How to freeze fresh peaches for the winter

Freezing peaches for the winter in the freezer is a good way to preserve your favorite summer fruit. Peaches are fragrant and tender. Many people love them for their pleasant taste. You can enjoy plenty of them only in the summer, since in the cold winter it is quite difficult to purchase this delicacy, and their cost is too high. Therefore, many resort to freezing fruits.

Is it possible to freeze peaches

Many housewives do not know whether it is possible to freeze peaches for the winter, because their peel and pulp are very tender. Of course, according to many reviews, freezing peaches for the winter is a very inconvenient way to store them, because after defrosting you can get a tasteless and shapeless fruit. But this is possible, unless all the requirements of freezing are observed, namely:

• choose the right peach fruits;
• observe all the nuances of freezing;
• pick up a good container for freezing and storing fruits in the freezer.

If all this is taken into account, the result will only please.

How to freeze peaches for the winter

The main requirement for freezing is the right choice of fruits. It should be borne in mind that they must be ripe, but not overripe. The peel must be undamaged and the presence of dents, spoiled and broken marks on their surface is not allowed. In addition, preference should be given to sweeter varieties, because the sour, bitter taste will increase after defrosting.

Before placing peaches in the freezer for harvesting for the winter, they must be thoroughly washed and inspected for damage.

Depending on the freezing recipe, peaches can be whole, cut in half, into slices or cubes. In some embodiments, complete grinding of the pulp is assumed. As a rule, small fruits are frozen whole. If the fruits have too tender pulp, then they should be crushed to a homogeneous mass. Fruit puree can also be successfully stored in the freezer.

Whole peaches can be frozen without removing the pits and skins. But cut into slices or cubes, as well as before grinding into a puree, they should first be peeled. To do this, perform the following manipulations:

• peaches are selected, thoroughly washed, dried and a cross-shaped incision is made with a sharp knife in the lower part;

  

• put a pot of water on gas, bring to a boil;

  

• all fruits with an incision are lowered into boiling water and left to boil for 45-60 seconds;

  

• take out fruits with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in cold water;

  

• cooled peaches are taken out and you can remove the skin from them.

  

Another important requirement before freezing fresh sliced ​​peaches for the winter is that they should be pre-soaked in acidified water in a ratio of 10 g of citric acid per 1 liter of water. This procedure is necessary so that the pulp of the fetus does not darken.

How to freeze whole peaches for the winter

Whole pitted frozen peaches are easy to make. But it should be borne in mind that for freezing the whole fruit, careful selection is required. In no case should damage and dents be allowed, otherwise the peach will begin to deteriorate.

The process of freezing peaches is entirely carried out according to the following scheme:

1. The fruits are carefully inspected for damage, then washed and dried.
2. Dried peaches are individually wrapped in paper; ordinary napkins or a paper towel are suitable for this.
3. Wrapped fruits are placed in special bags for freezing and tightly closed. Sent to the freezer.

Fruits frozen in this way after defrosting look like fresh ones. They also practically do not differ in taste, the only thing is that the pulp will become much softer.

Freezing peaches with sugar for the winter

Frozen fruits with sugar often act as a filling for pastries. Peach fruits are no exception.

Frozen peaches with sugar for the winter in the freezer are made according to the following principle:

1. Good fruits are selected, washed and dried.
2. Remove the skin, cut in half, remove the stone.
3. The halves are cut into thin slices about 1 cm thick.
4. Soak in acidified water.
5. Stack in layers in a plastic container. Sprinkle each layer with sugar.
6. Close tightly and send to the freezer.

How to freeze peaches in slices

Peaches frozen for the winter in slices can be prepared according to the following recipe with a step-by-step photo:

1. First, the fruits are washed, the skin is removed from them, cut in half and the bones are removed.

   

2. Then cut the halves of the peaches into thin slices of about 1-1,5 cm.

   

3. Soak chopped slices in sour water.
4. After they are taken out of the water and the pieces are laid out separately on a baking sheet, a wooden board or a flat plate. Cover with cling film.

   

5. The decomposed peaches are placed in the freezer and allowed to freeze slightly.

   

After they take it out and put it in a bag, close it tightly and put it back in the freezer.

