[Explanation with photos] How to freeze peaches, storage period, and 5 recipes!

Have you ever had a similar experience of having a lot of leftover peaches and not being able to use them all and spoiling them?

In everyday life, I think it's rare to have more peaches than you can use. However, it seems that there are a surprising number of people who receive a lot of peaches on a certain occasion and end up spoiling them without being able to use them all.

This article explains how to freeze peaches for those who are having trouble processing them or those who want to preserve them for a long time. We have included useful information on preserving peaches, such as specific preservation procedures, thawing methods, and storage periods, so please take a look.

Advantages of freezing peaches

Allows long-term storage

The first advantage is that it can be stored for a long time.

When stored at room temperature, peaches should be stored for 3 to 5 days after purchase. Of course, this depends on how ripe each fruit is, but once it's ripe, it will start to go bad in about 3 days.

There is no problem if you just bought one or two peaches, but if you received 10 to 15 peaches, it may be difficult to consume them within 3 to 5 days.

In such cases, you can use frozen storage to preserve food for up to a month.

By freezing, the texture will change slightly before and after freezing, but by devising thawing methods and recipes, you can enjoy it even after freezing.

The skin can be peeled easily

This is an advantage when freezing whole foods, which will be explained in the next section.

``Peeling peaches'' is something that many people feel uncomfortable with, but freezing peaches makes it easier to peel them.

When you freeze a whole peach, there will be a slight misalignment between the inner fruit and the outer skin. Then, when you thaw it, the skin will peel off easily.

Under normal conditions, you would have to peel the skin one by one after cutting it into combs. However, using this method, you can peel peaches quickly and easily.

Freezing storage method

When freezing whole

1) Wash lightly with water and wipe dry.

2) Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap.

3) Place in a freezer bag and freeze.

★By freezing the meat whole, the skin will be easier to peel when thawing.

When freezing after cutting

1) Wash lightly with water, peel and cut into appropriate sizes.

2) Wrap it in plastic wrap, put it in a freezer bag, and freeze it.

[Points to prevent discoloration]
After cutting the peach, sprinkle lemon juice on the surface (soak it) to prevent it from turning brown.

Thawing method and storage period

How to defrost peaches

If you want to eat frozen peaches as is, we recommend letting them thaw naturally at room temperature.

Once removed from the freezer, let it sit for 10 to 30 minutes (depending on room temperature).

By leaving it for 10 to 30 minutes, the outside will melt and the inside will become crunchy (=half-thawed). This makes it easier to peel the skin even if you freeze it whole, and you can enjoy the texture and flavor.

[Points to note when defrosting]
If the peaches are thawed too much, the moisture inside the peaches will leak out of the food and the texture and flavor will be lost. When defrosting, try to stop at half-thawing as much as possible.

Storage period of peaches

The recommended storage period for frozen peaches is 3 to 4 weeks.

However, peaches will gradually dry out (deteriorate) even while frozen, so it is better to eat them as soon as possible.

5 easy recipes using peaches

smoothie

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/2308923

☑材料（1人分）
・冷凍桃　1個
・牛乳　80~100ml
・はちみつ　適量

<How to make>
1) Do not thaw the frozen peaches, but cut them into pieces that will fit in the blender. At this time, you may or may not peel the skin (as per your preference).
2) Put all the ingredients in a mixer and it's done when it's smooth.
★If you like, add about 10ml of fresh cream for a richer taste.
★You can also add frozen fruits other than peaches.

compote

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4241407

☑材料（2人分）
・冷凍桃　1個
●砂糖　50g
●水　100ml
●白ワイン　50ml
・レモン汁　小さじ2

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen peaches naturally and cut them into 1cm-wide combs, leaving the skins on.
2) Put the ingredients in a pot and simmer for about 10 minutes, then add lemon juice before removing from the heat.
3) Once you have cooled down, peel the peaches and place them in the refrigerator to cool.

White peach sorbet recipe

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4004222

☑材料（2～3人分）
・牛乳　300cc
・冷凍桃　1個
・練乳　大さじ3

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen peaches and cut them into 2cm cubes, including the skin.
2) Put milk, condensed milk, and peaches from (1) into a freezer bag, remove the air, and seal.
3) After chilling in the freezer for 4 to 5 hours, gently knead the bag and it's done.

detox water

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/4589693

☑材料（1人分）
・レモン　1/2個
・冷凍桃　1/2個
・はちみつ　大さじ2
・炭酸水　500ml
・ミント　適量

<How to make>
1) Defrost the frozen peaches naturally and cut them into combs less than 1cm wide, leaving the skins on.
2) Slice the lemon into rounds of the same thickness.
3) Add carbonated water, honey, lemon, peach, and mint to a container and let it sit for 3 to 4 hours.
★If you don't have carbonated water, you can use water.

jam

Source: https://cookpad.com/recipe/627905

☑材料
・冷凍桃　2個
・砂糖　90~120g（※）
・レモン汁　大さじ2
※桃の重さの30~40%程度

<How to make>
1) Thaw the frozen peaches, peel them, and cut them into 5mm cubes.
2) Put the peach skin in a tea bag, add the peach and the juice from cutting it into a pot.
3) Add half the lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
4) Once the time has passed, turn the heat down to low.
5) When it starts to simmer, increase the heat a little and simmer while stirring slowly with a spatula.
6) Finally, increase the heat and adjust the heat so that the moisture evaporates in 20 to 30 minutes.
7) Just before the desired consistency is reached, add the remaining lemon juice (1 tablespoon) and turn off the heat.
8) Store in a bottle that has been sterilized by boiling.

Conclusion

How do you freeze peaches?

We introduced two methods: freezing the whole thing and cutting it up and freezing it. Freezing the whole food takes up more space in the freezer, but it is less time consuming and easy to defrost, so this is the recommended method.

As for the thawing method, we introduced natural thawing at room temperature. If you want to eat it as is without processing it, it is best to stop thawing it halfway. If it is completely thawed, the inside will become henna and the texture will be lost.

Frozen peaches can be used in a variety of preparations such as smoothies, compotes, and jams. If you get a lot of peaches, please try freezing them.