5 Tips for Storing Fresh Peaches

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A peach is a slightly furry, juicy fruit with soft flesh that comes in various colors, from white to red. If you have plenty of fresh peaches at home, you might wonder how to extend their shelf life so you can use them to make various desserts.

The way to store peaches depends on factors such as their ripeness and how long you intend to store them. Read on to find out more about how to properly store fresh peaches.

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5 Tips for Storing Fresh Peaches

Proper storage plays a huge role in keeping peaches fresh for a long time. Below are some tips to keep peaches fresh for an extended time.

1. Sprinkle Lemon Juice on Their Flesh

freshly squeezed lemon juice in small bowl

Slicing a peach and exposing the inner flesh to the air triggers the activity of polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme responsible for peaches’ brown discoloration. This enzyme is inhibited by lemon juice.

Therefore, sprinkling or spraying lemon juice on your peaches will keep them from browning.

Additionally, you may also soak sliced peaches in a bowl of lemon juice and cold water.

2. Blanch and Freeze Them

If you have too many peaches and want to make jams, ice cream, cobblers, pies, or smoothies, freezing the peaches would be a good idea.

To do this, you first need to cut an “X” on the bottom of the peaches.
Then, put them into the boiling water and let them sit for around 30 seconds to a minute.
Then take them out and drop them immediately in a bowl of ice water.
Take them out and peel them, then you can choose to keep them whole or slice them before putting them in a plastic freezer bag and then in the freezer.

Once the slices are completely frozen, you can transfer the frozen peaches to a container and use them as you wish in making yummy desserts.

Frozen peaches will stay tasty for months.

3. Submerge Peaches in Ascorbic Acid Solution

To make an ascorbic acid solution, mix ascorbic acid or the powder from vitamin C capsules with water.

Once thoroughly mixed, put the solution in a jar or a container before submerging the sliced or cut peaches. Make sure to leave some space on the top of the container.

Use these peaches to make various dishes and desserts.

4. Refrigerate Ripe Peaches

ripe peaches on white plate inside refrigerator

Storing ripe peaches is pretty straightforward – put them in the fridge to slow their ripening process with the stem facing down and each peach not touching each other to prevent bruises.

However, you may need to check them frequently as the cold air in the fridge can cause them to dehydrate, resulting in wrinkly skin and dry flesh.

Alternatively, you can cut them into cubes or slices, place them in an airtight container, and keep them in the refrigerator for a maximum of five days. You keep the peaches from turning brown by putting them in an airtight container.

5. Immerse Peach Slices in Sugar Syrup

Sweet natural peach jam and peaches on the table

If you want to preserve peaches for use in jams, desserts, or fruit salads, you can drench them in sugar syrup and store them for up to a year.

You can make sugar syrup by mixing together equal parts of water and granulated sugar. You will also need a jar with an airtight lid.

First, put sliced or cut peaches inside the jar, and then fill the jar with the sugar syrup.

Storing Unripe Peaches

If you have unripe peaches with you, there are some tips you can follow to help them ripen more quickly.

The first thing you will need to do is make sure that the peaches aren’t touching each other. Place them on a plate or a sheet pan with the stem side down.

You may also want to place paper towels over the plate or sheet pan so that the peaches’ shoulders will not bruise. Store them at room temperature until ripened.

Alternatively, you can keep them in a brown paper bag with small holes and place them in an area of your home where the temperature is not too hot nor too cold, such as the kitchen counter.

A paper bag contains the ethylene gas the peaches release, which naturally speeds up their ripening process.

If you need to ripen them much faster, you can add a piece of banana, an apple, or a pear to the bag. Such fruits release more ethylene gas which helps the peaches ripen more quickly.

Once the peaches have ripened, you can store them in the ways mentioned above.

Conclusion

There are several ways to store fresh peaches properly, but it is essential to determine their ripeness before doing the tips mentioned above.

Putting unripe peaches in the fridge will cause the fruit’s texture, color, and flavor to be unpleasant. On the other hand, leaving perfectly ripe peaches at room temperature will cause them to overripen and even rot.

These simple tips will help you decide which method to use to store your fresh peaches properly.