If you have a peach tree in your yard like I do, you can pick the fruit before they’re fully ripe and allow them to continue to mature to peak sweetness inside.
Some will tell you that you have to pick the initial offerings of the tree.
There seems to be a debate about whether to remove the first fruits of a peach tree (or any fruit tree). Some say removing the first fruits of a young peach tree will allow the tree to focus its energy on growing strong roots and developing its size so that it will produce larger amounts quicker and be able to provide adequate nutrients to its fruit in future seasons. While others say this is true, but not necessary. The argument is that it does no real harm to the tree to allow the first fruits to grow and you do not have to wait another full year to see some literal “fruits of labor”. The first fruits will not be as plentiful and maybe not as large, but it would be something.
I wasn’t focused on future potential, however. I’m impatient when it comes to my summer fruit. This morning, I looked outside at my young, immature peach tree and couldn’t wait another day. I know my tree is nowhere near ready to produce its best fruit, but I marched out there, found the softest of the bunch, picked it, washed it and bit in. It was bland. The softness was starting to become apparent, but the sweetness was missing. From fruitguys.com:
Peaches are climacteric, which means they ripen after picking. Peaches should be stored at room temperature, away from sunlight and heat until they give softly to the touch and have a sweet aroma.
I’ll grab a few, leave them out, see if they get sweeter and report back
Strong mind,
Kap
Hollie Hamilton says
while no peach tree, I did buy some local peaches today, they’re the best super sweet and juicy, and I would leave them out, but most likely I am going to eat them too fast to see if they could get any sweeter.
lien says
i love peach and when i first came to the US in the mid 70s i noticed the peaches in the supermarket were not to my liking because they were hard, not sweet, not fragrant … later i found out that they were picked so young and even when i let them ripe they were still pretty tasteless … then in the late 90s i discovered the juicy, sweet, aromatic peaches at the farmer’s markets that were sun ripened from the tree and i was hooked, i also learned that there are so many varieties of peaches that the best flavors can not be found in the regular supermarket due to the fact that they need to be picked young … now with the farm to table movement some Wholefoods or Mother’s Markets start carrying better peaches but still not to the quality that i find at the farmer’s market … i like to share this beautiful writing from my favorite peach farmer which makes me appreciate a good peach 🙂 http://articles.latimes.com/1987-08-16/opinion/op-1656_1_sun-crest-peach … so glad that his farm was saved http://www.masumoto.com/ … summer is here and it’s time for the yummy stone fruits!