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Freezing Peaches

One of the many great things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating these items at their peak of freshness can’t compare to eating them at any other time or in any other way. But, besides having the best flavor, we have determined (see the additional info section at the bottom for more on these determinations) that produce provides the maximum nutrition at the peak of ripeness and that frozen produce has the same nutrition as fresh produce (if frozen properly). Therefore, freezing ripe fruits makes sense most any way you look at it.

One of our favorite fruits of summer is peaches. Let’s focus on freezing peaches since they are not often considered for freezing and take a bit more fuss to freeze than some other fruits, such as berries which can pretty much be just popped into the freezer.

Freezing Peaches

How to Freeze Peaches

The easiest and most successful way to freeze peaches is with a procedure called dry-pack. We call it successful because it keeps the peach slices separate instead of clumped up into a solid lump (which is the alternative to doing it this way). This makes for easy snacking because the proper number of slices can be unthawed without bothering the rest.

Instructions to Freeze Peaches

Wash the peaches and then pat them dry.

Cut an X on the bottom of each peach.
Make it a shallow cut, do not insert the knife too far into the peach, only the skin should be cut open. A small paring knife should be used to make the cut.

Boil a large pot of water.

Make a big bowl of ice water (while waiting for the other water to boil).

Carefully place the peaches into the boiling water.

Boil for 30 to 60 seconds only, just enough to loosen the skins.

Carefully transfer the peaches from the boiling water to the ice water bath.
This will both stop the cooking process and cool the peaches off in preparation for the freezer.

Peel the peaches, starting from the bottom X.
The peaches should peel easily and then they can be sliced and the pits removed.

Toss the peaches with some lemon juice (about 1 Tbs of juice per 4-5 peaches).
This will prevent the slices from browning. (Ascorbic acid can be used instead of lemon juice, if desired – follow the package directions if purchased.)

Arrange the peach slices on a rimmed baking sheet and place into the freezer for about two hours.

Transfer the peaches into freezer safe bags and seal them as airtight as possible.
Label and date the bags before returning them to the freezer.

The shelf life for these frozen peaches is about 6 to 9 months. They will be best before six months, but if temptation is resisted they can last until the fresh ones are available again next year.

Freezing Peaches

Additional Info

Are frozen peaches as healthy as fresh peaches? Find out more here.

Peaches take a little more work to freeze than strawberries and raspberries.

To find out how long peaches last, see our peach page.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.