Can You Freeze Peaches? How to Preserve the Fruit So You Can Enjoy It All Year

Biting into a fresh, juicy peach is such a sign of summer, and peach-flavored desserts, pies, cobblers, and smoothies are some of the best seasonal treats. But this summer fruit doesn’t have to be reserved solely for the warmer months. In fact, some coldness can preserve your peaches to eat year-round. When choosing peaches at the farmer’s market or grocery store, if you know what you’re looking for, you can get your hands on a perfectly ripe peach. A few keys to picking a good one: no bruises or punctures in the skin. If it’s firm, it’s not quite ripe yet, which can be good if you’re not enjoying it immediately. If it has a little bit of give to it and a sweet scent, the peach is ripe. Too soft and it’s past its prime.  

For freezing, you’ll want to select peaches that are just at the peak of their ripeness, perhaps even a little firm. Mushy, blemished, or peaches with broken skin won’t work well for freezing. Freeze your peaches before they get too mushy, following these steps below to enjoy juicy peaches all year long. Really, they’ll last until next peach season! 

How to Freeze Whole Peaches 

Freezing whole peaches is a quick and easy way to preserve summer fruit for months to come. Because they’re substantial in size, whole peaches will take longer to defrost than sliced peaches, but keep all those wonderful juices in. To freeze whole peaches, follow the steps below:

1. Wash and pat dry your peaches.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath that will fit the peaches.
3. Cut an X in the bottom of the skin of each peach, which will help remove the skins once the peaches are blanched.
4. Add the peaches to the boiling water for 30-60 seconds, removing with tongs or a slotted spoon.
5. Transfer the peaches to the ice bath and let them cool.
6. Once cooled, remove the skin from the peaches starting with the X shape. If the skin doesn’t remove easily with your fingers, boil the whole peaches for another 30 seconds, add to a fresh ice bath, and try again. 
7. Once all the peaches are peeled, freeze the peaches whole by arranging them on a baking sheet. Rest in the freezer for at least 8 hours (or overnight) before transferring the peaches to a plastic bag or airtight food storage container. 
   

How to Freeze Sliced Peaches

Sliced peaches are super easy to use and quick to defrost. Preparing sliced peaches to freeze is similar to freezing whole peaches, but with the extra step of cutting them to size. To freeze sliced peaches, follow the steps below:

1. Start by following steps 1-5 of the whole peaches method. 
2. Then, instead of freezing the peaches directly, slice into wedges or chunks of your size preference. Peaches can also be halved, pits removed, and frozen. 
3. Lay the wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
4. Then, transfer the peach pieces to a plastic bag or airtight container to store in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. 

How Long Do Frozen Peaches Last?

Frozen peaches last up to 12 months in the freezer. Make sure the packaging is air tight to help prevent freezer burn. If you use some and have some left over, consider transferring the leftovers to a smaller container to prevent icy buildup. Defrosted peaches can be refrozen, but won’t necessarily keep their shape or texture. Use re-frozen peaches for smoothies, fruit purees, syrups, or making preserves.