Last weekend our family visited a local farm for u-pick peaches! Since we drove over an hour, there was no way we were only going to just pick a couple buckets, so of course, we majorly overdid ourselves. After a few hours in the heat, we came home with 45 pounds of peaches!
What exactly does 45 pounds of peachy goodness look like? Let’s just say my 6 foot-long dinning room table was completely buried for days with a blanket of orange fuzz. My kids discovered a new use for peaches as throwing balls, so I quickly got busy using our peaches before casualties occurred.
The easiest way to store peaches long-term is by freezing. There are many great ways you can preserve a bumper crop of peaches, but many are just too labor intensive for a mom like me, with 2 small kids. I have a limited amount of time, yet still want to provide my family with the very best nutritionally-dense food.
My main use for peaches is making smoothies. Smoothies are a fantastic way to get nutrients in my kids with ingredients they may normally pass up. Somehow when ingredients like greens, fruit, and other delicacies are placed in a blender they are more than happy to drink up and even ask for seconds.
I also use peaches regularly to make homemade flavored yogurt. Since you aren’t going to find real peaches in your cup of Yoplait (I’m not sure if there is really much of anything real in that little container), I use my freezer stock of peaches to make my own tasty peach yogurt. I combine semi-defrosted peaches with a little raw honey or sucanat, pulse a few times in the food processor, and finally mix in homemade yogurt.
How to Freeze Peaches (the Easy, Busy Mom’s Way)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lemon juice preferably from freshly squeezed lemons
- 2 cup water
- 4 peaches peaches need to be slightly soft to touch but not too mushy. Mushy peaches do not freeze well
Instructions
- Rinse the peaches off under cool water, gently scrub off the dirt.
- If you don't want to keep the skins on the peaches bring a pot of water to a boil and gently place your peaches in the hot bath for about 40 seconds, then remove them with a slotted spoon into a bowl with ice water. The peach skins can then easily be peeled off when in the ice bath. I prefer to keep the skins so I skip this step.
- Cut the peaches. You can either slice the peaches in half, quarter them, or cut them in slices. I prefer smaller chunks of peaches, but this is completely up to you. I toss my peaches in a large bowl while cutting.
- Toss your cut peaches in a lemon/water bath. This will prevent the peaches from developing that yucky brown appearance. Use a 1:4 ratio of lemon juice to water.
- Place your freshly bathed peaches on a cookie sheet. Be sure they each have their own spot on the sheet to prevent peaches from sticking together. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer. I found it generally takes an hour or two for them to fully freeze.
- Once frozen on the cookie sheet, use a spatula to separate the peaches from the sheet. Place the peaches in your freezer-friendly container of choice and enjoy all year long!
Nutrition
So if I have 6 cups of water how much lemon juice to use?
Hey Lori, With 6 cups of water you’ll need 1 1/2 cups lemon juice.
Thank you, Kristin! This is a lot easier than putting the peaches in boiling water to peel them first. Your shared advice is appreciated. God bless you and your beautiful family.
Thank you, Jean!
I was glad to see how to freeze peaches and enjoy your site. Thank you!
Thank you, enjoy the peaches :)!
Hello, I’d like to do this today because I have a ton of peaches that I don’t want to go to waste. It’s 95 degrees out and I don’t have a lemon or a car. I don’t want to go out to get a lemon! I have limes though… can I use lime juice instead (based on the fact that limes are citrus too…)?
Hey Christina, I believe so. The lemon juice is added to keep the peaches from browning (the acid helps), so I think lime juice should do that same job. The peaches may taste a bit like a margarita ;).
Hi Kristin,
I didn’t have lemon juice so I substituted apple cider vinegar. I think it will be fine. Also, any less-than-perfect peaches that were still good but not for slicing went into the blender. I pureed them up and poured them into ice cube trays. Once frozen, they can be put into a container of your choice, kept in the freezer and used for smoothies. Thanks so much for your great instructions! I really wasn’t into canning these lovely peaches.
Awesome, Wendy! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, can’t wait to try it with the hoards of peaches we just harvested from our tree. One question, how do you prevent freezer burn when storing for a while?
Hey Tamara, I use the freezer ziploc bags, which seems to help. I also make sure to fill the bag as much possible, avoiding extra air in the bag.
I dont can so this is very helpful.
Hey Susan, I’m glad the tutorial was helpful!
Can these frozen peaches by used in pies or crisps?
Yes, I’ve used them for baking.
Can I leave the pits in? Do I have to use the lemon watet? Do I have to put them on a cookie sheet or just throw them in a freezer bag to freeze?
Hey Doug, My only experience when it comes to freezing peaches is with the way suggested in the post. If you find a different way that works, I’d love to hear about it!
Thank you for this simple t technique. I was born and raised in the capital of Lesotho, where the most common preservation methods are canning and sun-drying. I have , for years , given away (sometimes even to strangers) tons of peaches just because I didn’t have time to preserve them. I’m a single, part-time post grad student who also trying to earn a living. Just thought I’d let you know how much websites like Livesimply are appreciated. I’ll be enjoying peaches all year long….thanks to you.
Ratpauier, I’m so glad the recipe tutorial was helpful! Enjoy the peaches!
A friend was just shared some of the most delicous ,juiciest peaches I’ve ever had.After eating all but 5.I decided to do a search on freezing peaches & found your recipie & thought ,hum! Should I try this with just 5 or just eat them.
Well I decided on trying it & wow,sooo easy. Just wish I had more to freeze.May have to run out & buy some tomorow.
But after trying this I won’t hesitate to do it again & also try with other produce.
So glad I found your site.Thank you
Awesome, KhiSha’nee! It’s great to hear the method was so easy to use. Enjoy the yummy peaches!
Perfect timing, I have quite a few peaches that need to be frozen and I couldn’t find a simple way to do it. Thank you.
Awesome, Dana! Enjoy the peaches!
This looks so easy, and I plan on using your method tomorrow. One question, is the lemon water bath just a dunk or do you leave them in for a certain amount of time? Thank you
Hey Tessa, Just a dunk is perfect :). Enjoy the peaches!
I was so happy to find an easy way to freeze peaches. My neighbor just gave me a box of peaches and I didn’t want them to go to waste.
Hey Jolynn, Awesome! Enjoy the peaches!!
Awesome! I was looking for a method that was easy, didn’t remove the peel, and didn’t end up making the peaches stick together. Everything I was looking for in one place!
Awesome, Lisa! I’m so glad Live Simply was a one-stop shop for you ;). Enjoy the peaches!
We have four peach trees, and depending upon the year, we have one to four of them producing fruit each year. This year, we had one tree just LADEN with delicious peaches! However, I knew that I needed to pick them quickly before too many birds/squirrels took all our crop! I was looking for a very easy way to freeze peaches for future smoothies. I happened upon your recipe, and INDEED it was very easy to follow! Now, eight gallons later, we are Peach-Freezer Happy! Thank you so much!
Hey Cathy,
Wow, eight gallons!!! I have a little bit of peach envy right now. Enjoy all those delicious peaches!!
Do you just keep reusing the water until you’re out of peaches??
Hey Ang, Yep, I just keep using the water until it’s all gone. 🙂
Thanks for the very easy freezing directions! I just wanted to give kudos to the photographer for the great shots of the fruit in the various freezing stages in the post. Great pics! (a hobby of mine).
Thank you, Jason :). Enjoy the peaches!
Thanks for this info.
I used this process last year and loved the results. I needed a refresher on the lemon water ratio but kept finding recipes for cooking the peaches instead.
Hey Michael, You’re very welcome! Enjoy the peaches.
Wonderful!! I’m hoping to go this Saturday! Thx for posting this!!
I am so glad! Such a picturesque farm too! And your kiddos will have so much fun!
Thank you! Just what I needed to know! Does this method work for most fruit?
Things like strawberries and blueberries don’t need to take a lemon/water bath. The peaches are a bit different because they tend to brown when cut, so the lemon water reduces the oxidation and keeps them looking nice and orange in the freezer.
Goo tips. Thanks. I just need to know if I’m supposed
To dry off the peach slices before freezing?
Hey Laura, I don’t. Thanks