Content
- 1 Can peaches be frozen
- 2 How to freeze peaches for the winter
- 3 How to freeze whole peaches for the winter
- 3.1 Freezing peaches with sugar for the winter
- 3.2 How to properly freeze peaches in slices
- 3.3 How to freeze peach puree for the winter
- 3.4 How to freeze fig peaches
- 3.5 Freezing peaches in sugar syrup
- 3.6 How to freeze peaches in cubes for the winter
- 3.7 Harvesting peaches for the winter using parchment
- 3.8 What can be made from frozen peaches
- 4 Shelf life of frozen peaches
- 5 Conclusion
Freezing peaches in the freezer for the winter 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 them enough only in the summer period, since in a cold winter it is quite difficult to acquire this delicacy, and their cost is too high. Therefore, many resort to freezing the fruit.
Can peaches be frozen
Many housewives do not know if peaches can be frozen 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 of storing, because after defrosting, you can get a tasteless and shapeless fruit. But this is possible, if only you do not comply with all the requirements for freezing, namely:
- choose the right peach fruits;
- observe all the nuances of freezing;
- find a good container for freezing and storing fruit 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 correct choice of fruits. It should be borne in mind that they must be ripe, but not overripe. The peel must be undamaged and no dents, spoiled or broken marks are allowed on their surface. In addition, preference should be given to sweeter varieties, because the sour, bitter taste will increase after defrosting.
Peaches should be thoroughly washed and inspected for damage before placing them in the freezer for winter storage.
Depending on the recipe for freezing, peaches can be whole, cut in half, into slices or cubes. In some embodiments, complete grinding of the pulp is contemplated. As a rule, small fruits are frozen whole. If the fruits have too tender pulp, then they should be crushed until smooth. Fruit puree can also be conveniently stored in the freezer.
Whole peaches can be frozen without pitting or peeling. But cut into slices or cubes, as well as before chopping in mashed potatoes, they should first be peeled off. To do this, the following manipulations should be performed:
- peaches are selected, washed thoroughly, 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 a notch are dipped into boiling water and left to boil for 45-60 seconds;
- take out the fruit with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in cold water;
- the cooled peaches are removed and the skin can be removed from them.
Another important requirement before freezing fresh peaches for the winter in chopped form 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 fruit pulp does not darken.
How to freeze whole peaches for the winter
Frozen whole peaches with pits can be made quite simply. But it should be borne in mind that freezing the whole fruit requires careful selection. In no case are damages and dents allowed, otherwise the peach will start to deteriorate.
The whole peach freezing process is carried out according to the following scheme:
- The fruits are carefully examined for damage, then washed and dried.
- The dried peaches are individually wrapped in paper using regular napkins or paper towels.
- The wrapped fruits are placed in special freezer bags and tightly closed. They are sent to the freezer.
Fruits frozen in this way look like fresh after defrosting. The taste is also practically the same, the only thing is that the pulp will become much softer.
Freezing peaches with sugar for the winter
Frozen fruit with sugar is often used as a filling for baked goods. Peach fruits are no exception.
Frozen peaches with sugar for the winter in the freezer are made according to the following principle:
- Good fruits are selected, washed and dried.
- Remove the skin, cut in half, remove the bone.
- The halves are cut into thin slices about 1 cm thick.
- Soak in acidified water.
- Fold in layers in a plastic container. Sprinkle sugar over each layer.
- Close tightly and send to the freezer.
How to properly freeze peaches in slices
Peaches frozen in slices for the winter can be prepared according to the following recipe with a step-by-step photo:
- First, they wash the fruits, peel them off, cut them in half and remove the seeds.
- Then cut the halves of the peaches into thin slices of about 1-1.5 cm.
- Soak the sliced wedges in sour water.
- Then they are taken out of the water and the pieces are laid out individually on a baking sheet, wooden board or flat plate. Cover with cling film.
- The laid out peaches are placed in the freezer and allowed to freeze.
Then 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 ripe, hard fruits are used for freezing, overripe peaches can also be used for freezing. Only in this case, the freezing is not made from whole or chopped fruits, but in the form of puree.
To freeze peach puree, you must:
- Rinse, dry the fruits and remove the skin from them.
- Cut the peaches into 4 pieces.
- Grind in a blender. You can add sugar to taste.
- The resulting puree should be poured into plastic containers (you can use half-liter jars or bottles). Then you need to close the lid tightly so that the puree does not leak.
- 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 ordinary peaches in their flat shape. But the methods for freezing such fruits are completely identical. They can be frozen whole with a bone, cut into wedges and mashed. When freezing them in chopped or chopped form, be sure to remove the skin, since it is dense and has a small amount of fluff on the surface.
Freezing peaches in sugar syrup
There is another way you can freeze peaches for the winter using sugar. Only in this embodiment, sugar is used to prepare syrup, which is poured into prepared fruits before freezing.
The process of freezing these fruits in syrup is as follows:
- They choose whole fruits without damage, wash them thoroughly, wipe them off. The skin does not need to be removed. Cut in half, remove the bone.
- The halves are cut into slices and acidified water is lowered.
- While the peaches are in sour water, sugar syrup is prepared at the rate of 300 g of sugar per 1 liter of water.
- 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.
- The boiled syrup is removed from the heat and allowed to cool.
- The slices are removed from the acidic water and placed in a plastic container. The slices should be laid so that at least 1-1.5 cm remains to the upper edge.
Pour them with cooled syrup just until the pieces are covered. The container is tightly closed and placed in the freezer.
How to freeze peaches in cubes for the winter
Freezing peaches in cubes for the winter at home is performed according to the same principle as freezing slices.
First, the fruit is prepared:
- 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, since after defrosting they will lose their shape). Place on a flat plate or baking sheet. Cover with cling film and place in a freezer. Frozen cubes are poured into a special bag or container and tightly closed. Place in the freezer again.
Harvesting peaches for the winter using parchment
You can freeze peaches in half using parchment paper. For this, the fruit is washed, dried and cut in half. Take out the bones. After that, the halves are folded into the container, first with a cut up, covered with parchment and again put the remaining halves of the fruits, only with a cut on parchment paper. Close the container tightly and place in the freezer.
What can be made from frozen peaches
Frozen peaches are a great alternative to fresh fruit. They are suitable for making fruit fillings for various baked goods. Puree from them can be used as a natural cream for cakes. And the wedges or cubes are suitable for desserts, smoothies, cocktails or ice cream.
Frozen peach puree is most often made to be used as baby food. In this case, the puree is frozen without sugar.
After defrosting, whole frozen peaches can be eaten as fresh fruit.
Shelf life of frozen peaches
The pulp of peaches is capable of absorbing odors, therefore, it is imperative to freeze the fruits in a tightly closed container or in a special bag with a Zip Lock.
At a standard temperature of the freezer from -12 to -18 C0 they can be stored for up to 10 months. After the expiration of this period, they will simply begin to lose their taste and useful qualities. It is not recommended to store them for more than a year.
Defrost the fruit gradually at room temperature. Defrosting quickly in the microwave or using warm water will release a lot of water. So you can lose a lot of nutrients and impair the taste.
Conclusion
There are several ways to freeze peaches in the freezer for the winter. All of them are quite simple and if you follow their basic requirements, you can get a good result, which will allow you to enjoy your favorite fruits at any time of the year.