Michigan State University Extension
Preserving Food Safely - 01600394
10/13/97

### FREEZING PEACHES, NECTARINES AND APRICOTS

     Halves and slices

     Fruit in halves and slices have better quality when packed

    in
    syrup or  with sugar,   but a  water  pack will  serve if

    sweetening
    is not desired.

     Select firm, ripe fruit with no green color in the skins.

     Sort,  wash,  pit  and peel.  For a better  product,  peel

    fruit
    without a boiling-water dip.  Slice if desired.

     Syrup  pack

     Use 50-percent syrup (1 cup sugar  to 1 cup water).  For a

     better  quality  product,  add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic  acid

     for  each  quart  of  syrup.  Put fruit directly into cold

     syrup in the  container--starting   with   1/2  cup  syrup

     to  a  pint  container.    Press   fruit   down   and  add

     syrup to  cover, leaving 1/2  inch headspace.  Seal, label

     and freeze.

     Sugar  pack

     To each quart (1 1/3  pounds)  of  prepared fruit, add 2/3

     cup sugar and  mix  well.  To  retard  darkening, sprinkle

     ascorbic acid dissolved in water over the  peaches  before

     adding  sugar.  Use 1/4 teaspoon ascorbic acid in  1/4 cup

     cold  water  for  each  quart   of  fruit.    Pack    into

     containers leaving  1/2  inch  headspace.  Seal, label and

     freeze.

     Water  pack

     Pack peaches  into containers  and cover  with cold  water

     containing  1  teaspoon  ascorbic   acid  to   each  quart

     of  water.  Leave  1/2  inch  headspace.   Seal, label and

     freeze.

     Crushed or puree

     To loosen skins, dip peaches in boiling water  1/2  to  1

    minute.
     The riper  the  fruit,  the  less scalding needed.

    Cool
    in cold water, remove skins, and pit.

     Crush  peaches coarsely,  or, for puree, press  through  a

    sieve.
     Heat pitted  peaches  4 minutes in just enough water

    to
    prevent scorching and then press through a sieve.

     With  each quart (2 pounds) of crushed or pureed  peaches,

    mix
     1  cup  sugar.  For better quality,  add  1/8  teaspoon

    ascorbic
    acid to each quart of fruit.

     Pack into containers, leaving  1/2 inch  headspace.  Seal,

    label
    and  freeze.

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