Fruit peeling is the removal of the outer skin from apples, pears, peaches and similar fruit by mechanical, steam or lye methods, and it is a preparatory step that affects both product yield and the suitability of the fruit for further processing.
In trade practice
Mechanical peeling uses rotating abrasive drums or knife systems and is common for apples destined for drying or freezing; steam peeling briefly exposes the fruit to high-pressure steam to loosen the skin with minimal flesh loss and is preferred where yield is critical. Lye peeling, which uses a dilute alkali solution, is effective for peaches but requires thorough rinsing and is subject to food safety controls on residual alkali. QA teams monitor peel residue and flesh loss after each method, as excessive peel remaining is a common defect in dried apple rings and slices. For organic product, lye peeling requires verification that the alkali used is permitted under the applicable organic regulation.
In a specification
A specification for peeled fruit states the maximum permitted percentage of residual peel by surface area or weight, and identifies the approved peeling method where this affects the final product character.