I bought 20 lbs of peaches for a fundraiser and they're all perfectly ripe now. The kids aren't eating them whole so trying to freeze them. Do peaches freeze well? I thought I'd slice them and use them in smoothies and peach cobblers throughout the winter. If you have a recipe that calls for several fresh peaches, I'd love that, too. Made yummy ice cream last night but it only took 4 and still have 40 left.
Zucchini's also nuts from our garden. Any good recipes that call for a LOT of zucchini? Or, advice about freezing that?
Thanks!
Oh my Goodness!!!! Thank you so very much for your excellent advice(I really needed it!). Last night, I took 28 peaches, blanched them, skinned them and sliced them and added Fresh Fruit(which I had never before heard of) and bagged them in 4-cup portions. Peaches are one of my favorite parts of summer and I'm so happy to have them for months to come. Though I'm a good cook and baker, canning is too intimidating to tackle after working all day. Maybe I'll learn that next summer.
Tonight, I grated all the zucchini in the food processor. One more question regarding baking. Since there could be a decent amount of liquid when it defrosts, how do I bake with it? I'm pretty precise following baking directions so all that water could really throw off a recipe and I'm in Colorado where baking is already a bit of a challenge.
PS...all those shreds were pretty messy and my dog got the scraps. She LOVED the raw zucchini. So much that I made her a batch of Zippity Zucchini Terrier Tortes. : )))
Thanks Mamas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make jam!! I have a recipe that uses Jell-O instead of Pectin. IM me if you want the recipe. I may have to look for it, but I can get it to you.
You have already gotten lots of good ideas. For fresh zucchini use, I like to just steam it with some chicken bouillon, or cut it in chunks and put it in spaghetti sauce instead of meatballs, or just chop it and put it in a green salad or potato salad. People will just think it is cucumber.
I bought two huge boxes and have been going nuts with peaches. I canned a bunch, made peach jam, and I'm freezing them. They freeze fine, just get some Fruit Fresh at the store so that they won't be brown when you defrost them (it's by the canning stuff and is just Vitamin C that helps them from browning).
I freeze zucchini too...I just shred it up and put it in ziploc bags in the quantity that I need for zucchini bread. My recipe calls for 2 cups, so I freeze several 2 cup bags.
I love this website for canning/preserving:
I think it talks about freezing too. I canned peaches last year and LOVED them!
I have frozen some peaches for smoothies, they work just great. I either microwave them for 30 seconds or just let them sit for half an hour or so and they come off the pit so easily. I can peel the skin off as well.
Hi,
I made this jam last year. It was really easy.
Freezer Peach Jam
3 Cups diced peaches
3 Cups sugar
1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 small pkg peach or apricot jello
Bring peaches,sugar,and pineapple to boil. Cook, stirring for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add jello. Stir and pour into jelly jars. Freeze.
My mom canned peaches-YUM! She cooked & pureed zucchini & froze it. I do the same w/my Halloween pumpkins, checked my favorite pumpkin bread recipe & froze that many cups of pumpkin in a baggie. I lay my bags flat to freeze flat so I can stack them sideways to take up less room in my deep freeze. We had a lot of zukes growing up & it took me close to 15 years to like them again lol Mom used to make what I now know is basically ratouille-zucchini, tomato, onion, other squash, sometimes smoked sausage chunks & seasonings. She simmered til soft, I can't stand it mushy so I cook it w/a bit of veggie oil & more fry than simmer. Serve it over rice or alone.
Peaches freeze very well. Just be sure to get as much air as possible out of the container, and maybe use Fruit Fresh on them, because even when frozen they will brown. They're still edible then, but not as appetizing.
As for zucchini, it doesn't freeze well at all - turns to mush. But you can puree and freeze it for use in vegetable soups and stews.
Good luck.
Grate the zucchini then put it in storage containers made for freezing (ziplock freezer bags or the plastic containers) and freeze. Makes great zucchini bread later on!
