How to freeze fresh peaches

Freeze fresh peaches and enjoy them long after the summer has passed. Use them to make jam, cobblers, or just for snacking on when the winter months make you miss them most! Get the easy steps here.

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General tips for freezing peaches:

• Use peaches that are free from bruises, bugs, or imperfections. (I just cut these things out and don’t throw away the whole peach–what a waste!)
• If possible, use fresh peaches at their peak of ripeness. You’ll see in the pictures that my peaches were on their way to over ripe. I bought 25 pounds and ate all I could hold then knew it was time to freeze the rest! Do as I say, not as I do!
• If you want your peaches to come out individually (so you can use a few in smoothies for example) and not frozen in a block, freeze them on a cookie sheet first, then transfer them to a bag.

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How to freeze peaches step-by-step

Step 1: Wash the peaches and remove any bad spots, bruises or imperfections. Then, we need to get the skin off the peaches. Start by cutting a shallow “X” in the top of your peaches (not the stem end) and set aside.

Step 2: Prepare a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, get a large bowl and fill it 3/4 full with water and ice and set aside.

Step 3: Gently place your peaches into the boiling water for 30 seconds only. Use tongs or a strainer to move them to the ice water. Allow the peaches to cool in the water until you can handle them then set them aside and finish boiling and cooling the remaining peaches in batches.

Step 4: Starting at the “X” you made on the top, gently peel the skin off the peaches. If the skin doesn’t come off easily your peaches may need another dip in the boiling water. If your peaches are under ripe (hard) this can also make it hard to remove the skins.

Step 5: Cut your peaches open, remove the pit and slice into whatever size you like. I usually do about 8 slices but you can also dice them if you choose. Drop them in to a bowl of water with a little lemon juice as you slice them to keep them from turning brown.

Step 6: To freeze individual slices, layer the peaches on a cookie sheet and freeze solid. Then transfer to an air tight container or freezer bag. To freeze all the peaches together just drop them in to a freezer bag.

How long can peaches be frozen?

Peaches can be frozen for up to 12 months assuming they are tightly sealed.

How to thaw frozen peaches

You can thaw your peaches on the counter at room temperature in their container, or in the fridge. Just put a plate or bowl under them in case there are any holes in your bag to catch messes.

I froze my peaches and they’re all soft after thawing! What happened?!

That’s normal. When you freeze any fruit or vegetable, it forces the water out of the cell walls and when they thaw, all that water comes out making lots of liquid and very soft fruits and vegetables.

There’s no way around it so plan to use your peaches in ways that soft fruit doesn’t matter. Like peach cobbler, jams or in smoothies.

Ways to use frozen peaches

Try these great recipes to use your frozen peaches!

Southern peach cobbler

Fresh Peach Jam

Peach smoothie