How to Peel a Peach Easily
Fresh peaches have a soft, thin skin that can be difficult to remove without cutting away portions of the sweet inner flesh. The skin is edible, but many people dislike its fuzzy texture, so leaving the skin intact is not always an option. Peeling a peach without wasting the inner flesh requires a delicate touch and must be done within a limited time frame. If you work too slowly, the flesh that is exposed to the air will turn brown and look unappealing. The method to use depends on whether you’re eating the peach raw or cooking it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Paper towel
- Paring knife
- Large pot
- 6 cups water
- Slotted spoon
- Large bowl
- Ice
Instructions
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Raw
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1
Rinse each peach under cold running water. Pat the peaches gently with a paper towel to dry them.
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2
Position a paring knife near the stem of a peach. Insert the tip of the knife just underneath the peach skin near the stem and pull the knife gently away from the peach to loosen the skin.
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3
Grab the top of the loosened peach skin with your fingers and pull down on the skin until it comes off in a strip. Repeat the process with the rest of the skin on each peach.
For Cooking
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4
Pour 4 cups of water into a large pot on your stovetop. Set the heat to “high” and bring the water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with 2 cups of cold water and a handful of ice cubes while the water on the stovetop is boiling.
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5
Place whole peaches gently into the boiling water. Boil them for approximately 20 seconds, then scoop them up with a slotted spoon and place them directly into the large bowl of ice water.
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6
Leave the peaches in the ice water until they are chilled enough to safely handle. Rub the skin gently, then pull it off in strips and discard.
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1
Tips & Warnings
To make removing the skin easier, wait until peaches are completely ripened with no hints of green before you try to peel them--unripe peaches are slightly harder and the skin is tougher.
Never peel peaches until just before you’re ready to consume or cook with them--not only will exposure to oxygen turn the flesh brown, but any moisture that comes into contact with the peach can result in mold growth.
