Ok, time for one more “late season” post…

One of the challenges in writing recipes is the fact that you have to assume some sort of knowledge on the part of the reader or every recipe turns into a five page dissertation.  My previous post on peach pie could have easily been such an example by the time I explained various techniques for pie crust and peeling peaches.  I thought instead it would be more beneficial to explain each of those processes separately since they aren’t unique to peach pie alone.

If you’ve been blessed with an abundance of peaches and don’t have the time turn them into pies, jam, and cobblers, simply peel them and freeze for future use.  Each summer my mom would freeze several bags of sliced and sweetened peaches to enjoy during the off-season.  What a treat that was to enjoy the pure sweet flavor of summer in the middle of winter!

Whether you’re planning to use fresh peaches immediately for baking, planning to make jam, or put away in the freezer you generally want to peel them first.   This same technique can be used for tomatoes, except that an “x”-shaped cut is generally first made in the bottom of the tomato to facilitiate peeling.  This is not necessary with peaches.

Step 1:

Prepare an ice water bath for shocking the peaches.

Step 2:

Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil.  When water is boiling, carefully place a  couple of peaches at a time into the boiling water.  Depending on the ripeness of the peach, they will need to remain in the water for 30-60 seconds.  The riper they are, the less time they’ll need.  The boiling water will scald the skins, essentially blistering them as happens when we burn ourselves.

Step 3:

Using a slotted spoon, remove peaches and immediately immerse in the ice water bath to “shock” them and stop the cooking.  The skin should then easily rub off with your fingers, or the edge of a paring knife.  The peaches are now peeled and ready for use as desired.