How to Keep Peaches From Ripening Too Fast
If you're got more peaches than you can enjoy quickly, eat a few and slow down the ripening process on the rest. In general, peaches are harvested before they are fully ripe, unless they are picked for immediate use. And, if the unripe peaches -- which are extremely firm when gently squeezed -- are left at room temperature, they will ripen quickly, often within a couple days. To keep the peaches from ripening too fast, store them in a cooler location.
Refrigerate the peaches in a drawer with humidity control. Set it on “high.” The coldness slows down the ripening process and humidity prevents the peaches from drying out in the meantime.
Place the peaches in a brown paper bag and loosely close it if you do not have a humidity controlled drawer in your refrigerator. Set the bag in the fridge in the crisper drawer. The bag traps in humidity so the peaches will not shrivel up while they are ripening, and the coldness in the fridge will slow down the ripening process.
- If you're got more peaches than you can enjoy quickly, eat a few and slow down the ripening process on the rest.
- The bag traps in humidity so the peaches will not shrivel up while they are ripening, and the coldness in the fridge will slow down the ripening process.
Store peaches no longer than two weeks in the fridge. They may fully ripen before this, depending on how ripe they were when they were first refrigerated.
Harvest Loring Peaches
Inspect a few peaches from various areas of the tree for color, size and firmness to determine their ripeness. Grasp a ripe Loring, give it a twist to remove it from the branch. Place the peach in the bin or basket and continue picking as you move around the tree. Only fill the bin or basket with two to three layers of peaches to prevent damaging the fruit with too much weight.
Tip
To tell if a peach is ripe, squeeze gently. If it gives just a little bit (is not too firm), it is ripe. Move any peaches out of the fridge and to room temperature a day or two before you want to use them.
Related Articles
References
- Fruit and Vegetables More Matters: Peach: Nutrition Selection Storage
- Ohio State University Extension; Growing Peaches and Nectarines in the Home Landscape; Gary Gao
- University of California Home Orchard: Peaches and Nectarines: Calender of Operations for Home Gardeners
- The Old Farmer's Almanac: Peaches
- University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service: Tree Fruit Cultivar Recommendations for Arkansas
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Different Kinds of Peaches
- National Gardening Association: Planning for Peaches
- Ohio State University Extension: Selecting, Storing and Serving Ohio Peaches
- Harvest to Table: Peach Varieties
Writer Bio
Melissa Lewis is a former elementary classroom teacher and media specialist. She has also written for various online publications. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
