Frozen Peach Bellinis Made with Fresh Peaches

In this month’s fresh produce series post, Walmart challenged me to make something using stone fruits, which are currently in season. I considered both plums and cherries, but then after seeing all of the gorgeous, ripe and juicy peaches at my local Walmart store, well, I just had to bring some home with me.

If you’re a little unsure on how to select the best peaches, here are a few tips that should help:

• Ripe peaches will have a strong, fragrant scent. Look for fruits that are free of bruising and give a little with slight pressure.
• If you purchase peaches that are not quite ripe, place them in a brown paper bag with the top folded over for a day or two.
• Ripe peaches are best stored in the refrigerator. Even so, they spoil quickly so buy only what you can eat within a reasonable amount of time.

We rarely have a problem with peaches spoiling around here though. They fly out of the fruit basket!

Sunny skies and warmer temps inspired me to use my pretty peaches in a fresh peach bellini. A traditional peach bellini recipe uses white peaches, but these yellow peaches are a perfect substitute, and personally, I prefer the vivid color produced by the yellow flesh. Leaving the skins on and then straining them out adds even more color.

I start by making kind of a boozy peach sorbet by pureeing the peaches, pressing them through a fine mesh strainer to remove any pieces of skin and pulp, and then stirring in some lemon juice, simple syrup and peach schnapps. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish, and place in the freezer, stirring every 30 minutes or so. A wide, flat dish will help the mixture freeze faster, although the alcohol from the peach schnapps will prevent it from freezing solid.

Once you have the puree made, the bellini recipe is a snap. Just top the frozen peach puree off with a splash of prosecco, stir, and enjoy!

 
I should note that not all stores carry prosecco, so feel free to substitute your favorite sparkling wine. For a non-alcoholic version, substitute sparkling juice or seltzer for the prosecco.

If you like this frozen peach bellini recipe, you may also like my Best Ever Strawberry Daiquiris. I’m not kidding when I tell you it’s the best I’ve ever had!