Store peaches at room temperature
If the peaches you purchased are unripe and hard, you can keep them out of the refrigerator for a few days, wrapping them in paper or leaving them to breathe: the warmth outside will help them ripen a little more. And to make them ripen even faster, simply place them near other fruits like apples and bananas: the gases they produce speed up the ripening process .
If you prefer them to remain unripe , put them in the refrigerator.
Store peaches in the refrigerator
Peaches need to be refrigerated when they’re ripe , and therefore need to halt the ripening process. The refrigerator, with its low temperatures, does exactly that.
Keep them alone : Another common mistake is keeping them with other fruits, which can cause them to rot faster (for the same reason as speeding up ripening). Ideally, store them in a refrigerator drawer.
If you have peach pieces , be sure to cover them with a layer of plastic wrap before storing them in the refrigerator. This will help keep the fruit fresh for a few days and also prevent them from browning.
Freezing peaches
In the summer, you can also peel peaches, cut them into pieces, place them in an airtight bag, and freeze them. Once thawed, you can eat the peaches in chunks, or, while still frozen, blend the peach pieces with frozen banana slices to make a refreshing smoothie .
In the freezer, peach pieces last a few months .
Peaches in syrup
Another way to preserve peaches is to make the famous peaches in syrup . To make this, you’ll only need peaches, sugar, and water . Wash 500 grams of firm (but ripe!) peaches and, in the meantime, bring some water to a boil. Blanch the peaches in this water for a couple of minutes, drain them, then run them under cold running water to make peeling very easy.
Peel them, cut them in half, removing the pit, and place them in a thoroughly sterilized glass jar . Then, prepare the syrup by dissolving 200 grams of sugar in half a liter of water and boiling for one minute, stirring well. Once ready, pour it into the jar, covering the peaches. Shake the jar well, close it, and turn it upside down, allowing the vacuum to form.
(Article written by Sara Polotti on June 24, 2021.
Edited by Kevin Ben Ali Zinati on June 7, 2024.)
