Multipurpose, juicy and soft peaches in the winter - you can only dream about it. But if you freeze peaches for the winter, then dreams become reality! This sunny fruit is well stored in the cold, preserving its taste and vitamin composition.
Is it possible to freeze peaches
Frozen peach loses its shape a little, especially if soft and slightly overripe fruits were chosen. But this does not reduce the benefits of freezing.
What is a good way to store at low temperatures:
- This is a great alternative to canning. Peaches are not subjected to prolonged heat treatment, such as jam, jam or compote, and therefore remain as useful as possible.
- Frozen peach is many times healthier and tastier than winter store fruits.
- In this form, the fruits are stored up to 10-12 months.
- This is a convenient preparation for fillings, decoration of dishes, an addition to porridge, cocktail or fruit salad.
How to freeze: 6 best ways
Before you freeze peaches, you have to select the appropriate specimens. The fruits are ripe, but not soft, otherwise they will turn into porridge. Be sure to try the fruit pulp to taste: if there is bitterness or sourness, then storage at sub-zero temperatures will only exacerbate the problem. Keep only sweet peaches for the winter.
How to prepare the fruits for freezing, all stages:
- The pubescent skin must be removed. To do this, the fruit should be blanched in boiling water for about a minute, and then immersed in ice water for quick cooling. After this treatment, it is enough to pick up the skin with a knife, and it will easily move away.
- All fruits have a bone removed.
- Now, regardless of the method of cutting for freezing, the pulp must be sprayed with lemon juice or kept in a solution of 1 liter of water and 10 g of citric acid. Acidification will protect the pulp from darkening.
- The last step is to dry the peach on a waffle towel. Excess moisture spoils the product during prolonged storage.
Slices
To store fruit in slices, they need to be frozen individually, otherwise the flesh will stick together. To do this, lay the dried slices evenly on a flat dish covered with cling film. Put everything in the freezer for a few hours to harden the flesh. When the peaches are frozen, pour them in containers and send them for permanent storage.
An important point: the packaging must be airtight. Tie the bags tightly, close the lids tightly, otherwise the pieces will become damp and lose their aroma. Also, you do not need to distribute the fruit in large bags. Make convenient portions to get them as needed.
Repeated freezing is prohibited: the pieces will completely deteriorate.
Tip
Miss Purity magazine recommends freezing smooth peaches, nectarines, in the same way.
In the form of mashed potatoes
Peaches that are slightly overripe are suitable for preparing mashed potatoes. Their soft structure is easy to knead.
Recipe:
- Immerse the stoned fruits in a blender bowl. If you like mashed potatoes with pronounced slices, then use a grater or a meat grinder.
- Parry peaches in a convenient way, add a little sugar and lemon juice if desired.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over containers, cups or ice tins. Such ice in the future will be an ideal companion for cocktails.
Tip
Remember that for peaches it is better to allocate a separate fruit and vegetable section in the freezer. Fruits can absorb odors. It is unlikely that you will like a peach compote with the aroma of fish or meat products.
In sugar
Peaches, especially not the sweetest varieties, quickly lose their sugary taste from long-term storage in the freezer. Mistresses adapted to stock up pieces in sugar. So in the winter there will always be a sweet fruit treat at hand.
How to cook:
- Dry and acidified fruits, dry and cut into convenient pieces: halves, cubes or slices.
- Place portions of fruit in small containers.
- Sprinkle the sugar with the fruit. Its amount depends on personal preferences and the sweetness of the fetus itself.
- Pack the candied peach tightly. If you use plastic cups, take a cling film as a lid. In the open form, fruits are not stored in the freezer, otherwise the workpiece will become damp, covered with a crust of ice, and lose flavor and taste.
- Send to the freezer.
In syrup
Peaches come in varying degrees of maturity. Those that already start juice can hardly be preserved in pieces if you do not have the function of turbo-freezing and the ability to hold fruits at temperatures of –25 degrees and below. Soft and juicy fruits are well stored in their own juice and sugar syrup.
How to cook a sweet dish for toppings and compotes:
- Mix water and sugar in a 2: 1 ratio. Melt the syrup and cool a little.
- Cut peaches in convenient slices and place them in containers.
- Pour all the warm syrup so that it covers the slices in half.
- Let the fruit soak in sugar and let the juice flow.
- When the mass has cooled, cover it with a lid and send it to the freezer.
Whole
A rare but also possible way to store fruits. Rinse the skin well enough and wipe off excess moisture. Peaches are wrapped in parchment paper or placed in dense food bags for freezing. Then stored in a shared container.
Sun-dried peach
An interesting way, the essence of which is evaporation of excess moisture. Such a peach in the freezer does not get wet, it is convenient to add it to the fillings without additional defrosting.
How to cook:
- The fruit peeled and pitted cut into slices.
- Treat with lemon juice or citric acid solution to avoid darkening of the pulp.
- Arrange the pieces on a baking sheet and place in the oven, heated to 60 degrees.
- Leave the cabinet door ajar, hold the peaches for about an hour.
- When the fruits are dried, let them cool.
- Pack in portioned packets and hide in the freezer.
Have time to eat peaches in the first months of storage. The longer they lie, the less vitamins remain in them. Defrosting is carried out gradually, first in the refrigerator, then at room temperature. Do not use a microwave or hot water to thaw quickly. Eat peaches just like that, add to salads, cereals, side dishes, smoothies and toppings for pies, cook compotes, preserves and jams.