Is It Possible To Peel A Peach By Hand?

Peaches are in season from mid-July to mid-September, and while they're delicious when eaten on their own, there is something truly special about making delicious peach-centric delights like this blackberry peach cobbler or this charred peach rosé sangria (via California Farmland Trust). However, one of the biggest frustrations when cooking or baking with peaches is removing their skins.

Peaches are very delicate and their skins are even more delicate. It's not the same as peeling an apple, peaches take a bit more finesse and skill. Because peaches are a stone fruit, there is a pit in the middle, which means that you're already losing out of some of the visible surface area of a peach. The stone takes up quite a bit of real estate in the middle, so you definitely don't wanna lose any of that precious peach meat by cutting the skins off like a newb. If you want to peel a peach like a pro, here's a hack that can help you.

Whether you're making a peach pie, cobbler or tarte tartine, there will be times when you'll need either whole peach halves or uniform peach slices. When this time comes, you'll want to be able to remove peach skins as quickly and efficiently as possible. According to the Kitchn, the key is getting those skins off quickly and simply is blanching your peaches and then shocking them. 

Simply bring a pot of water up to a boil, then put your peaches in for 30 seconds. After that, scoop them out and shock them in an ice bath and then you can easily peel the skins off by hand. Martha Stewart notes that if you want to simplify the job further, you can score the peach with a knife before blanching and carve a tiny "X" into the bottom of the fruit. This way you'll have a starting point when it comes time to peel the skins off. Next time you're peeling peaches for a recipe remember — peel your apples with a peeler and peel your peaches by hand.