Here's Why You Should Bake With Frozen Peaches Over Fresh

Standing in the produce aisle of the local grocery store, you face a baking dilemma: Should you buy fresh peaches or frozen for the peach cobbler you're hankering to make? Instinct tells you to choose fresh peaches, but the answer might surprise you when it comes to baking. Despite the allure of fresh produce, you should actually bake with frozen peaches instead.

First and foremost, there's the undeniable convenience of frozen peaches. With fresh peaches, you'll have to use a peeler and knife to clean, peel, and pit the peaches, along with sticky hands by the end of the prep process. Frozen peaches come pre-washed, peeled, pitted, and pre-cut perfectly for you, ready to be used at any moment for whatever recipe you're craving.

Secondly, apart from being convenient and easy to use, frozen peaches are more likely to be predictable and consistent in terms of quality and taste, making them a better choice to bake over fresh. You may think frozen peaches aren't juicy, but the opposite is true. Additionally, per PubMed, studies have also shown frozen fruits to have just as many nutrients as their fresh counterparts (and sometimes, even more).

Frozen peaches are a game-changer for home bakers. In addition to their convenience and quality-controlled reliability, they're also cost-effective. For example, a pound of frozen peaches costs $2.68 at Walmart, while one fresh yellow peach costs about $1.82.  Additionally, fresh peaches peak each year from around the end of June to the end of August. Unlike their fresh counterparts, frozen peaches should be available throughout the year in the frozen aisle of your local supermarket.

While fresh peaches are charming and there's no denying the allure of chomping into a whole plump, juicy fruit, frozen peaches offer multiple advantages. So the next time you're debating between fresh or frozen peaches for baking your peach cobbler, remember all the reasons why you should bake with frozen peaches over fresh, and give them a well-deserved home in your freezer for all your favorite peach recipes year round.