Can You Eat Peach Skin? The Health Benefits and Easy Recipes

Who doesn’t love peaches? They are a great snacking option. The soft, delectable, and juicy fruit can be eaten whole or added to recipes. The fruit somewhat resembles an apple except for the skin texture. Can you eat peach skin?

Peach skin is hairy and disliked by many. But, is it safe to eat peach skin? Let’s take a closer look.

Can You Eat Peach Skin: The Health Benefits

Peach skin has a hairy texture and a slightly tart flavor, which makes people peel the fruit. Also, most people are concerned about the various chemicals, pesticides, and coatings on fruits. So, is it healthy to eat the skin of peaches?

Peach skin is delicious, and you can eat it as long as you wash it thoroughly. Peaches, along with the skin, are very healthy. Peaches contain good amounts of fiber, which is mostly found in the skin.

Peach skin contains good amounts of vitamin A and C, as well as antioxidants. The fiber from the peach skin benefits the body and may help with weight loss. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Peeling the skin off the fruit makes it less delicious and also affects the nutrient profile. The skin contains fiber and many vitamins which may or may not be present in the flesh of the fruit, so it is a healthy habit to eat the skin of peaches and most other fruits such as apples, guavas, pears, plums, and so on.

Whether or not it is it ok to eat peach skin depends on the variety of peaches you choose. Some peaches have a very hairy texture which may irritate the gastrointestinal tract and the throat. Also, some peaches with a thicker skin are not easy to digest, so you should peel them in such cases. But, if the fruit has a soft skin, you can safely consume it.

It is important to wash the fruit first to get rid of the chemicals and the dirt that sits on the skin. Let’s see the proper way to clean the skin of peaches.

How To Properly Clean Peaches

Peaches contain dirt, pesticides, and other residues. So, it is necessary to clean peaches before you eat them.

Follow these steps to clean peaches:

Remove the leaves and stem from the fruit
Rub the fruit gently to remove any dirt or residue as it is soft and it may get bruised
Fill a bowl with water, put the peaches in the bowl, and brush off any dirt
Rinse the peaches in running water
Pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels, or leave them on the counter to air dry

Peach Skin Recipes

Peaches can be eaten directly or added to desserts. If at times it becomes difficult to eat the fruit with the skin, you can use the skin to make some healthy recipes.

Here are two delicious and easy-to-make peach skin recipes for you to try.

1. Peach Peel and Seed Jelly Recipe

Ingredients:

4 quarts of peach peels and seeds
1 package of dry pectin
3 cups of sugar

Directions

In a heavy pan, add four quarts of peach peels and seeds. Cover them with water and bring it to a boil. Simmer the mixture for 30 minutes.

Let the mixture stand overnight. When ready to use, strain the juice through a cheesecloth.

Add three cups of the juice and one packet of powdered pectin to a pan. Bring the mixture to a boil and add three cups of sugar. Boil the juice until it drips off the spoon. Discard the foam.

Pour the mixture into sterilized jars to half an inch from the top. Close it tightly and process in water bath for five minutes.

2. Vanilla Flavored Peach Jelly Recipe

Ingredients:

Peach pits and peels
Water
¼ cup of lemon juice
5½ cups of sugar
3 packages of Ball powdered pectin
1 Madagascar vanilla bean
Optional: peach seeds, split and scraped

Directions

In a large bowl, pour the lemon juice. Put the peels and pits in the bowl and toss to coat evenly with the lemon juice.

Put the peels and skin in a large stock pot and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat. Let the mixture simmer for half an hour.

Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit overnight. Strain the peach juice through a cheesecloth. Squeeze the peels to extract additional juice.

Add six cups of juice to a stockpot. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds. Bring the juice to a rolling boil. Add the pectin and stir until it dissolves. Then, add sugar and stir until it dissolves.

Remove the pot from the heat and remove the vanilla bean pods. Pour the hot jelly into hot, sterile jars, up to a quarter-inch from the top.

Process for 10 minutes in a hot water canner. Let the jelly set for one or two days.

In conclusion, eating a peach and most other fruits along with the skin is beneficial for your health. So, enjoy the whole fruit for your breakfast or as a snack. However, if the outer layer of the peach is too thick, you can try any of these yummy recipes to use the skin.