a freezer bag with frozen peaches on a white table with fresh peaches

How to Freeze Peaches

Have leftover peaches you don’t know what to do with? Follow these simple steps to prep, cut, and freeze fresh peaches for smoothies or baking. Don’t let them go to waste!

a freezer bag with frozen peaches on a white table with fresh peaches


👩‍🍳 Why I Love Freezing Fresh Peaches

Peaches are on of my favorite summer stone fruits, but they are only in peak season for a short term. For many years I stocked up on too many and inevitably ended up burning out on eating peaches on everything…and too many of my prized summer peaches went to waste.

But after learning how to freeze fresh peaches, I was able to extend the life of the fuzzy summer fruits and enjoy them throughout the fall and winter. I pull out a handful for smoothies, my morning oats, or for muffins. I hope this tutorial helps you save your peaches from the compost bin as well!


👉 What You’ll Need

  • Ripe peaches
  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Baking sheet
  • Silicone mat, parchment paper, or wax paper
  • Freezer-friendly bag or container

🍑 Why you should be freezing peaches

  • Extend their shelf life: When peaches are stored at room temperature, they lose freshness quicker. They can be frozen for months at a time!
  • Ready-made for smoothies: Freezing peaches in small pieces makes them easy to throw into smoothies and replaces the need for ice.
  • Perfect for baking or as a breakfast topping: you can easily pull out out frozen peach slices to add to fresh muffins or even in your morning oats or chia pudding
frozen peach slices in a silicone bag on a white table with two fresh peaches

🧊 How to freeze peaches (step-by-step photos)

1️⃣ Step One: Cut peaches

Cut peaches into small slices or chunks before freezing. To do this, simply half the peach with a knife, then cut into slices. You can either freeze the slices, or cut them into smaller chunks.

sliced and halved peaches on a wood cutting board with a knife

2️⃣ Step Two: Flash freeze

Once you cut the peaches, you could throw them all into a bag or container to freeze – but the problem is the slices will freeze together into one big lump (trust me, I’ve made this mistake).

The solution to this is to flash freeze them on a flat surface like a baking sheet for about 2 hours so they’re solid.

sliced peaches on a baking sheet covered in wax paper before freezing

3️⃣ Step Three: Add to freezer bag for longer storage

Once the slices have frozen solid, add them to a freezer-friendly bag or container to store for longer use – usually 1-2 months.

frozen peaches on a sheet pan after freezing and a silicone bag full of frozen peaches

❓ Questions + quick tips

Can you freeze peaches whole or without slicing?

Technically you can freeze peaches whole, however it would be difficult to cook with them after. Freezing slices means you can use as much or as little peach as your recipes needs without food waste.

How long do peaches last in the freezer?

Peaches can typically last in the freezer for up to two months, though texture and flavor may degrade over time. I try to use them up within two months to avoid freezer burn, but they likely can be kept frozen for much longer.

a bag of frozen peach slices on a white table

🫠 How to thaw frozen peaches

  1. Thaw in the refrigerator: Softening peaches in a refrigerator can keep them cold while maintaining their freshness. Simply remove the amount of frozen peaches you need to the refrigerator in a bowl or on a plate and thaw for about 12 hours.
  2. Thaw in the microwave using the defrost option: Thaw frozen peaches in the microwave for a few minutes using the defrost setting. This is best for baking or other uses where soft peaches are ideal, because their texture will be mushy after thawing.
  3. Thaw on the counter at room temperature: You can also place frozen peaches in a bowl or plate on the counter at room temperature to thaw over the course of a couple of hours.

How to Freeze Peaches

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Have leftover peaches you don’t know what to do with? Follow these simple steps to prep, cut, and freeze fresh peaches for smoothies or baking. Don’t let them go to waste!
a bag of frozen peach slices on a white table
Servings: 1 peach frozen into slices
Author: Kristina Todini, RDN
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Freezing Time 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 peach
  • 1 knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 baking sheet or other flat surface
  • 1 silicone baking mat or parchment or wax paper
  • 1 freezer-friendly bag

Instructions

  • Slice peaches: Cut peaches into small slices or chunks before freezing. To do this, simply half the peach with a knife, then cut into slices. You can either freeze the slices, or cut them into smaller chunks.
    1 peach, 1 knife, 1 cutting board
  • Flash freeze peaches: Flash freeze peaches on a flat surface like a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, parchment paper, or wax paper (to avoid the peaches sticking to the baking sheet) for about 2 hours so they’re solid.
    1 baking sheet, 1 silicone baking mat
  • Add to freezer bag for longer storage: Once the slices have frozen solid, add the peach slices to a freezer-friendly bag or container to store for longer use – usually 1-2 months.
    1 freezer-friendly bag

Notes

Container suggestion: I suggest storing frozen peaches in an airtight freezer friendly silicone bag because you can remove excess air before closing, however you can also store in glass food storage containers.
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