As far as the peaches, my grandma used to "put them up" in bottles. She cut them in half and removed the pit, then put them in the home-canning bottles with light syrup. I don't remember the recipe (it was water and a bit of sugar); then she boiled the bottles and the lids would seal (I know you have to get new lids every time, but the rings are re-sealable). Some stores have all the supplies - I think I saw them at Harmons. Also you can look online for better directions on how to do home canning. Just make sure to use light syrup or even dilute pear juice, so they still taste like peaches when you eat them. We had peaches (and cherries, apricots, pear, and tomatoes) year round this way!
cobblers are great with frozen peaches since if they are mushy it doesn't matter, also cutting them up into smaller pieces then you can use in pancake/waffle batter or make syrup with peaches to go on top of them.
for the zucchini, I also shred first and then freeze. I use the vacuum pack bags and hand vacuum so it gets out excess air and helps keep them nice longer without that funky ice stuff or getting freezer taste.
Peaches are really good sliced and frozen with some lemon aid. Then you just thaw a little and eat partly frozen. They taste awesome and I have some in my freezer from last years peach season. (make sure you blanch your peaches to get the skins off before you freeze them)
With zucchini, I freeze it in 2 cup grated increments so I have it right ready for zucchini bread. My kids love the bread and then we can have it in the winter when you want to have the oven on.
Good luck.
I have a zucchini marmalade recipe if you are interested. Also, you can freeze it. Slice and blanch it for 4 minutes, put it in ice water, then let the excess moisture drain off. It's ready to freeze after that. I also breaded it before freezing, so it's ready to fry straight out of the freezer.
Dear A. YUMMY!!!!
Peaches freeze amazingly well. Have them around this fall & winter for peach cobbler, compotes, warm peaches with a little sugar syrup over ice cream.
Zucchini Shred & freeze for year round zucchini bread, add to soups, stocks & stirfries (sp?) & such. Both are great to have stocked up in the freezer! Have fun & enjoy!!!
Peaches and Zucchini both freeze. With peaches I do slice them and freeze them in an airtight bag. With Zucchini, I have always cooked them first. The nice thing about Zucchini is you can puree it and put it in absolutely everything on the planet, from pancakes to spaghetti.
Good luck and enjoy!
Yummy problem. I make homemade pie, and if you do too, then freezing peaches is very rewarding. Make your pie filling as if you were going to bake right away (cinnamon, lemon juice, sugar, etc.) Put it into a ziplock and then set the ziplock in a pie dish so it takes on the shape of the pie. When you are ready to use, pull it out of the freezer and let it mostly thaw. Make your crust and then plop the filling right in (slighly icy is OK) and bake. Yeah, the fruit is softer than baked fresh but it is still delicious in the middle of winter. Same would go for cobbler, I'm sure.
Peaches freeze great! Just slice up and put in freezer bags. They make excellent margaritas!!
Hi A.,
I saw Alton Brown on the Food Network freezing strawberries for later use. He actually got dry ice, broke it up, then put the strawberries into the dry ice to freeze. This is closer to flash freezing (like commercial preparation) than what we can do in our freezers. If you simply freeze your peach slices, they'll be fine for smoothies, but I think you'll be disappointed in them for pies, as their structure will be pretty mushy in the pie.
As for your zucchini, I suggest grating it up, and then freezing it as air tight as you can. You can add the grated stuff to soups, spaghetti sauce, quick breads. It is a great way to sneak in extra fiber to your children's diet.
As for recipes, I find great, easy recipes at marthastewart.com
Good luck.
I make freezer jam with the peaches from my Grandma's tree. If I have a ton then I stick all the jars in the freezer until Christmas and then give them as gifts.
Grate your zucchini in the food processer, measure it into two cup portions, and freeze in a quart size Ziploc freezer bag. (I usually flatten the quart bags, squeeze out all extra air, and put as many quart bags as I can into a gallon size freezer bag just to protect from freezer burn.) You can add one two-cup bag to spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, cakes, or quickbreads all winter long! It will be watery when thawed, but that's okay. Drain off a bit of liquid--leave most of it, though--and add to whatever recipe you choose. I love putting it in meatloaf! You can't taste it, but you know everyone's getting an extra dose of veggies!
Peaches freeze wonderfully well. I had twenty bushels to take care of last year! There are many ways to do it, just google freezing peaches online. Also, my favorite way to use them is to dehydrate them. If you have a dehydrator, just peel and slice them and let them dry.
HI,
I have frozen both. For the peaches, you can peel and slice them then pour a simple syrup over them, put them in a zippy bag or ziploc-type container and freeze them flat. I have also frozen them whole, but think slicing is better. If you don't want to do the simple syrup, you can slice and shake some Fruit Fresh over them and freeze. I have found the ones with the simply syrup can be eaten just out of the freezer after thawing in the sink, but otherwise they are great for baking or smoothies or on ice cream. For the zucchini, if you shred the zucchini, it freezes very well for baking later.
You could also make peach jam. I had a plethera of peaches last year and the year before from my trees. Peach jam is pretty easy. I would be happy to email that recipe to you if you would like it.
Good Luck!
~Cindi
I sliced and froze peaches when I was a newlywed and we moved into a house with two peach trees in September. Holy cow, that was a LOT of peaches! I just sliced them into a two-cup measure and dumped them in a gallon freezer bag, laid them flat in teh freezer, and used them for cobbler for the next TWO YEARS. By then I had a baby and ended up using them to make baby food, too. They still tasted just as good two years later.
For zucchini, I like to grate it and sautee it in a little butter, then sprinkle parmesan cheese on top. Way yummy! I think you can freeze it grated or sliced. I don't use zucchini much anymore, after my husband told me that he doesn't really like stir-fry. I used to make stir-fry with lots of veggies, including lots of sliced zucchini and LOVED it. You can put it in vegetable lasagna, too, or add it to spaghetti sauce in quarter slices. Mmmmm!
Any ideas I had for the peaches, you already have listed. I do know some things to do with summer squash. To freeze, shred first. I use the shredded squash to make zucchini bread or as a filler for meatloaf, burgers, chili or other meaty meals. You can also include it in spaghetti or pizza sauce. Hope that helps!
Make it a GREAT week!
S.
I know someone already said it, but I grew up grating and freezing the humongous zucchinis from our garden and then using it for zucchini bread all year round. We never had a problem with the zucchini once it was defrosted--rather, it was delicious. We had a really good recipe that we always doubled so we ended up with four loaves each time, and it was so very good. That's actually the only way my mom could get us kids to eat zucchini...if you want the recipe then email me (I don't have it here right now). Don't know if that helps, but there you go!
I was told you can freeze peaches whole & unpeeled. The texture gets a little mushy but the flavor should still be great.
Zucchini would be great in your peach smoothies. :) It's one of my fave smoothie ingredients, actually.
I also just made a side dish that was really, really good and super easy. Cut up zucchini and potatoes into chunks and toss into the crockpot. Drizzle on a little oil (I used lemon grapeseed & garlic grapeseed) and cook on high for 3-4 hours. It was so yummy I kept going back for more!
You can use zucchini in place of meat in a lot of recipes. I have a post about it on my blog here:
http://normalpainsandpleasures.blogspot.com/2009/07/use-y...
As far as the peach puree, I know you can use applesauce in place of eggs when making pancakes, muffins or quick breads (anything that doesn't need the egg to leaven it). Some breads just use the eggs for moisture and applesauce or yogurt can provide that instead. So I think peach puree would also work. Also try using the puree to top pancakes/waffles or ice cream.
Also, here is a link about freezing fruit:
www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/uga_freeze_fruit.pdf
It's a pdf, so when you click on it, it'll just download. There are instructions for freezing peaches on page 5.
Good luck!
Here are some zucchini recipes.
Lasagna soup
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c chopped onion
1 pkg lasagna dinner mix
5 cups water
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes undrained
1 can corn undrained
2 T parmesan cheese
1 small zucchini chopped
Brown hamburger with onion- drain. Add dinner mix seasoning, water, tomatoes, corn and parmesan. Bring to boil and simmer 10 min. Add noodles and zucchini and simmer 5-10 min. more.
