We offer half-bushel boxes of peaches on our road trips and for purchase at our Hometown Markets, and we often get asked what to do with a whole box of peaches. The simplest way to enjoy a whole box of peaches is to eat the peaches fresh out of hand, and share this unique summer experience with friends, family, and neighbors.
You can also cook and preserve peaches that you aren’t planning to eat right away. Freestone peaches in particular slice neatly into wedges for canning and freezing.
Here are our tips for freezing peaches:
1. Peel peaches by scoring an X along the bottom of your ripe peaches, blanch for 30 seconds, then cool immediately in an ice bath. Peel skins off easily. (This step is a personal preference and is optional!)
2. Slice peaches and lay individually on sheet trays, then freeze. (You may also choose to toss slices in lemon juice or other citric acid to preserve the color, but this step is optional and not required.)
3. Once fully frozen, store slices in an airtight bag or container.
Never learned to can and don’t have freezer space? You can still go through a box quicker than you think! Each box has around 50-60 peaches, so you could:
- Eat 10-12
- Use 6-8 in a cobbler
- Slice 4-5 for sangria or peach cocktails
- Chopping 6-8 for a jam or chutney
- Throwing 6-8 on the grill
- Slicing 4-5 on your cereal or yogurt
Below are some of our go-to recipes for preserving and cooking peaches: