How to Peel Peaches; Easy Blanched Peaches

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Learn how to peel peaches in seconds! This is the best and easiest way to blanch peaches! This simple process loosens the skin and it slides right off, so you can pit the peaches, and slice them for your favorite cobbler, pie, jam recipes, canning, or freezing peaches.

Single peach freshly peeled in a white slotted spoon with blurred peaches in the background.

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This article was originally published August 27, 2012. But has been updated over the years with new photos and perfected techniques for your convenience to make the process even easier.

🧐 Why Do You Peel Peaches?

There is a lot of controversy as to whether you should peel peaches before using them in cobblers, pies, or smoothies. Honestly, it sounds rather tempting to leave the skin on because it is much easier. And if I’m eating a fresh peach, I always leave the skin on. It has a lot of nutrients. But there are reasons why you would want to peel a peach before using it in a recipe.

  • Peeling the peaches ensures that there isn’t a fibrous texture from the skin. 
  • Peeled peaches freeze more evenly and are more versatile after freezing in the ways they can be used.
  • Peach skin may contain more pesticides than flesh, so some people like to peel peaches for safety.
  • For canning, the skins get strangely slimy after canning. And they remain tough and are not enjoyable.
  • The skins of peaches get really chewy after drying so if you are dehydrating them or using them in fruit leather, it is usually best to peel the peaches beforehand.
  • Personal Preference: if you keep the skins or remove them, it is usually left up to personal preference. We don’t like the fibrous or slimy, chewy texture in our baked goods, smoothies, or canned and frozen peaches. So we always peel them.

🔪 Peeling Vs Blanching

There are two ways to peel peaches. Usually with a peeler or small pairing knife. And the other is to blanch them.

Peeling Peaches: The benefit of using a peeler or knife is that you don’t have to boil water. It is great if you have firm peaches that aren’t quite ripe yet. And it can be done as you go along.

The drawback is that often times you lose a lot of the peach flesh with this method. It definitely takes a lot longer. And if you have ripe soft peaches, they will end up in a juicy mess.

Blanching Peaches: When you blanch peaches, the skin literally slides right off in seconds. Rinse it off and your peach is skin free and ready to go!

Blanching peaches is fantastic if you have a lot of peaches to process, and don’t want to spend a lot of time doing it. It may take a little extra time to wait for the water to boil, and you will need ice water too. But if you have ripe peaches, this is the best way to skin peaches.

Blanching peaches turns a very long and tedious job into a very short and easy job! I am usually able to get over 30 peaches peeled in approximately 10 minutes.

🥧 How to Use Blanched Peaches

Frozen peaches on a baker's tray next to a fresh peach on a whitewashed wood table

The great thing about peeled peaches is that you can use them just like fresh peaches. Many times it makes the results in recipes smoother without the skin. Or maybe you are ready to do canned peaches or freeze peaches. This is always my main reason for peeling peaches. There are so many ways to use peeled peaches! Here are a few ideas:

🍑 Easily Peel Peaches

To peel peaches easily, you will want to start with fresh and ripe peaches.

Large cardboard box full of fresh peaches ready to be processed.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. You want a pot that is big enough that it can fully submerge the peaches. If it isn’t big enough to do all the peaches at one time, that is no problem. You can work in smaller batches as well.

Fresh peaches in a large sauce pan filled with hot water to blanch peaches

 🔪 Score The Skin

With a small knife lightly score (cut) a small X on the bottom of the peach. It doesn’t need to be deep, just enough to break the skin.

Close up view of 3 fresh peaches on a granite counter

 💦 Place in Boiling Water

Place each peach into the boiling water for approximately 30-45 seconds. It is best to use a slotted spoon to drop the peaches into the water and remove them.

You don’t want to boil them too long or they will become mushy. I always set a timer to ensure I remove them right on time. I usually can keep up with 6-8 peaches at a time, so I usually do that many at once. But to start, begin with maybe 1-2 until you are confident you can keep up with how quickly it goes.

Fresh peaches in a large sauce pan filled with hot water to blanch peaches

 After you remove the peach from the boiling water you may see the evidence of just how easy this will end up being for yourself. Due to the slits in the peach skin and the blanching of the peach, the skin begins to peel off on its own. See, I told you it was easy to peel peaches with this method!

