To cut a peach easily and cleanly, follow these steps:
- Locate the seam: Find the natural line or seam that runs around the peach from top (stem) to bottom.
- Cut along the seam: Using a sharp paring or chef’s knife, slice gently along this seam all the way around the peach until you hit the pit. Rotate the peach as you cut to follow the seam fully without cutting too hard
- Twist to separate: Hold the peach with both hands and twist the two halves in opposite directions. If the peach is ripe, the halves should separate easily
- Remove the pit: For freestone peaches, the pit should come out easily by hand. If it sticks, use a spoon or the tip of the knife to loosen and remove the pit
- Slice as desired: Lay the halves cut side down and slice into wedges, thin slices, or dice according to your preference
Additional tips:
- For clingstone peaches (where the pit clings to the flesh), you may need to cut around the pit in quarters or smaller sections
- If you want to peel the peach, ripe peaches can sometimes have skin peeled off by hand; otherwise, blanching in hot water for 30-35 seconds then cooling in ice water helps loosen the skin
- Using a sharp knife and gentle handling helps avoid squishing the delicate flesh, especially for very ripe peaches
This method works well for fresh eating, cooking, or canning peaches
