peaches2-200x150.jpgIf your recipe calls for pureed peaches, you can’t just throw them into a food processor and hope for the best. You have to remove their skins by blanching them.

First, fill a large saucepan ¾ full and bring it to a boil. Also, have a bowl of ice water ready. (Is this starting to sound like something the CIA might be interested in?)

Cut a shallow X in the blossom end of each peach (the part with the stem and leaf), then immerse the peaches, two at a time, into the boiling water until their skins start to pull away from the Xs. Maybe 5-10 seconds. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, lift them out of the water, put them into the ice water, and just slip off the skins. Peaches actually don’t mind this too much. They’re like babies or pregnant celebrities on magazine covers, and think being naked is fun.