How to Freeze Whole Peaches and Plums

Freezing fresh peaches and plums allows you to have fresh, juicy fruits available during any season for use in pies, cobblers or simply for a nutritious snack.

Most fruits, including plums and peaches, will maintain their quality and freshness for eight to 12 months when stored properly in a freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below, according to the University of Minnesota.

Choose peaches and plums that are fully ripe before preparing them for freezing.

Wash fresh, ripe peaches in cool water, gently rubbing the skins to help remove bacteria from the skin.

Don't try to freeze too many peaches at once. Fruits should freeze fully within 24 hours.

Pack the whole peaches into plastic containers large enough to allow 1/2 inch to 1 inch of space between the fruit and the lid.

Cover peaches with an ascorbic acid or vitamin C mixture containing 1 teaspoon of ascorbic acid for every quart of water.

For a syrup pack, prepare a mixture of 4 cups of water, 3 cups of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of ascorbic acid, and then cover the peaches with the syrup.

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, helps preserve the fruit's color and flavor.

Seal the plastic containers and place them in the freezer (which should be set at 0 degrees Fahremheit) immediately after packing.

Wash the plums by rubbing the skins gently under cool running water. Don't try to freeze too many plums at once. Fruits should freeze fully within 24 hours.

Pack whole plums in plastic containers, leaving 1/2 inch to 1 inch of space between the fruit and the top of the container.

Add a syrup mixture of 3 cups of sugar to 4 cups of water to cover the plums if you'd like. Adding ascorbic acid (about 1/2 teaspoon) to the syrup mixture will improve the quality of the fruit.

Note that packing plums in syrup isn't necessary — they'll freeze fine simply by freezing the whole fruit. Skipping the syrup mixture will also help you cut down on added sugar.

Place lids on plastic containers and freeze immediately at 0 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

You can thaw your peaches and plums in three ways, according to the National Center for Food Preservation:

• In the refrigerator: Allow around 6 to 8 hours per pound of fruit
• In the microwave on the defrost setting: Turn the package throughout for even thawing
• Under cold running water: Allow 1/2 to 1 hour

To easily peel thawed fruits, score the bottoms of the peaches or plums with a small "X" using a paring knife. Place the scored fruit into a pot of boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds, and then transfer to a pot filled with ice water. Once the fruit has cooled, the skin will slide off easily.