It was a labor of love. But like any labor that goes on way too long, my love affair with peaches — or rather the peeling of them — had diminished over the upteen years I had been working with them. I rather got to the point where doing anything with fresh peaches other than to just eat them as is became a task I was no longer romancing.

Until. Yep. It takes me awhile but I finally get there.

Why did I not realize after more years than you can shake a stick at (is that such a thing?),  is that you could do the same thing with peaches that I had always (ALWAYS) done when peeling tomatoes.

I’m just thorough in my research, I suppose.  

So one day when I was lamenting the loss of fresh peach cobbler, I just happened to pick up a magazine, I’ve long since forgotten which,  in my dentist’s office (thanks Dr. Mike). There it was. Square in front of my face. A hint.

Peel peaches just like you do tomatoes. Dummy.

So I’m here to spare you years and years of toil and trouble (thanks Shakespeare)…learn to peel peaches the easy way.  And since I had 2 bushels of peaches freshly picked at Peach Pickin’ Paradise in Lamar, I definitely needed all the help I could get.

Here’s how:

1. First, bring a large stock pot (or do as I do and use your Fry Daddy) of water to a slow boil You’re going to blanch those peaches first.
2. Cut a shallow X on the blossom end (opposite of the stem end) of each peach.
3. Working in batches, lower the peaches in the boiling water for 30 seconds.
4. Using a slotted spoon or a spider (my fav), transfer to a work surface. When the peaches are cool enough to handle, slip off the skins using your fingertips or peel with a small, sharp paring knife.
5. Some prefer to drop the blanched peaches into a bowl of ice water (as if to shock them). I’ve done both ways and both ways work.  It just depends on your time and preferences.

Hint: If you only have just a few to peel, fill a 4- 6 cup measuring cup with water and heat to boiling in the microwave. Drop in a peach at a time for 30-40 seconds. That’s only if you really need to peel the peach—I’m a leave-the-peel on person myself.

You do save the peelings for peach butter, don’t you? (Coming up soon: Slow Cooker Peach Vanilla Butter.)