Freshly blanched peach showing a close up image of the skin peeling off.

 🧊 Ice Bath

Once the timer rings signaling the blanching is complete, immediately place your peach in an ice water bath.

I literally do mean ice water. The colder the better.

If I am doing a lot of peaches, I will sterilize my kitchen sink and fill it with 4 cups of ice and just enough water so that the peaches can be submerged.

If I am doing a smaller batch then I will fill a large bowl with ice first and then add just enough water that it would allow the peaches to be submerged.

After a few rounds of 5 peaches each, the ice starts to quickly melt and will need to be replenished to keep the water cold. A lot of ice is very important when doing a lot of peaches.

Freshly blanched peaches in a stainless steel sink filled with cold water and ice cubes to cool the peaches

🫶🏻 Peel Peaches with Fingers 

After a minute or two the peaches will have cooled enough that you can handle them. Starting where the X was scored, peel the skins back away from the peach with your fingers or a paring knife and the peel should come off.

Freshly blanched peach showing a close up image of the skin peeling off.

If you happen to have one that is not peeling it could be the peach wasn’t fully ripe or it needs more time to be fully blanched. Place it back into the boiling water for another 20-30 seconds and then back into the ice water and try again.

Stainless steel bowl filled with freshly peeled peaches and a white slotted spoon

The coolest thing about blanching peaches is that you can do this same method with more than just peaches! Blanching can also be used to easily peel other produce like nectarines, plums, apricots, pears, and even tomatoes!

🗓️ Storage

Peeled peaches should be used right away in recipes, canning, or for freezing peaches. Peeled peaches can be packaged and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To protect whole peaches, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in a resealable bag. Sliced peaches can be stored in an airtight container.

To prevent the flesh from browning, use a quick lemon bath of 1 Tablespoon lemon juice with 2 cups water. Dip the peaches (whole or sliced) into the lemon water and then drain. They don’t need to soak. Just a simple dip is all they need. Store the peaches in the fridge for up to 3 days.

💡 Pro Tips

  • Use Ripe Peaches. You want the peach to give slightly when firm but gentle pressure is applied.
  • Set a timer. The peaches should only be boiled for a short period of time, so be sure to set a timer and be ready to remove them as soon as they are done.
  • Have the ice bath ready. As soon as the peach skin begins to crack, you want to have the large bowl of ice water ready and waiting.
  • To remove a peach pit: start by inserting a small knife at the stem end of the peach. Run the knife down the length of the peach, keeping the blade against the pit. Gently twist the two halves of the peach in opposite directions to separate them. The pit should now be exposed. If it is not, loosen it by sliding your fingertip or a spoon under one end and then pop it free.
Stainless steel bowl filled with freshly peeled peaches and a white slotted spoon

💭 FAQs

Why won’t my peaches peel after blanching?

 If your peach skin will not peel away easily after blanching, they have not been boiled long enough. Put the peaches back into the boiling water for another 20-30 seconds and then back into the ice water and try again.

Can I peel white or yellow peaches?

Yes. Blanching works equally as well with yellow or white peaches.

Can you eat peach skin?

Yes. Peach skin is completely safe and healthy to eat, so long as it is washed and free of insecticides. In fact, the peel has a lot of dietary fiber. It is merely a personal preference as to the texture and flavor in recipes and eating that makes it a popular choice to peel peaches.

Will this peeling method work with other stone fruits?

YES! Nectarines, plums, and apricots are all stone fruits that can be peeled using the same method as peaches. You can also use the blanching method to peel pears and tomatoes!

Remember to pin this Guide on How to Peel Peaches to Pinterest! 
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Yield: 10 Fresh peaches

How to Peel Peaches

Single peach freshly peeled in a white slotted spoon with blurred peaches in the background.

Learn how to peel peaches in seconds! This simple process loosens the skin and slides right off, so you can pit the peaches, and slice them for your favorite recipes or freezing.

Prep Time 9 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 10 fresh freestone peaches
  • 4 Cups Boiling Water
  • 4 Cups Ice cubes
  • 4 Cups cold water

Instructions

  • Bring water to a roaring boil in a large pot
  • With a small knife lightly score (cut) a small X on the bottom of the peach. It doesn’t need to be deep, just enough to break the skin.
  • Place each peach into the boiling water for approximately 30-45 seconds. It is best to use a slotted spoon to drop the peaches into the water and remove them.
  • Immediately place the peaches in an ice bath. This can be done in a clean sink or large bowl.
  • After about one minute, remove the peach.
  • Starting where the X was scored, peel the skins back away from the peach with your fingers or a paring knife and the peel should come off.

