Peaches are widely available and easy to grow, but they’re also delicate and need a bit of extra care. If you want to get the most out of this delicious fruit, then it’s important that you know when to harvest peaches.
In this article, we’ll outline when to harvest peaches so that your fruit will be sweet and juicy for baking (or snacking).
When To Harvest Peaches
When harvesting peaches, you should take the following factors into consideration:
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When the fruit is ripe. You may be tempted to pick your peaches before they’re ready because they look good, but resist! If you do this, you’ll end up with soft or even mushy fruit that’s not very tasty. So how can you tell when a peach is ripe? A good rule of thumb is that if it feels like it’s ready to fall off the tree when you shake it gently, then go ahead and harvest it. Just make sure there aren’t any trees nearby! If possible, pick them up in person rather than sending someone else out there—this way they’ll know exactly what kind of taste test results we’re looking for.
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When the fruit changes color (or doesn’t). Some people believe that peaches turn red when they’re ready for picking; however, this isn’t always true since many varieties display yellowish tints instead as their ripening process progresses over several weeks or months depending on temperature conditions during storage timeframes.
When Is The Best Month To Harvest Peaches?
The best month to harvest peaches is in July. This is the time when the fruit is ripe and juicy.
Peaches are harvested during July and August. They are harvested during this period because the fruits are ripe, sweet, and delicious. If you wait for a longer period to harvest them, they will become dry and tasteless. Hence, if you want to get perfect peaches, then it is better to harvest them in July or August when they are at their best.
Can You Harvest Peaches Too Early?
Yes, you can harvest peaches too early. If you do so, they may not have time to develop their full flavor. The best way to tell when they’re ready is by “hand-squeezing” them: if the fruit gives in easily and feels soft to the touch, then it’s ready for picking.
If it still has firm flesh and is a little difficult to squeeze, wait another week or two before harvesting them so that they are fully ripe on the inside but still has a bit of firmness on the outside for shipping purposes.
If you wait too long after harvesting your peaches (and we mean really really late), you run into another problem: their sweetness will start to decrease over time because sugar levels drop as the fruit ripens off of trees.
How to Harvest Peaches
Harvesting peaches means plucking them off the tree before they get too ripe and soft. You can tell when they’re ripe by squeezing gently over their shoulders (where the stem meets the fruit).
If it feels soft, it’s probably ready for harvest; otherwise, wait another week or two until the skin is thin enough that you can see a hint of red through it when you press gently on top of the peach with your thumb (this is called “thumping”).
Storing Peaches After Harvesting
After you harvest your peaches, you’ll want to store them properly. The best place to store peaches is in a cool, dry place. This will prevent the fruit from ripening too quickly—or from rotting on the counter if it’s left out for too long. You should store your peaches in paper bags rather than plastic bags; the plastic will trap moisture and cause the flesh of your peach to become mushy (not something we’re looking for).
Also, remember that ethylene producers like apples and bananas produce a gas called ethylene which causes other fruits (like peaches) to ripen faster. So don’t put these two together in one spot!
Store at room temperature until they become soft enough to be eaten without any preparation or cooking; this should take about three days. After that point, place them in refrigeration where they will continue to ripen slowly over time until ready for consumption again later on down the line when winter comes around again!
Dehydrating Peaches For Storage
You can dehydrate any type of peach, but I prefer the organic “yellow freestone” variety. These are the ones that have a bit of giving when you squeeze them.
Dehydrating Peaches:
Step 1: Wash the peaches, cut them in half, and remove the pits. You can peel them if you like, but I don’t bother because it takes a lot of time and they will be cooked during the dehydration process. I just leave the skins on for better flavor and texture.
Step 2: Slice each half into about 8 slices (4 per side) so that you end up with 8 slices per peach half once they’re dried.
Step 3: Lay out on your trays and place in your dehydrator at 135 degrees for 6-8 hours (depending on how thick your slices are), turning once during the process so that both sides dry evenly. This will give them a nice chewy/crispy texture when finished drying as well as help hold them together when using them in recipes such as granola bars or trail mix snacks!
Conclusion
We hope that this article has helped you get a better understanding of how to harvest peaches. It’s important to wait until it’s soft before picking them so that they are sweet in taste.
