When fresh peaches hit the stores, we find lots of wasy to enjoy them. Their fuzzy skin remains intact when we eat them raw, but when used in baked goods, it's best to remove teh skin because it tends to get tough when cooked.

The fastest way to remove the skin is with a quick dip in boiling water.

--Cut a shallow X in the bottom of the fruit to release the skin.

--Plunge it nito boiling water for 20 to 60 seconds. (Thicker skins require more time; riper fruit requires less time.)

--Cool the fruit in a bowl of cold water, and pull off the skin. If it doesn't peel easily, put the fruit back in the boiling water for another 20 to 40 seconds, or peel it with a vegetable peeler.

If you prefer to skin the fruit with a peeler, try the Soft Skin Peeler from Zyliss. It's designed for peaches, apricots, tomatoes and other soft-skinned fruit.