How to freeze peach puree for the winter

Although only moderately mature hard fruits are used for freezing, overripe peaches can also be used for freezing. Only in this case, freezing is done not from whole or cut fruits, but in the form of mashed potatoes.

To freeze peach puree:

1. Rinse, dry the fruits and remove the skin from them.
2. Cut the peaches into 4 pieces.
3. Grind in a blender. Sugar can be added to taste.
4. The resulting puree should be poured into plastic containers (half-liter jars or bottles can be used). Then you need to tightly close the lid so that the puree does not leak.
5. Tightly closed containers (bottles) should be placed in the freezer.

You can make a blank in the form of frozen peach puree cubes. Then, instead of a plastic container, the puree is poured into an ice mold and covered with cling film.

How to Freeze Fig Peaches

Fig peaches differ from regular peaches in their flat shape. But the methods of freezing such fruits are completely identical. They can be frozen whole with the bone, cut into slices and mashed. When freezing them in sliced ​​or chopped form, be sure to remove the skin, as it is dense and has a small amount of fluff on the surface.

Freezing peaches in sugar syrup

There is another way by which you can freeze peaches for the winter using sugar. Only in this embodiment, sugar is used to make syrup, which is used to pour prepared fruits before freezing.

The process of freezing these fruits in syrup is as follows:

1. Whole fruits without damage are selected, washed thoroughly, wiped. The skin may not be removed. Cut in half, remove the bone.
2. The halves are cut into slices and acidified water is lowered.
3. While the peaches are in sour water, sugar syrup is prepared at the rate of 300 g of sugar per 1 liter of water.
4. Pour sugar into a saucepan, pour water and put on fire. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add a spoonful of lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
5. The boiled syrup is removed from the heat and allowed to cool.
6. The slices are taken out of the sour water and placed in a plastic container. Slices should be laid so that at least 1-1,5 cm remains to the top edge.

Pour them with cooled syrup only until the pieces are covered. Close the container tightly and place in the freezer.

How to freeze peaches in cubes for the winter

Freezing peaches in cubes for the winter at home is carried out according to the same principle as freezing in slices.

First, prepare the fruit:

• they are washed and wiped well;
• remove the skin;
• cut in half and remove the bones.

Then the halves are cut into equal cubes of about 1 by 1 cm (the size may be larger, it is not advisable to do less, because after defrosting they will lose their shape). Lay on a flat plate or baking sheet. Cover with cling film and place in the freezer. Frozen cubes are poured into a special bag or container and tightly closed. Placed back in the freezer.

Harvesting peaches for the winter using parchment

Use parchment paper to freeze peach halves. To do this, the fruits are washed, dried and cut in half. Take out the bones. After that, the halves are folded into a container, first cut up, covered with parchment and the remaining halves of the fruit are put again, only with a cut on parchment paper. Close the container tightly and place in the freezer.

What can be cooked from frozen peaches

Frozen peaches are a great alternative to fresh fruit. They are suitable for preparing fruit fillings for various pastries. Puree from them can be used in the form of a natural cream for cakes. And slices or cubes are suitable for desserts, smoothies, cocktails or ice cream.

The preparation of frozen peach puree is most often performed in order to use it as baby food. In this case, the puree is frozen without sugar.

Whole frozen peaches can be consumed as fresh fruit after thawing.

Shelf life of frozen peaches

The pulp of peaches is able to absorb foreign odors, therefore, it is necessary to freeze the fruits in a tightly closed container or in a special bag with a Zip Lock.

At a standard freezer temperature from -12 to -18 C⁰ they can be stored for up to 10 months. After the expiration of this period, they simply begin to lose their taste and useful qualities. It is not recommended to store them for more than a year.

Defrost fruits should be gradually at room temperature. When defrosted quickly in the microwave or with warm water, they will release a large amount of water. So you can lose a lot of useful substances and worsen the taste properties.

Conclusion

There are several ways to freeze peaches for the winter in the freezer. All of them are quite simple and, if their basic requirements are observed, you can get a good result, which will allow you to enjoy your favorite fruits at any time of the year.