Peaches (*Prunus persica*) are a type of juicy stone fruit that grows on deciduous [peach trees](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-peach-tree-in-your-backyard) native to China. Peaches have a thin, fuzzy skin, and the fruit, which is commonly white or yellow, surrounds a hard pit in the center. Peaches contain vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.
Peaches and [nectarines](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-nectarine-tree-in-your-garden) are both stone fruits. These stone fruits are the same species, but there are a few key differences:

- __Skin__: Peaches have a fuzzy skin and nectarines have a smooth skin.
- __Flesh__: Peaches have a soft flesh, and nectarines are typically more firm.
- __Size__: Generally, nectarines are smaller than peaches.
Peach skin is edible, but the peel is simple to remove if you want a skinless peach. There are two main ways to peel a peach:

1. __Peeler__: You can peel a peach using a vegetable peeler, but this is best to do with firm, [ripe peaches](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-ripen-peaches). Holding the firm peach in your non-dominant hand, run the peeler from the top of the peach where the stem is to the bottom in one smooth motion. Repeat until the peach is completely peeled.
2. __Blanching__: The second way to peel a peach is through blanching. Bring a large pot of water on the stove to a rolling boil. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an “X” at the bottom of each peach, taking care to not cut the flesh too deeply. Place the peach in the boiling water and blanch it until you see the strips of the cut peel start to lift away from the flesh, about ten to twenty seconds. (If you want to blanch multiple peaches, be sure to completely cover the peaches in the water.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the hot water and place it immediately in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. After the peach cools, dry it with a paper towel. You can now peel the peach with your fingers and the peel should easily separate from the flesh. If it doesn’t, blanch the peach again.
You can use skin-off peaches in a variety of ways:

- __With ice cream__: You can top sliced peaches with whipped cream or ice cream for a quick and easy dessert. 
- __In salsa__: Cut peaches into small cubes and mix with peppers, onions, cilantro, and lime juice to make a peach salsa.
- __In a dessert__: You can use peaches as a filling for peach pie, peach tarts, [peach cobbler](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/peach-cobbler-recipe), or peach crisp. 
- __In a jam__: You can use skinless peaches to make peach jam or peach compote. 
- __In a smoothie__: You can also blend the peaches to make smoothies or even peach ice cream.
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You can enjoy fresh peaches as a snack, or bake the stone fruit into a variety of dessert recipes, like peach pie. Some recipes call for skinless peaches. Learn how to peel a peach by following the steps below.

You can enjoy fresh peaches as a snack, or bake the stone fruit into a variety of dessert recipes, like peach pie. Some recipes call for skinless peaches. Learn how to peel a peach by following the steps below.

How to Peel Peaches: 2 Methods for Removing Peach Skin

Peaches (Prunus persica) are a type of juicy stone fruit that grows on deciduous <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-peach-tree-in-your-backyard' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-peach-tree-in-your-backyard","linkCopy":"peach trees","category":null}'>peach trees</a> native to China. Peaches have a thin, fuzzy skin, and the fruit, which is commonly white or yellow, surrounds a hard pit in the center. Peaches contain vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and potassium.

What Are Peaches?

Peaches and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-nectarine-tree-in-your-garden' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-grow-a-nectarine-tree-in-your-garden","linkCopy":"nectarines","category":null}'>nectarines</a> are both stone fruits. These stone fruits are the same species, but there are a few key differences:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Skin: Peaches have a fuzzy skin and nectarines have a smooth skin. </li><li class="">Flesh: Peaches have a soft flesh, and nectarines are typically more firm. </li><li class="">Size: Generally, nectarines are smaller than peaches. </li></ul>

Peaches vs. Nectarines: What’s the Difference?

Peach skin is edible, but the peel is simple to remove if you want a skinless peach. There are two main ways to peel a peach:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Peeler: You can peel a peach using a vegetable peeler, but this is best to do with firm, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-ripen-peaches' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-ripen-peaches","linkCopy":"ripe peaches","category":null}'>ripe peaches</a>. Holding the firm peach in your non-dominant hand, run the peeler from the top of the peach where the stem is to the bottom in one smooth motion. Repeat until the peach is completely peeled. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Blanching: The second way to peel a peach is through blanching. Bring a large pot of water on the stove to a rolling boil. Using a sharp paring knife, cut an “X” at the bottom of each peach, taking care to not cut the flesh too deeply. Place the peach in the boiling water and blanch it until you see the strips of the cut peel start to lift away from the flesh, about ten to twenty seconds. (If you want to blanch multiple peaches, be sure to completely cover the peaches in the water.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the peach from the hot water and place it immediately in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. After the peach cools, dry it with a paper towel. You can now peel the peach with your fingers and the peel should easily separate from the flesh. If it doesn’t, blanch the peach again. </li></ol>

How to Peel Peaches

You can use skin-off peaches in a variety of ways:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">With ice cream: You can top sliced peaches with whipped cream or ice cream for a quick and easy dessert. </li><li class="">In salsa: Cut peaches into small cubes and mix with peppers, onions, cilantro, and lime juice to make a peach salsa. </li><li class="">In a dessert: You can use peaches as a filling for peach pie, peach tarts, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/peach-cobbler-recipe' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/peach-cobbler-recipe","linkCopy":"peach cobbler","category":null}'>peach cobbler</a>, or peach crisp. </li><li class="">In a jam: You can use skinless peaches to make peach jam or peach compote. </li><li class="">In a smoothie: You can also blend the peaches to make smoothies or even peach ice cream. </li></ul>

How to Use Peeled Peaches

Become a better chef with the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a>. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Alice Waters, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, and more.

Want to Learn More About Cooking?

You can enjoy fresh peaches as a snack, or bake the stone fruit into a variety of dessert recipes, like peach pie. Some recipes call for skinless peaches. Learn how to peel a peach by following the steps below.

You can enjoy fresh peaches as a snack, or bake the stone fruit into a variety of dessert recipes, like peach pie. Some recipes call for skinless peaches. Learn how to peel a peach by following the steps below.
