How To Tell If A Peach Is Ripe
How to Tell When a Peach Is Ripe For Eating Published by There’s nothing quite like the taste of a fresh picked tree ripened peach! Of all our crops, peaches are probably the most difficult to tell when they are ready to pick. Here are some tips to tell when a peach is ripe and ready to be eaten: It has a sweet smell When a peach gives off a sweet aroma, it’s a good sign that it’s ready to be enjoyed. No smell usually means no taste for many varieties. On a warm, sunny day you should be able to smell the fruit just by standing near it.

  1. The scent can be impossible to resist! It is slightly soft If the peach is firm to the touch, it’s not ready.
  2. Wait until there is some “give” when it is gently squeezed.
  3. Never squeeze too hard- it will result in bruising! It is the right color A ripe peach has a dark yellow color.
  4. It’s not necessarily red, that’s simply the color that comes from direct sun exposure.

If the peach is green or even has any hint of green left on it, it needs more time on the tree. A green peach is certainly edible but it’s not going to be as sweet and juicy. It is the right shape A peach becomes round as it ripens. Here are some additional peach tips: • Be gentle with the peaches, they bruise easily.

• Peaches can continue to ripen at home. It’s best to leave them on a counter apart from the other peaches and on their shoulder (not on the bottom) away from direct sunlight. Check to see if they have softened by feeling them gently. When they are soft, they are ready to enjoy. • To slow the ripening process, put them in the fridge where they should keep for 5 days.

: How to Tell When a Peach Is Ripe For Eating

How do you know when a peach is ready?

How to Tell When a Peach Is Ripe – There are quite a few ways to tell if your peach is ripe or not. You don’t have to check all of these boxes before biting into your peach, but checking one or two of them will undoubtedly help make sure that your peach is sweet, juicy and ripe:

Smell: One of the best ways to know your peach is ripe and ready to eat is when you’re able to smell the sweet aroma it gives off. If the peach isn’t quite ripe, then there won’t be much of a smell. If your peach doesn’t have much of a scent, then that means that it won’t have much taste – that’s why it’s best to wait for the sweet smell of the peach before you eat it. Softness: Another great way to tell if your peach is ripe or not is by feeling it. A ripe peach will be slightly soft to the touch. If it’s too hard or firm, then that probably means it’s not ripe yet. Try gently squeezing your peach — if there’s a little bit of “give,” then your peach is ready to eat. Just be sure not to press too hard since peaches tend to bruise easily. Appearance: Did you know that sometimes you can tell if a peach is ripe just by looking at it? The red color that you see on peaches happens due to direct sun exposure. A ripe peach will have a dark yellow color on the parts that don’t have exposure to the sun. If your peach is still green or has any bit of green left on it, then it’s not ready to be eaten. Shape: You can also check the shape of it! As a peach gets riper, it gets rounder. Unripe peaches are more ovular, while riper peaches are more circular.

Are peaches supposed to be crunchy?

Crunchy peaches are usually not ripe yet. The flavor is not the same at all. By the time they are ripe they are soft. ‘Mushy’ is usually a little overripe, in my experience.

What is the best way to ripen peaches?

Peach Ripening Q & A – What’s happening in the bag? Peaches emit ethylene gas, a naturally occurring plant hormone that triggers the ripening process. Enclosing peaches in a bag traps the gas and speeds the ripening. Some like to put a banana or apple in the bag to boost the ethylene level.

Can I ripen peaches on the windowsill? Yes, but there are a couple of drawbacks to that.1) Fruit flies, ugh.2) Direct sunlight can overheat and shrivel the peaches. (BTW, I have an easy, fool-proof way to get rid of fruit flies,) Can I ripen peaches in the fridge? No. The cold actually inhibits ripening, and can alter texture and flavor.

Can I ripen a green peach? Sorry, no. But you can use them up in something like this peach chutney, Try some of our most beloved fresh peach recipes.

Can you ripen peaches quickly?

