FREEZING PEACHES, NECTARINES AND APRICOTS
Michigan State University Extension 
Preserving Food Safely - 01600394 
08/03/99 

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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