Earth Bread
3 cups flour
1t soda
1t salt
1/2t baking powder
1/2t pumkin pie spice
1/4t cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 c sugar
2t vanilla
1 cup zucchini, grated
1/2 cup carrots, grated
2 bananas mashed
1/2 cup nuts optional
Mix dry ingredients together. Blend eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in with dry ingredients and the other remaining ingredients.
Grease (Pam) and flour 2 lg loaf pans. Pur mixture into pans and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar on the top.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 min. Test with a toothpick to tell if done. Cool on a rack for 10 min. then remove from pan.
Also, you can grate zucchini and freeze it.
I peal and shred our zucchini and store it 2 cups at a time in quality freezer bags. We throw them in the freezer and use it all winter to make zucchini bread. If it gets a little mushy, it doesn't matter. It still bakes well in bread.
Freezing both is a great idea. You will have fresh foods all the way through winter. There are a lot of different recipes out there. Anyway, here is a website that will help you can and freeze your fruits and vegetables and give you different recipes to put up as well, like peach jam.
Good luck and have fun!
Check out allrecipes.com It is a great website. There is a tab at the top of the homepage that says "ingredients" and you can search for ingredients you do or do not want to include. Every search I have done has gotten tons (hundreds!) of results! I have made a couple of the zucchini recipes that I found there and was very happy with the results. I have found it helpful to read the comments that people post after they try a recipe out for themselves.
BTW - we have TONS of zucchini too and our favorite recipe thus far was for chocolate zucchini bread! Delicious! The recipe can be found on the website above. You can freeze it, as well as regular zucchini bread...then just thaw on the counter.
Also, from what I have learned with our own bumper crop of zucchini this year is that many recipes call for shredded zucchini (usu. 1-3 cups at a time) and zucchini CAN be frozen after being shredded...then added to a recipe. Freeze 1-2 cups at a time.
Oh..a friend also made blueberry-zucchini bread and said it was amazing!
Have fun! I am off to make more bread right now! :o)
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com is one spot that has some decent recipes for Zucchini. You can freeze zucchini. If you blanch it first it will last longer. You only want to blanch it for no more than 3 minutes and then put it in an ice bath so it will quit cooking.
If you google Zucchini or freezing zucchini you will be able to find things that your family might eat and like.
Pickyourown.org is an excellant web site.
Lucky you!
Peach jam is easy. Buy some jars and fruit pectin and follow the directions. Slices or chunked peaches are also great frozen. To peel them easily, just drop them (2-3 at a time)into boiling water for about 1 minute and the skins will slip off. You can also make cobbler and freeze it in disposable aluminum pans.
I just hit the jackpot with zuchinni recipes. I, too, have an over abundance of zucchini (again). Go to www.sparkpeople.com (you may have to "join" but it's free) and type in "zucchini" into the recipe search section. There are over 100 recipes and they are healthy. I just made brownies with zuchinni and then the most delicious, super moist bread I've ever had. My family ate 4 loaves in 5 days! BTW, shredded zuchinni freezes exceptionally well; just make sure to get all the air out of the bag.
Hi A., As a peach orchard owner we always get a lot of unsaleables. We freeze the peaches using the quart sized plastic containers and a tablespoon of "Fruit Fresh" for every quart. We cut the peel off with a paring knife then slice or chunk the peach up. We add the tablespoon of "Fruit Fresh" and stir. Fruit Fresh is an absorbic acid that keeps the peaches from browning. You could also use Vit C:) You can find the "Fruit Fresh" in the canning supplies of your local grocer. Spoon the mix into your freezer container and freeze. We had 3 quarts left from last year and they still looked and tasted terrific. You shouldn't need to add any sugar as the peaches should be naturally sweetened enough. You can use your frozen peaches just as if they were fresh in any recipe. God Bless, L.