How to Ripen Peaches Quickly – If you need to use your peaches within the same day, there are a few things you can try. Place a shallow bowl of peaches in direct sunlight but be careful that they don’t get too hot, or they will start to bake. The heat will help ripen the fruit quickly.

Is it OK to eat an unripe peach?

If the peach is green or even has any hint of green left on it, it needs more time on the tree. A green peach is certainly edible but it’s not going to be as sweet and juicy. A peach becomes round as it ripens.

Do peaches ripen faster in fridge?

Caring For Your Peaches – If you have perfectly selected fresh peaches but you don’t know how to storage them for your needs, our team and experts are here to help guide you. General Peach Storage Tips are provided by The Georgia Peach Council, In order for your peaches to ripen properly, do not place them in the refrigerator.

Simply put them on your counter at room temperature until they reach your desired ripeness. For faster ripening, place peaches in a brown paper bag on the kitchen counter. Once your peaches have reached ripeness, then and only then should you place them in the refrigerator. They should last an additional week or so in the refrigerator.

For maximum flavor, allow your peaches to reach room temperature before eating (about 30 minutes). Once your peaches are sliced, you can add a few dashes of lemon juice or coat with a citric acid solution to prevent excessive browning.

    Are peaches supposed to be hard and not juicy?

    Conversely, rock-hard peaches mean the fruit is still underripe, and will not be as flavorful.2. Feel their weight. A ripened peach is filled with more juices than an unripened peach.

    Will hard peaches get soft?

    Yes, hard peaches soften or ripen from the natural release of ethylene gas. Placing peaches in a paper bag or perforated plastic bag will actually enhance the process. Once ripe, you can then place them in the refrigerator to slow the ripening process. Eat within 1 to 2 days.

    Why won’t my peaches ripen?

    Question: Why do my peaches stay small and hard and never ripen? ​ Answer: There are several possible reasons for this. Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says peach trees will put on 80-90% more fruit than the tree can support. With this much fruit the tree does not have the energy to grow and ripen all the fruit, so the fruit does not grow.

    How long does it take for a peach to get ripe?

    The paper bag method for accelerated peach ripening – Miguel Guasch Fuxa/Shutterstock If you put a single peach in a paper bag, fold the bag closed, and let it sit at room temperature, it should ripen to perfection within two days, if not sooner. That’s because when peaches ripen, they release ethylene gas, which is a byproduct of fruit ripening as well as a fruit-ripening stimulant.

    The bag helps keeps the gas present and close at hand, and the paper is porous enough to allow for airflow. Plastic bags are not recommended for this purpose or for storing peaches in general, according to the Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment at UMass Amherst, You can hasten the ripening process further by adding more peaches to the bag (for a higher relative ethylene gas volume).

    You can also add a different fruit to the bag, as long as it’s a “climacteric fruit,” which peaches are, and which refers to fruits that continue ripening off the tree. Apples, avocados, and bananas are climacteric fruits. Strawberries, cherries, grapes, and citrus fruits such as oranges are not.

    Because peaches bruise easily, you’ll want to handle them with care. That means laying them, stem-side down, in a single layer inside the bag, but with space between them so that they don’t come into direct contact with one another. And when you check them for ripeness, you’ll want to do so gently to avoid bruising.

    We’ll get into how to tell if a peach is ripe in just a bit.

    Do peaches get sweeter as they ripen?

    The Problem with Unripe Peaches – Unlike some other fruits, peaches will not develop a sweet, juicy flavor after they’re picked from the tree. (The sticky natural sugar is the reason why fresh peaches make the best desserts,) So, once an unripe peach has been picked and transported to a grocery store, it will never live up to your expectations.

    How do you ripen peaches indoors?

    Here’s How to Do It. Simply place the peaches in a brown paper bag, loosely roll the top closed, and leave at room temperature. The total time for ripening varies, and largely depends on just how firm the peaches are when starting, but it’s safe to plan on a day or two. Check the peaches after about 24 hours.

