruit, it is critical to exercise extreme caution during the preparation and the freezing processes.

So, if you want to get the best results out of the entire procedure, keep reading and follow the instructions given below.

How to Pick the Best Peaches for Freezing?

You may think that you can pick a peach and freeze it as per the following methods. However, to get the best results, careful selection of the peach is crucial. If you have some fresh peaches in your refrigerator you want to freeze, make sure they are suitable for freezing to get the desired taste.

Understanding how to choose the best fruit for freezing is the first step in learning how to freeze peaches. When freezing a peach, choose one that is at its ripest stage possible. When fully mature, peaches should have a strong fragrance and get squished when lightly pressed at the top of the stem. If you do not have them lying at home, follow these guidelines to buy the perfect peaches:

• Check your local supermarkets and farmers’ markets for perfectly ripe peaches.
• Green peaches are often harvested in wholesale quantities; however, these are not suitable for freezing.
• Household ripened ones may improve consistency, but their taste after freezing will not be up to par.
• Clingstone peaches emerge around the middle of June, while Freestone peaches arrive from late July to September. Clingstones, as the name suggests, are more difficult to pit. This may make prepping for the freezing process a bit more complicated.
• Two to three pounds are required for each quart of frozen peaches in water or sweet syrup, while you can flash freeze as many peaches as you like. So, buy accordingly.

How to Flash Freeze Peaches?

This method is excellent for freezing peach frozen yogurt and milkshakes. Flash freezing peaches means good-quality frozen peaches kept for around two months instead of the standard 8-10 months in a fluid or syrupy concoction.

For flash freezing, follow the following methods:

• Rinse the peaches in lukewarm water.
• Cut each peach in half around the stem.
• Swivel each part to expose the hole.
• Using a knife, scrape out the peach pit. Cut these swiveled pieces to your liking.
• Arrange the pieces on a piece of wax paper. Avoid touching the edges as this may cause it to cling and get stuck when frozen.
• Refrigerate the baking paper for 2–3 hours, or until it is firm.
• Mark your freezer containers with the fruit name, quantity, and date of freezing peach slices.
• Freeze fresh peaches for later use in this manner, which you can use for up to two months.

How to Select the Right Containers for Freezing Peaches?

After you’ve decided to learn how to freeze peaches, it’s time to get down to business and figure out the technicalities and equipment needed. First and foremost, it is crucial to get the ideal containers for freezing and storing the peaches. Choose strong ones that are easy to lock and are humidity and odor resistant to preserve peaches. Using the incorrect containers for your food may lead to the development of an oxide layer and frostbite, which will lead to spoilage of the fruit.

Here are several peach freezer containers we recommend on how to freeze fresh peaches:

• Hard jars with airtight lids – this will prevent oxidization during the freezing and storing phase.
• Use freezer-safe canned vessels – always use glass jars with a wide opening since narrow-necked jars may easily shatter when the freezing completes. For better results, leave a one-inch space at the top.
• Use Ziploc bags, such as zipped or vacuum-sealed ones – these bags are stronger and more sensitive to humidity and oxygen than standard plastic packaging.

Tips to Prepare Peaches for Freezing

When it comes to preparing peaches for freezing, the procedure varies depending on the type of fruit. This will require some time and effort, but it will be well worth it in the end. Moreover, this method of prepping the peaches for freezing will assist you in saving money rather than wasting it, which is an added benefit. First, separate the seeds from their shells and place them in a separate container (you can also try reducing pectin in the fruit – which is responsible for the sweetness and flavor of the fruit). Next, blanch and scrape them to remove any blemishes or bruises before freezing them. This inhibits the degradation of the taste and color of the peach.

First, prepare the mix because it needs to cool while the fresh peaches are being preserved in syrupy packaging. Then, ensure that you follow the procedure outlined below for freezing the peaches.

1. Peel the Peaches

• Rinse the peaches well; make sure not to immerse them in water.
• With the paring knife, indent the base of each peach. It will allow for growth while blanching the peach.

