There is little better on a hot day than frozen fruit that you (or someone you know) froze.
My mom used to can and freeze peaches by the bushels every year. She and my little sister especially liked frozen peaches. I must say I always liked cold canned peaches better…okay it was only because I could get away with adding a ton of whipped cream on top of the canned peaches and I don’t like whipped cream on the frozen peaches. The frozen peaches tasted more like fresh peaches to me (hence, the whipped cream is not as appealing to me).
Although my little sister often ate the entire container of frozen peaches before they were thawed enough for the rest of the family, I still remember what a treat they were in the middle of the winter and the heat of the summer.
About this time every year, I want to put up bushels of peaches myself. Although, in a very ironic turn, I have had little luck buying any size quantity of good peaches since moving to Georgia (yeah, I know it sounds hard to believe, but it is true). I did manage to get a peck of decent white peaches last year….despite buying a half a bushel of useless yellow ones. I managed to freeze most of them (white peaches do not last long after ripening).
Freezing peaches is fairly simple. Peel the peaches. You can dip them in boiling water for about 30 seconds in then place them in an ice bath (ice and water) to easily remove the skins.
Slice peaches to desired size. Sprinkle with ascorbic acid, Fruit Fresh, or lemon juice before the fruit looses its color.
When you have cut up a few pints worth, add sugar to taste (this helps preserve the peaches as well). The sugar will mix with the peach juice and form a syrup. Some people elect to make a syrup light or even heavy syrup by heating water and sugar to make either a light or a heavy (more sugar) syrup, but my mom always just used straight sugar.
Fill freezer containers (BPA-free containers are now available). Place in freezer for up to a year.
Thaw on counter for several hours to eat or cook with the peaches. If just eating them, they are best before totally thawed. They discolor very fast once thawed unless they are totally covered in syrup…so use quickly. Also, because of the discoloration, I like to place them in smaller containers to use them faster once opened.