    Will a peach ripen after it is cut?

    Q Why do fruits such as peaches and melons stop ripening when they are cut open? A Cutting fruit damages cells and removes the protective peel, exposing the flesh to the environment and altering its chemistry. Some fruit does actually continue ripening.

    1. However, it also starts to rot much faster, said Rebecca Harbut, an assistant professor of horticulture and fruit expert at the UW-Madison.
    2. Fruits that can ripen after picking — including melons, peaches, apples, avocados, mangoes, pears and tomatoes — are called climacteric fruits.
    3. In these fruits, ripening is hastened by chemicals, primarily ethylene gas, that are produced inside the fruit and convert stored starch into sugar even after picking.

    Non-climacteric fruit produce little or no ethylene gas and therefore do not ripen once picked; these stubborn fruits include raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, watermelons, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, lemons and limes. “If you buy a grapefruit or a pineapple and think it is going to ripen, it simply won’t,” Harbut said.

    Storing fruit in a paper bag will help ripen climacteric fruits because the bag retains the ethylene. “But the biggest myth is that people think any fruit can be ripened in a bag,” she added. With a pineapple or a grapefruit, “this won’t do anything to improve the sweetness or flavor,” Harbut said. “The pineapple may become softer and juicier as the fruit breaks down, and the rind may turn yellow, but the flavor will not improve.

    Pineapple has to be picked ripe. In North America, it’s very rare to taste a truly ripe pineapple unless you are in Hawaii where pineapples are grown.”

    When should you not eat peaches?

    It is of utmost importance that we know the signs of peaches that are bad. A peach can range from spectacularly sweet to a bundle of disappointment very quickly, so we should understand the signs that indicate when they are in the early ages of rotting to avoid disappointment when we buy peaches. To help you choose correctly, let’s see how you can tell if a peach is bad. Peaches should never be extremely bruised, soft, mushy, or develop dark discoloration. You can also trust your nose since a peach can start to smell rotten very early on. Another clear and conspicuous sign is if the peach has mold and bacterium growth on it, or even worms when you cut into it. Save this information for later by pinning to Pinterest

    What do unripe peaches look like?

    Description/Taste – Green peaches look very much like fresh almonds and are about the size of a large olive. The young fruits are 5 to 7 centimeters long and 3 centimeters around and have a small, stiff stem. They have a light green skin with the characteristic, fuzzy exterior of a peach, giving the fruit a silver-grey look.

    What color is an unripe peach?

    How to Determine Peach Ripeness Welcome back to Everything About Peaches! Our second episode is “How To Determine Peach Ripeness.” Few things are more satisfying than biting into a delicious, juicy, tree-ripened peach. However, as a grower, how can you be sure to pick fruit at the optimal stage of ripeness for your market? Today, we will give you some information to ensure that you meet that goal.

    1. As peaches ripen on the tree, several changes occur that can be visibly seen or easily measured using some simple tools.
    2. This can help to ensure that you “get it right” at harvest time.
    3. One change is in skin coloration.
    4. Unripe fruits have green skin.
    5. Skin coloration has two different aspects.
    6. One is called background color and the other is called blush.

    Background color will typically change from green to yellow or orange as fruits ripen. Blush is the red coloration that occurs in response to sunlight. Many traditional “southern” peaches will be yellow with a red blush when ready to be picked. However, some newer, solid-red cultivars will be completely red before they are at optimal maturity — so, for them, other measures are necessary to ensure accurate harvest timing.

    • A second change is in size or diameter.
    • During the last two weeks prior to harvest, peaches go through a “final swell” stage where individual cells in the fruit expand as they are filled with water, sugars, and acids.
    • Diameter can be easily measured using a hand caliper in inches.
    • Diameter can be affected by the crop load on the tree, how recently the tree received rainfall and irrigation, or the genetics of the cultivar itself.

