How to Peel Peaches ~ Wiki

When peaches are at the height of their season in the summer, peeling them is often the first step to making bright, flavorful cobblers, pies and jams. That way the furry texture of the peach skin doesn't interfere with whatever delicious dish you're making. Peeling peaches isn't hard if you know the right way to do it! See Step 1 to learn how to blanch peaches so the skin comes right off.

Steps

Select ripe peaches. Peaches that are ripe as can be are much easier to peel than those that are still a little green. When peaches are ripe, the skin tends to fall off without taking any of the fruit along with it. When selecting peaches, choose those that are highly fragrant and indent only slightly when you press them with your thumb.
- If a peach feels hard as a rock, it's not yet ripe.
- If you easily break the skin when you press it with a finger, it's overripe. Overripe peaches are still good for making cobblers and other dishes - just make sure the peaches you're using aren't rotten.

Rinse the peaches. If they have visible dirt and other debris, give them a quick rinse under cool water before proceeding. You don't want dirt ending up inside the peaches' skin after the blanching process.

Boil a big pot of water. It should be large enough to fit 3 or 4 peaches. Don't try to blanch more than that at one time; putting a whole bushel of peaches into the water will lower its temperature, making the blanching process less effective. A Dutch oven or large saucepan should do. Fill it 3/4 way with water and bring it to a rolling boil.

Prepare an ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ice cubes and water. This ice bath will be used to quickly cool the peaches after blanching, so they don't keep cooking and end up mushy.

Score the peaches with an X. Use a sharp knife to make an "X" shape at the tip of each peach (not the stem side - the bottom tip). When the peaches are being blanched, the heat will work its way under the skin, loosening it so it will be much easier to peel.
- Don't score the peaches too deeply, or make the Xs too big; you'll risk the peaches falling apart in the hot water. A medium-sized X is all you need.

Blanch the peaches. Place 3 or 4 peaches into the boiling water. Allow them to cook for 30 to 40 seconds (depending on how ripe they were to begin with). During this time, the skin on the peaches will loosen quite quickly.
- The riper peaches won't need to stay in as long - take them out after 30 seconds.
- Don't leave any of the peaches in for longer than 40 seconds, or they'll get mushy.

Transfer the peaches to the ice bath. Use a slotted spoon to lift the peaches (one by one) from the boiling water and put them into the ice bath. Keep them in the ice bath for one minute, then put them on your work surface.
- In the meantime, you can start the blanching process with any remaining peaches you have on hand.
- Don't over-ice the peaches; you just want to cool them down for a minute. Icing them for a longer period could affect the texture and flavor of the peaches.

Peel the peaches. Take a cooled peach and grasp the skin at one of the corners formed by the "X" you made. Pull the skin lightly - it should easily peel off. Keep peeling until all the skin is gone, then discard it.
- Peel carefully and steadily, so you don't pull off fruit with the skin.

Process the peaches as instructed. Now they're ready to be sliced, diced, or pureed according to the recipe you're following. The peeled peaches will be easy to pit, too. Here are a few delicious ways you can use up your peeled peaches:
- Peach cobbler. This classic summer dessert is wonderful hot out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Peach pie. If you're up for a challenge, this homemade dessert is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
- Peach jam. Make jars of peach jam so you can enjoy the taste of summer during the months when peaches aren't in season.
- Peach chutney. This delicious condiment goes well with fish and pork.
- Peach salsa. Try something a little different next time you have a bag of tortilla chips to use up.
- Peach smoothie. This healthy drink is perfect for breakfast or a light dessert.