2. Blanch the peaches before freezing

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Fill a large basin with ice cubes.
• Carefully add 3-4 peaches to the boiling water. Remove after 60 seconds.
• Using a rubber spatula, transfer the peaches from hot to lukewarm water.

(The entire process hardens the flesh, improves the flavor, and softens the outer skin to make peeling simpler.)

3. Scrape the Peach

• Scrape the skin with a knife, or your fingertips, when cool enough to handle.

4. Pit the Peaches

• Cut each skinned peach in half along the pit.
• Swivel each part to expose the seed.
• Using a spoon, scrape the pit out of the peach. Now, cut these peaches in halves or slices.

5. Color the Peaches

• Use an ascorbic-acid coloring that will preserve the color of the peaches.

This adds vitamin C apart from preventing oxidization and browning of the fruit while freezing and storing it. Remember to follow the directions on the packaging.

How to Pack Peaches in Water or Syrup?

In most cases, unless you want to flash freeze peaches, these fruits are kept in the freezer with sugar or juice added to enhance the flavor.

• Make a water packet and freeze it with peaches.
• Frozen peaches should be placed in pint or quart-size containers, with 12 inches of headspace for a pint and 1 inch of headspace for quarters.
• It is also best not to use glass jars. Continue to pour water over the peaches while maintaining the necessary distance.
• Incorporate peaches into a sucrose pack and freeze them.
• Using half of the peaches, fill pint- or quart-sized freezer jars halfway.
• Drizzle with powdered sugar gradually; continue layering, leaving a 12-inch headroom for a pint and a 1-inch gap for a quart, as per standard practice. Immediately before freezing, cover the fruit in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes, or until the fruit is still juicy.
• Make a fructose pack and keep the fruit in it to thaw.
• Combine equal parts sugar and water on a medium-sized pan to make syrup.
• For 4 cups of syrup, mix 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of water in a large mixing bowl until the mixture becomes smooth.
• Combine 3 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water to make a syrup that will cover 3 cups of moderate syrup (amount may vary).
• You can make four cups of syrup by combining 4 cups sucrose and 4 cups water to get a concentrated syrupy solution.
• Mix the sugar syrup and water until the sugar is completely dissolved (around 30 seconds). Heat should be turned off, and any froth formed should be removed. It is required to refrigerate the syrup before use.
• Pour the peaches into pint or quart-sized freezer jars, leaving a 12-inch headspace for pints and a 1-inch headspace for quarts. Refrigerate until frozen. Remove 1 inch of space between each layer of cooled liquid and peaches.

Note: The fruit is covered with a syrup made from boiling water and sugar, used to preserve fruits. With acidic fruits, heavy syrups are often utilized, while lower sweeteners are recommended for gentler fruits.

Steps for Freezing Peaches Once They Are Packed

After you have packaged the peaches in the ideal containers using the ideal methods, you need to freeze them again. This retains the hard, frozen goodness of the fruit, which will allow you to enjoy it for months to come without getting spoilt. Follow the below steps to ensure that the peaches are correctly frozen after packing them as required.

• Wipe off the sides of the jar, particularly the plastic ones.
• Lock the packages or jars according to the manufacturer’s instructions, forcing out all air.
• For a secure seal, wrap freeze adhesive over the lid’s corners.
• Divide the bags equally and add packets in pairs to ensure food freezes quickly. Allow air to circulate between packages. You may stack these packs or store them close together after they’ve frozen firm.
• Continue to use these frozen peaches for another 8 to 10 months.

With the help of the freezing process, you can now consume delicious peaches in various ways. Be it a topping for your ice cream, a snack with cream drizzled on top, or for making desserts, simply take the packets out and use them as you need. This will open your eyes to a whole new world where you not only discover the wonders of frozen peaches but have them handy for whenever you want to eat them.

Also Read:

Easy Ways to Freeze Herbs
Seasonal Fruits to Add in Your Winter Diet
Food Storage and Safety Limits in Refrigerator