    Some cultivars are genetically larger than others. Market price is generally determined by size where larger fruits are favored. A third change is in fruit firmness. Enzymatic activity in the flesh causes the tissue to soften, especially for melting flesh cultivars.

    • This can be easily measured using a penetrometer.
    • Simply remove a small amount of skin from either side of the fruit and press the penetrometer into the flesh.
    • The amount of force (pounds per square inch) needed to penetrate the fruit indicates how firm it is.
    • You can read on the yellow scale to see how many pounds of pressure the fruit has.

    This fruit is eight pounds. Tree-ripened fruit for the roadside market will typically be softer, usually between 2-4 pounds of pressure. As you can see, this one has 2 pounds. Fruit to be shipped long-distance may be as firm as 10 pounds of pressure when harvested so that the fruit are not easily bruised in packing or transit.

    Mature fruits stored at room temperature will generally decrease by about 2 pounds of pressure each day. A fourth change is in soluble solids concentration also known as brix. Now, I am not talking about bricks used in building a house. Rather, brix refers to the sugar concentration of the extracted juice.

    Brix can be easily measured using an instrument called a refractometer. By extracting a small sample of juice and placing a drop on the glass surface of this instrument, you can read a line to determine what the concentration really is. For peaches, this number can be between 8 to more than 20.

    A higher number is better and numbers exceeding 12 are considered optimal for high consumer acceptance. Finally, two other changes, a little more difficult to quantify, are aroma and taste. Many cultivars will have a strong “peachy” aroma as they ripen. For more traditional yellow-fleshed peaches there will be a characteristic strong tangy (acid) flavor that is complimented with good sweetness.

    However for newer, sub-acid and particularly white-fleshed cultivars, there will be sweetness like honey with little or no acidity or tang at optimal maturity. These fruits taste characteristically bland. Asian peoples particularly like white-fleshed cultivars because they are common in their homelands If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at or 1-888-656-9988.

    Do peaches ripen faster in a brown bag?

    How to Ripen Peaches Are you hesitating to take advantage of the southern peaches in our stores? Here are some tips to ripen them perfectly every time. First of all, don’t squeeze the peaches! Squeezing damages them and results in bruising. You can tell if peaches are ripe by sniffing them; when they’re ripe, they smell like peaches.

    Don’t be afraid of buying the hard-looking, unripe peaches. Be gentle and do not bang or dent them in the car or on the way home. Place the peaches in a brown paper bag or between the folds of a linen towel on the counter. The peaches give off ethylene gas; when trapped, the gas helps the fruit ripen. (A plastic bag will work, but because plastic doesn’t breathe, there is more danger of the peaches rotting.) Check the peaches every day by opening the bag/towel and sniffing; sometimes they ripen within a day.

    Once ripe, peaches can be refrigerated if you cannot eat them fast enough. Wash peaches just before eating. : How to Ripen Peaches

    Will peaches ripen in the microwave?

    Download Article Download Article Few things are as tasty as a juicy, ripe peach, and few things are as disappointing as biting into a peach that’s rock hard. If you suffer the unfortunate woe of unripe peaches, don’t despair! They are easy to ripen quickly, and can promptly be eaten fresh or used for cooking.

    1. 1 Get a paper bag. Brown paper bags are perfect for ripening peaches. The fruit releases ethylene gas naturally, and the thin paper traps the gas without also trapping moisture. Plastic bags on the other hand, cause peaches to ripen too quickly and then rot.
    2. 2 Add your fruit to the bag. Place the unripe peaches into the bag. For added ripening powers, place a banana or apple into the bag with the peaches. These fruits give off high levels of ethylene gas and will cause the peaches to ripen faster. Advertisement
    3. 3 Let the peaches ripen. Leave the bag in a dry area at room temperature for 24 hours. The number of peaches and the original ripeness will determine the total amount of time to ripen the peaches fully.
    4. 4 Check the peaches. After 24 hours, check your peaches to see how ripe they are. If they give off a soft scent and are slightly soft to the touch, then they are ripe and ready to eat. If not, then replace them in the bag for an additional 24 hours. Repeat this process until they are ready.
      • If they are not ripened, leave in for another 12-24 hours.
    5. 5 Enjoy your peaches. Once all your peaches are ripened, they are ready to eat! They are good stored at room temperature for several days, but can be kept longer when placed in the fridge.
    6. Advertisement

