Preserving: Freezing Peaches

Peach freezing happened around here today.  Laundry, too.  Because both were immediate needs and that tends to be how I get things done (when they're impossible to ignore) and, for better or for worse, it works.  

I've taken two preserving classes this summer through our local extension office.  (Sidenote: Look up yours nearby, they're pretty cool and the classes are crazy inexpensive and full of actually useful info if you're into that kind of thing!) One was on freezing produce and the other was on canning tomatoes and fruit.  I've read enough books and blog posts to have the general idea down and canned one batch of tomatoes last summer, but it's just felt like so.much.work.  Freezer jam and blanching and freezing fresh produce has been my go-to preserving option most often, but I've really want to can more as we're at the height of fresh produce right now. 
Marisa of Food in Jars shared on The Kitchn recently and I thought it was so pertinent to share: Why Strawberry Jam and Cucumber Pickles Are the Worst Way to Start Canning.

Taking the classes made me want to preserve more without it feeling completely consuming and overwhelming and freezing usually fits that bill.  The kids are at least getting bigger, but it's still really hard to have hours at a time to dedicate to canning and preserving.  Most of what I do needs to be able to happen in steps because if I DO have hours of time without kids, I likely won't choose canning as my first option for activities.  

So, today, it was boiling water in one pot  to boil peaches to remove skins. A large bowl full of water with Fruit Fresh (because I had it, lemon juice would work just as well.) A sink filled with ice and water for an ice bath after the boiling.  A cutting board, knife and bowl for skins.  Freezer bags ready to go - labeled and open with tops folded over and 1/4 cup sugar in each bag.  Peaches get dunked in the boiling water for a minute, then submerged in the ice bath.  (It helps the skin to slide right off.)  Then sliced and into the water with Fruit Fresh, then into the freezer bags.  

I thought I'd also share a few easy recipes I've saved and plan to have going in the upcoming weeks: 

Fermented Green Beans
3-Day Apricot Jam (the beauty in these is doing them over the course of a few days in small batches) 
Cold-Pack Peach Canning
Applesauce with Cortland Apples (inspired by my friend Molly who loves to use the Cortlands because it makes the applesauce pink!) 
Spiced Apples

If you want to test of the canning waters (I plan to re-visit with tomatoes in the upcoming weeks) here are a few resources with so much great info on getting started: 
A Beginners Guide to Canning
Canning 101: Tools of the Trade
Canning 101: The Basics