Freezing Peaches

1)     In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Dunk peaches in boiling water for approximately 45 seconds.  This flash-cooking process is called blanching and is an effective way to prepare nearly all fruits and vegetables for the freezer (tip*leave peaches our of fridge to soften 1-2 days before freezing)

2)     Using a slotted spoon, remove peaches from boiling water and immediate submerge into large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process.

3)     Remove the skin from peaches; it should easily slip off with a few nudges. Don’t worry if a few pieces of skin are still stuck on the peach.

4)     Slice or cube peaches and place in large bowl. For every quart of peaches, add approximately 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons to 1/3 cup of sugar, depending on your preference. Let macerate for 30 minutes. If preferred, the sugar may be omitted.

5)     Decide on freezing method.

• To syrup pack, spoon peach slices and syrupy juices into zip-top bag, leaving 1-inch of headroom at the top.
• To liquid pack, place peach segments into zip-top bag and add water or juice (like apple or white grape), leaving 1-inch of head room at the top.
• To dry pack, arrange peach segments on a cookie sheet and place in freezer for 1 hour until firm; transfer to preferred storage container. The beauty of this method is that the fruit doesn’t stick together in one solid clump in the freezer; sliced can be taken out one at a time, as needed.
• To puree, add to blender and puree until smooth. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze until solid; store in a zip-top bag.

6)    Use a permanent market to write date on each bag. Peaches keep well in the freezer for up to 12 months

Recipe from: The Fit Fork