    1. 1 Lay out a linen napkin. Select a clean, dry area (such as a space on your kitchen counter) to lay out a linen or cotton napkin. Make sure that it is flat for optimum use of space.
    2. 2 Lay out your peaches. Place your peaches stem-end down on the linen towel. Spread them out so that they are equidistant from each other, and so none of them are touching (even if you are ripening many peaches).
    3. 3 Cover the peaches. Place a second linen or cotton towel over the top of the peaches. Cover them completely, and if possible tuck the sides so that the edges are closed off to fresh air.
    4. 4 Wait for them to ripen. Ripening your peaches with a linen towel may take several days, but will provide juicier fruit. Check your peaches 2-3 days later, paying attention to their softness and looking for that classic peachy smell. If they aren’t quite ready, replace the towel and check back a day later.
    5. 5 Enjoy your ripe peaches. When your peaches are soft to the touch and have a great aroma, they are ready to be eaten! Have them fresh or store them in your fridge if you have a surplus you want to extend the life of.
    6. Advertisement

    Add New Question

    • Question Do peaches need to be refrigerated? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Ripe peaches can be refrigerated and will stay good for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Unripe peaches should not be refrigerated until ripe because chilling disrupts the ripening changes in a negative way and can cause the peaches to become mealy or “spongy.” Wait until they’re ripe before chilling them.
    • Question Why do peaches get pasty? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Peaches can become “pasty” or mealy on the tree or at home. At home, this can happen if the peaches are refrigerated before fully ripe, as this disrupts the ripening process and cannot be fully restored once the peaches are chilled too early. If it happens on the tree, this may have been caused by the tree’s defense mechanisms to ward off insect pests or excessive moisture (to prevent rot).
    • Question Can you ripen a peach in the microwave? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Using the microwave will only work to help start the ripening process; it isn’t a case of putting the unripe peach into the microwave and having it come out ripe. To start the ripening process, place the peach on a microwave-suitable plate. Put into the microwave oven, set to medium heat and microwave it for 15 seconds. Remove the unripe and now heated peach and place into a paper bag, with a banana or an apple. The ethylene released from all the fruit in the bag will ripen the peach and it will work a little faster thanks to the zap in the microwave oven.

    See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

    • When handling your peaches, don’t squeeze them firmly or else you will cause a bruise. Unlike most fruits, this bruise will continue to spread and cause the entire fruit to go bad within a day or two.
    • The aforementioned methods of ripening peaches also work for nectarines, apricots, kiwis, mangoes, pears, plums, bananas, and avocados.
    • Most peaches left out in the hot sun will ripen in one day.

    Advertisement Article Summary X To ripen peaches quickly, store them in a brown paper bag, which will trap the ethylene gas that causes the fruit to ripen. To ripen the peaches even faster, put a banana or apple in the bag with them so there’s more ethylene gas being emitted.

    Are peaches good for you?

    June 2015 Karen Ensle Ed.D., RDN, FAND, CFCS Family & Community Health Sciences Educator Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Union County The natural antioxidants in fruits and vegetables help keep your body working at its best, so consuming a diet that meets your daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to give your body a strong defense against disease.

    Fruits and vegetables are protective to health as they’re helpful at reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and some cancers. They’re also low in calories, which helps prevent obesity a significant risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Eating fruit each day – 1.5 cups for women and 2 cups for men, as recommended by the U.S.

    Dietary Guidelines, benefits your health. Let’s take peaches for example. Nutritional breakdown of peaches One raw medium peach (147 grams) has 50 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrate, 13 grams of sugar, 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein.

