How to Ripen Peaches Quickly

There’s nothing worse than bringing home a haul of fresh, sweet peaches from your local farmers market in the summertime only to discover they’re still hard as a rock. Luckily, there’s a simple way to speed the ripening process at home if you’re impatient for that first taste. Read on to learn how to ripen peaches quickly (and how to tell they’re ripe enough before you take a bite).

How to Ripen Peaches

1. The fastest way to ripen peaches at home is by placing them in a brown paper bag. Like many fruits, peaches release ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process. When trapped inside a closed bag, it can accelerate the process even more:
2. Arrange your peaches on the bottom of the paper bag, leaving some space between each peach. Roll down the top of the bag to loosely close it, which will keep the ethylene gas produced by the peaches trapped inside.
3. Place the bag of peaches on the counter at room temperature. Check the peaches after 24 hours to make sure the fruit isn’t overripe.
4. Add other fruits such as bananas or apples to the bag in order to produce more ethylene gas and speed ripening.
5. Once your peaches are ripe, remove them from the bag and enjoy immediately or store them on the counter until ready to eat.

See more: 10 Delicious Ways to Use Fresh Peaches This Summer

How to Tell If Peaches Are Ripe

Bright red color doesn’t necessarily mean peaches are ripe, which can make it hard to determine when they’re ready to eat. Here are a few ways you can tell if peaches are ripe without taking a bite:

• Give them a soft squeeze. Push lightly on the peach near the stem to test for softness. If the peach gives slightly, it’s ripe and ready to be eaten. If it’s still rock-hard, you’ll need to wait or try the above method to ripen your peaches quickly. You can do this same test on other summer stone fruits as well, such as nectarines, plums and apricots.
• Smell your peaches. Smell near the stem of the peach for a sweet, peachy aroma. If it smells fruity and fragrant, it’s ready to eat.
• Test the weight. Ripe peaches contain more flavorful juices than unripened peaches, making them slightly heavier. Pick up your peaches to test their weight and go for the one that feels heaviest first.

Peach Recipes

Once your peaches are ripe and ready to enjoy, try them in a few of our favorite summertime recipes:

• Fresh Peach Frozen Yogurt
• Grilled Peach Burrata Salad
• Peachy Keen Crumbler
• Peach Cider Granita
• All-Season Peach Squares