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[Road's End Farm <organic87@frontiernet.net>]

On Nov 5, 2008, at 10:12 PM, William C. Garthright wrote:

> I froze a small amount of peaches (chopped up and mixed with sugar) this 
> year, just to test it. It was only about a pint or so. I've been 
> freezing other fruit (strawberries, raspberries, etc.) to put on my 
> oatmeal in the morning, but that stuff is dry enough that I can keep it 
> frozen until use, and then just break off what I need.
>
> With the peaches, though, I put the bag in the refrigerator to thaw 
> first (since I couldn't separate them otherwise). OK, that worked,... 
> except that the whole thing turned the most putrid brown color! I mean, 
> it really looked disgusting.
>
> So how do I avoid that? I've seen a product that's supposed to keep 
> apples from browning (I can't remember the name of it right now). Will 
> that work with peaches, too? Or can I just add some lemon juice? It's 
> not a big deal, since it's only me eating the stuff,... but even I'd 
> feel better if it looked a little more appetizing.  :-)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bill
> Lincoln, NE (Zone 5)
Add citric acid or ascorbic acid.

You can get these at wine-making supply stores; some drugstores used to carry them; or try wherever carries a lot of canning supplies in your area.

You can buy one of these (I think it's citric acid) premixed with sugar, and probably with additional unneeded preservatives, for rather too much money, at most grocery stores under various brand names; but I'd rather use straight citric or ascorbic acid, buy my sugar separately. and skip the miscellaneous additives.

You can indeed use lemon juice; but enough lemon juice to do the job will probably also change the flavor.

Some varieties of peaches seem more liable to the browning problem than others (sorry, can't give you a list offhand.)

--Rivka
Finger Lakes NY; zone 5 mostly