YHE-46, Reprinted Dec 1997. Evelyn Crayton, Extension Foods and Nutrition Specialist, Associate Professor, Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University

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Food Preservation A Closer Look Freezing Peaches

Fresh peaches are delicious to eat and so are frozen ones. That is if you prepare, freeze, and store them correctly. Peaches are easy to freeze. They can be frozen, sliced or in halves, using sugar or syrup. So why not freeze some? Here's how you do it:

1. Select ripe fruit as though you were going to eat it right now.
2. Wash the fruit to remove dirt and insect spray.
3. Put 5 or 6 peaches in a thin cloth bag. Tie bag at the top. Drop into rapidly boiling water. Leave for 1 minute. Be sure peaches stay under the boiling water.
4. Take the bag of peaches from the boiling water. Place in cold tap water (ice water is good). Untie bag. Remove peaches and put them back in cold tap water.

For SYRUP METHOD and SUGAR METHOD follow steps below

Syrup Method

• To make the syrup for 1 pint of fruit, just add 3/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. (One teaspoon of ascorbic acid mixture can be added to help prevent fruit from turning dark.)
• Now take a thin paring knife and slip the skin from the peach.
• Slice the peach or cut into halves. Drop in the syrup. Peel and prepare the other peaches as you did this one.
• Use a moisture-vapor-proof freezer container to pack the peaches in. Press peaches down to remove as much air as possible. Pour syrup over peaches, using the same syrup as was used in step 6. Leave 3/4-inch space at the top. The syrup will expand when it freezes. Seal the package.
• Label and date. Place in the coldest part of the freezer.

Sugar Method

• To 1 quart of water add 1/4 teaspoon of citric acid or ascorbic acid mixture. (This helps prevent fruit from turning dark.)
• Using a thin paring knife, slip the skin from the peach. Drop peach in the water mixture made in step 9. Peel other peaches.
• ake fruit from water mixture, quickly slice or cut peaches in halves. (You can add 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid mixture to 1/4 cup of water. Pour this over the sliced peaches and stir. This helps prevent fruit from turning dark.) To 2 cups of sliced peaches add 1/3 cup of sugar. Stir to coat peaches with sugar. Taste to see if peaches are sweet enough. You may need to add a little more sugar.
• Pack sugared peaches in a moisture-vapor-proof freezer container. Press fruit down to remove air. Fill to within 1/2-inch of the top of the freezer container.
• Seal, label, and date. Store in the coldest part of the freezer.