We don’t grow peaches in South Dakota. Corn, Wheat and Sunflowers are far more typical around these parts. So when a semi-truck from Colorado comes to town full of peaches we get a little excited.
Today’s DoAhead Dining post is short and sweet. It’s a tiny tip for tucking away those peaches for the cold winter months ahead. I’ve canned peaches before but my tribe is every bit as pleased with them frozen (and that’s a whole lot easier!) So here are a couple of pointers for freezing peaches and one idea for consuming them!
1. Blanch them first. (Click here for a YouTube link on blanching.)
2. Once the skin has been peeled remove the pit and then slice or dice them according to your preference.
3. Place the peach slices in a large bowl. Lightly sprinkle lemon or orange juice over the top. The citric juice will keep the peaches from discoloring. They may still brown a bit. They begin to oxidize quickly while they sit on the counter. If you have a lot of peaches you may want to work in small batches. The more quickly they are glazed in juice and bagged the less brown they will become.
4. Once your citric juice has been gently stirred in, place the peaches in freezer bags. (We freeze small quantities-1/2 to 3/4 of a quart sized bag.) Stack on a cookie sheet and place in a large freezer.
Bam! Peaches in January!
We tap into our peach supply on school mornings. The Magic Bullet comes out. We place the contents of our small bag of peaches in the cup, add 1/4 cup crushed ice and 1/2 to 1 cup Orange Juice. Blend and drink!
That’s it sweet DoAheads…a peachy start for a bleary eyed school morning!
Your DoAhead Friend,
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