    1. It provides 6% of your daily vitamin A needs and 15% of daily vitamin C needs.
    2. One medium peach also contains 2% or more daily value of vitamins E and K, niacin, folate, iron, choline, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc and copper.
    3. Health Benefits of Peaches Peaches are low in calories (100 g just provide 39 calories), and contain no saturated fats.

    Nonetheless, they are packed with numerous health promoting compounds, minerals, and vitamins. Fresh peaches are a moderate source of antioxidants and vitamin C which is required for the building of connective tissue inside the human body. Consumption of foods that are rich in vitamin C helps a person develop resistance against infections and helps to eliminate harmful free radicals that cause certain cancers.

    • Fresh fruits are a moderate source of vitamin-A and beta-Carotene.
    • Beta-Carotene is a pro-vitamin, which converts into vitamin A inside the body.
    • Vitamin A is essential for prevention of night vision issues and for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and healthy skin.
    • Consumption of fruits like peaches that are rich in vitamin A, are known to offer protection from lung and oral cancers.

    They contain many vital minerals such as potassium, fluoride and iron. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure. Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth and is essential for prevention of dental caries.

    1. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
    2. So, make sure you are taking small steps to eat sufficient fruit each day.
    3. Peaches are now in season across much of the United States are healthy and contain health promoting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants including lutein, zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin.

    These compounds help to act as protective scavengers against free radicals and play a role in promoting healthy aging and reduction of various disease processes. Get some peach recipes from New Jersey’s best chefs & the New Jersey Peach Festival Association

    How long does it take for a peach to get soft?

    How Long Does It Take to Ripen Peaches? – It depends on the starting point of your peaches. Even if the skin has its trademark orangey-pink blush and appears to be ripe, most peaches need a day or two to ripen fully before they can be eaten out of hand or used in recipes,

    Do peaches continue to ripen after pic?

    beton studio/Shutterstock Sinking your teeth into a perfectly ripened peach is a revelation of sorts. The meltingly sweet flesh offers just the slightest hint of tang and yields smoothly to release rivulets of juices — making napkins a sensible, albeit optional, accouterment.

    • Yet the peach, once among the three favorite fruits in the U.S., has been declining in popularity for decades.
    • As of 2021, Statista had it ranked ninth.
    • Colorado State University’s Food Source Information attributes this relative loss of mojo to a number of factors, including a lack of knowledge on the part of consumers regarding how to select the best and ripest peaches and how to handle and store them for optimal results.

    Indeed, the cards are stacked against the consumer because peaches ripen best when allowed to do so on the tree, and yet most commercially available peaches are picked before they’re fully ripe. Some are even picked before the skin around the stem has had the opportunity to transform from green to yellow; and these will never ripen optimally, according to K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Newsletter,

    Other than the green ones, however, peaches will continue to ripen even after they’ve been picked. It’s just a matter of how long the process may take. The process takes longest when peaches are stored in the cold, such as in your refrigerator. It’s faster to let your peaches ripen at room temperature.

    It’s faster still and more effective if you’ve got the following tricks up your sleeve.

    Do peaches ripen as they sit?

    What to Do with Unripe Peaches – To soften hard, unripe peaches, put them in a paper bag and leave on the counter for a day. You want the peaches to have a slight give when you squeeze them. If they’re not quite soft yet, give them another 24 hours before you check again. This method works for many fruits that keep ripening after harvest.

    How do you ripen peaches in minutes?

    Download Article Download Article Few things are as tasty as a juicy, ripe peach, and few things are as disappointing as biting into a peach that’s rock hard. If you suffer the unfortunate woe of unripe peaches, don’t despair! They are easy to ripen quickly, and can promptly be eaten fresh or used for cooking.

