You've Been Peeling Peaches Wrong This Whole Time

There is never a wrong time to eat a peach. The perfectly sweet and juicy fruit always just hits the spot. Peaches are wonderful in peach cobbler, muddled in drinks, frozen for peach ice cream, or as an addition to smoothies. 

Luckily, frozen peaches tend to come already peeled if you pick them up from the freezer section of the grocery store. For fresh peaches, or fresh peaches you plan to freeze yourself, you might need to peel the fruit in batches rather than a single peach or two. That's why it is important to know the best and easiest way to do so.  

Many southerners would likely be quick to tell you that peaches do not need to be peeled to be enjoyed. For many recipes, though, it is better to peel the fuzzy skin off. Many people reach for a knife or a potato peeler as they try to peel peaches, but there's an easier, cleaner, and less slippery way to peel the delicious fruit.

How to properly peel peaches with ease

Sometimes peaches are so ripe and juicy that the skin seems to just fall off of the fruit. Most of the time, however, the skins need a little bit of help. While it is entirely possible to peel a peach with a knife or even your fingers, the best and easiest way to peel the fruit is to heat them on the stovetop in water (via Taste of Home).

To peel peaches using this method, you will want to begin by cutting an 'X' on the bottom of the peaches. Next, places the marked fruits into a big pot of boiling water. Watch the fruit closely and look for the skin to split and pull away from the inner flesh of the peach where you cut the 'X.' When the skin begins to move away from the fruit flesh, use a slotted spoon or slotted ladle to pull the peaches from the water. Next, drop them straight into a bowl of ice water (via The Spruce Eats).

Once the peaches have completely cooled and have been drained, pat them dry. They should definitely be cool enough to handle by this point. You should be able to just slip the skins right off with a gentle pull for an easy-to-peel peach.