Lemon Soak to Prevent Browning (optional)

If you are not immediately using the peaches in a recipe and plan to keep the peaches in the fridge, you can do a quick lemon soak to prevent them from browning.

  • Place the peaches in a water mixture of 1 Tablespoon lemon juice for every 2 cups of water. 
  • Put the peaches in, stir a bit to ensure that each peach is coated, and then drain.

Notes

You can peel any amount of peaches using this method, but you may need to work in batches to keep the ice water as cold as possible. If you are peeling a lot of peaches, you may also need to replenish the water for boiling and the ice bath.

You can have multiple peaches boiling at the same time and multiple peaches in the ice bath at the same time. I usually work by how fast I can keep up with them, which is usually about 5-8 peaches boiling at the same time. I simply leave them in the ice bath until I can get to them.

Storing: Use immediately in recipes or for canning and freezing. Store peeled peaches in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

Tips:

  • Use Ripe Peaches. You want the peach to give slightly when firm but gentle pressure is applied.
  • Set a timer. The peaches should only be boiled for a short period of time, so be sure to set a timer and be ready to remove them as soon as they are done.
  • Have the ice bath ready. As soon as the peach skin begins to crack, you want to have the large bowl of ice water ready and waiting.
  • To remove a peach pit: start by inserting a small knife at the stem end of the peach. Run the knife down the length of the peach, keeping the blade against the pit. Gently twist the two halves of the peach in opposite directions to separate them. The pit should now be exposed. If it is not, loosen it by sliding your fingertip or a spoon under one end and then pop it free.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1 peach

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 3gSugar: 15gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although Busy Creating Memories attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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30 Comments

  1. Genius! And perfect for right now. We have a whole flat of peaches that are almost too ripe that we need to freeze for smoothies in the winter.

  2. What a great tip! I never would have known how to do this and cutting the X-shaped slits is such a smart idea. I bet it makes all the difference in the world. Thanks for sharing this, I’ll have to try this soon!

  3. THose peaches look so pretty! I’ve never blanched peaches, but I have used this method on pears before canning them. It saves so much time and you get more of the fruit then peeling with a knife.

  4. wow! this does seem quick and easy and it makes me want to go try this and make a peach cobbler ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for sharing!

  5. What a wonderful way to peel peaches. Thanks for sharing and I may have to give this a try one day. ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. You can also blanch tomatoes and peel them this way, too! I watch Julia Child do this on one of her cooking shows once. Thanks for the memory!

  7. I would love to eat fresh peaches in the winter time and it looks like you found the perfect way to do it. It sounds like it would be really easy to peel off the skin by blanching the peaches that way. Thanks for the information!

  8. Can I do this with partly spoiled peaches? They are still edible if I cut out the rotten buts, but can I blanch and then freeze them, and how?
    Thanks

    1. You should still be able to freeze then and use them. I don’t know how they would handle the blanching though. You may have to peal them by hand. Cut off the bad part and slice into the chunks you want and freeze as directed in the post. They should freeze without issues, though they may not look as pretty.

  9. Thank you for the directions for a sugar-free way to freeze already deliciously sweet peaches, AND the blanching method! I’m using this method TODAY for both peaches and kiwi fruit. Timeless info!!

  10. Thank you! I had blanched peaches before, but forgot for how long. I found your post on Pinterest and tried the cross on the bottom of the peaches and it went SO much faster!

    1. Oh I’m so glad it went so smoothly! I used to peel peaches the hard way and it was a nightmare. I will never go back after knowing how to blanch peaches!

  11. I have blanched peaches before; but, the ice bath really made this a success. It was so easy this time. Bought about 40 peaches at our Weatherford Peach Festival this weekend in Texas. Just finished peeling, piting, slicing, and freezing. Will make a peach strudel tomorrow. Thanks for the tips.

    1. I’m so glad this made the process easier for you! Our peaches are just starting to ripen on our tree, and I can’t wait to go through this process again.

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