    1. 1 Get a paper bag. Brown paper bags are perfect for ripening peaches. The fruit releases ethylene gas naturally, and the thin paper traps the gas without also trapping moisture. Plastic bags on the other hand, cause peaches to ripen too quickly and then rot.
    2. 2 Add your fruit to the bag. Place the unripe peaches into the bag. For added ripening powers, place a banana or apple into the bag with the peaches. These fruits give off high levels of ethylene gas and will cause the peaches to ripen faster. Advertisement
    3. 3 Let the peaches ripen. Leave the bag in a dry area at room temperature for 24 hours. The number of peaches and the original ripeness will determine the total amount of time to ripen the peaches fully.
    4. 4 Check the peaches. After 24 hours, check your peaches to see how ripe they are. If they give off a soft scent and are slightly soft to the touch, then they are ripe and ready to eat. If not, then replace them in the bag for an additional 24 hours. Repeat this process until they are ready.
      • If they are not ripened, leave in for another 12-24 hours.
    5. 5 Enjoy your peaches. Once all your peaches are ripened, they are ready to eat! They are good stored at room temperature for several days, but can be kept longer when placed in the fridge.
    6. Advertisement

    1. 1 Lay out a linen napkin. Select a clean, dry area (such as a space on your kitchen counter) to lay out a linen or cotton napkin. Make sure that it is flat for optimum use of space.
    2. 2 Lay out your peaches. Place your peaches stem-end down on the linen towel. Spread them out so that they are equidistant from each other, and so none of them are touching (even if you are ripening many peaches).
    3. 3 Cover the peaches. Place a second linen or cotton towel over the top of the peaches. Cover them completely, and if possible tuck the sides so that the edges are closed off to fresh air.
    4. 4 Wait for them to ripen. Ripening your peaches with a linen towel may take several days, but will provide juicier fruit. Check your peaches 2-3 days later, paying attention to their softness and looking for that classic peachy smell. If they aren’t quite ready, replace the towel and check back a day later.
    5. 5 Enjoy your ripe peaches. When your peaches are soft to the touch and have a great aroma, they are ready to be eaten! Have them fresh or store them in your fridge if you have a surplus you want to extend the life of.
    6. Advertisement

    Add New Question

    • Question Do peaches need to be refrigerated? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Ripe peaches can be refrigerated and will stay good for about 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Unripe peaches should not be refrigerated until ripe because chilling disrupts the ripening changes in a negative way and can cause the peaches to become mealy or “spongy.” Wait until they’re ripe before chilling them.
    • Question Why do peaches get pasty? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Peaches can become “pasty” or mealy on the tree or at home. At home, this can happen if the peaches are refrigerated before fully ripe, as this disrupts the ripening process and cannot be fully restored once the peaches are chilled too early. If it happens on the tree, this may have been caused by the tree’s defense mechanisms to ward off insect pests or excessive moisture (to prevent rot).
    • Question Can you ripen a peach in the microwave? This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Support wikiHow by unlocking this staff-researched answer. Using the microwave will only work to help start the ripening process; it isn’t a case of putting the unripe peach into the microwave and having it come out ripe. To start the ripening process, place the peach on a microwave-suitable plate. Put into the microwave oven, set to medium heat and microwave it for 15 seconds. Remove the unripe and now heated peach and place into a paper bag, with a banana or an apple. The ethylene released from all the fruit in the bag will ripen the peach and it will work a little faster thanks to the zap in the microwave oven.

    See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

    • When handling your peaches, don’t squeeze them firmly or else you will cause a bruise. Unlike most fruits, this bruise will continue to spread and cause the entire fruit to go bad within a day or two.
    • The aforementioned methods of ripening peaches also work for nectarines, apricots, kiwis, mangoes, pears, plums, bananas, and avocados.
    • Most peaches left out in the hot sun will ripen in one day.

    Advertisement Article Summary X To ripen peaches quickly, store them in a brown paper bag, which will trap the ethylene gas that causes the fruit to ripen. To ripen the peaches even faster, put a banana or apple in the bag with them so there’s more ethylene gas being emitted.