You must remove the skins on the peaches or any stone fruit, such as nectarines, before you slice them for use in baking recipes. The easiest way to do this, is by quickly plunging them in boiling water, called blanching, and, then cooling them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Then, you can slice them and temove their pit, also known as a “stone”, hence the moniker “stone fruit.”
This how to baking technique is used with the:
Fresh Peach Galette Tutorial
Peach Melba Mini Skillet Pies Tutorial
HOW TO TIPS:
1. Bring water to boil in large saucepan. Water should be at least 4-inches deep. Prepare an ice waterbath in a large large bowl.
2. Cut a shallow “X” in the bottom of the peaches with a paring knife. You do not need to cut deeply…just a little “X” will do.
3. Place peaches, a few at a time, into the boiling water. Have your ice water bath standing by.
4. After a few moments in the boiling water, you will see the skin start to pull away from the peach, where you marked it with an “X”. This is when you know to remove the peach and immediately place it in the ice water bath.
5. When all peaches are blanched and cooled. It is time to peel them. Starting at the “X”, and using a small paring knife, start removing the peach skin. Set aisde.
6. Cut the peaches into 1/2-inch thick wedges and discard the pit.
