What to do With Fresh Peaches

This week I am picking up two boxes of peaches from The Peach Truck.  I first started getting a box two years ago, then next year was another box of perfectly ripe peaches.  At that point I realized I needed more than a box so this year I am expanding to a whole box and a half (splitting the second box with one of my sisters).  Fresh produce is, hands down, one of the best parts about summer.

Getting a box (or 1½ boxes) of fresh peaches is always super exciting, perfect peaches are one of my top 5 all-time favorite foods.  But the initial excitement is always followed immediately by "oh my goodness, I need to do something with these peaches before they go bad".  Which puts me in a bit of a panic and then I get to work.  I don't have as many things I do with peaches as with strawberries but I still have a few go-tos to keep our freezer full for months to come.

1) Eat Them
I eat a lot more fresh peaches than I will strawberries.  There is something so easy about pulling out a perfectly ripe peach and eating it in under a minute with the juice running down my arm (best done over the sink).  I will eat multiple a day for the few days they are perfect.  The boys join me in this.

2) Freeze Them
The second easiest thing to do, usually when I need to get these peaches off my counter before they go bad.  First peel them: cut an X in the bottom and then place in boiling water for ~1 minute.  Remove and place in a sink or bowl of ice cold water (if you can).  Then the skins should slip right off.  Slice and freeze on a lined (I like silicone mats) cookie sheet until frozen and then transfer to a freezer bag.

We will use most of these in smoothies but some will be baked into treats (probably peach crisp).

3) Make Peach Sorbet, and then more Peach Sorbet
One of my ABSOLUTE favorite frozen treats.  I will make A LOT of batches of this and freeze into Mason jars.  I think I alone eat every bite that I make and I am not sorry about it.  This is my treat for days when I run.  It is delicious and amazing and worth every bit of the (not extensive) work.

4) Make Peach Ice Cream
Matt and the boys seem to prefer the ice cream to sorbet (which might also be because I am bad at sharing the sorbet) so I will also make a couple batches of this to stick in the freezer.  It's not quite as easy as my strawberry ice cream go-to recipe but it's still delicious with just a little more work.

 

Those are the major ways we use up our peaches but, don't worry, I have a few more recipes if you need ways to use up those peaches (I will likely make some popsicles too!)

What do/would you do if you had a box of fresh peaches?  I am always up for new recipes to try!