How to preserve your peaches for National Peach Month
- Tips and How To's
- 08/04/15
- Share
Nothing beats the sweet flavor of a fresh, lush peach. It's a delicacy you can only experience around this time of year, when the fruit can be plucked right from the tree. That is, unless you have a FoodSaver® 2-In-1 Vacuum Sealing System.
It's the perfect appliance for jarring, freezing or bagging those delicious fruits for later. They'll stay just as fresh and tangy as the day you bought them, and will make using fresh peaches in your off-season recipes a snap.
Here are a few simple ways to prepare peaches for preserving.
Pan Freeze and Vacuum Seal
The easiest way to save your peaches is also the best way to prepare them for a sweet fruit smoothie. If you want to freeze your peaches, it's important to wash, pit and wedge the fruit first. Put your peaches on a metal pan to freeze and then transfer them to a FoodSaver® bag for vacuum sealing. Move them back to the freezer after.
It's important to freeze the peaches beforehand because the fruit will stick together after freezing if you immediately vacuum seal. What's more, leaving the peaches on the pan in the freezer or using a regular plastic bag is a recipe for freezer burn, which will ruin the flavor.
Use a particular FoodSaver® bag depending on what you want to use the peaches for. FoodSaver® Portion Pouches are perfect for sealing up snacks, while FoodSaver® Heat-Seal Bags are great for sealing a berry meddley for smoothies later in the week.
Jams, Spices and Syrups
If it's the flavor you care most about and not necessarily preserving the fruit in its original shape and consistency, jams, spices and syrups are the way to go. Preparing peaches for jarring like this can be a fun little adventure in and of itself because there are so many ways to do it!
Syrups can be made with combinations of vanilla extract, brown sugar, lemon juice and more. Jams can use those same ingredients after you puree the fruit and boil it.
The most important part of the preserving process is the jar's seal, however. Letting in even the tinniest bit of oxygen can allow bacteria to culture on your preserves and ruin the fruit. If you want to preserve your fruit without worry, look for a FoodSaver® Jar Sealer that can get the job done. It's the simplest way to ensure the seal is tight and reliable and your peaches will stay fresh for months.
