When to Pick Peaches for a Perfect Harvest

Peach picking season lasts from June to August, and peaches are harvested when the skin turns a golden red – that’s how you know the peach is fully ripe.

If you want to grow the best peaches, these quick and easy tips will help you determine exactly when to pick peaches for the sweetest, juiciest peaches.

When to pick peaches

Some peach varieties bear fruit earlier than others, but most peaches are harvested from late June through August. However, many factors can affect when peach trees bear fruit—cold spring weather, drought, and other environmental conditions can delay the peach harvest.

Fresh peaches taste best when they ripen outdoors on the tree, but harvesting can be a bit off-putting. If you pick peaches too early, you’ll end up with hard, flavorless fruit. But if you pick peaches too late, your harvest may be mushy or eaten by birds.

Instead of relying on the solar calendar, it is best to pick peaches when they show obvious signs of ripeness.

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5 Signs Your Peach Is Ripe

If you want to choose the right time to harvest peaches for perfectly ripe fruit, pay attention to the following signs:

1. Color. Ripe peaches should have a uniform golden yellow skin, and may be red, orange, or pink. If the peach is still green, it is not ripe.
2. Scent. Unripe peaches do not give off much scent, while fully ripe ones can be incredibly fragrant. In fact, a peach tree laden with ripe fruit can fill a small garden with its sweet fragrance.
3. Shape. Peaches will be rounder when ripe, while unripe peaches look like green olives with a slightly elongated shape.
4. Feel. If you pick a peach and it feels firm or crunchy when you bite into it, it is not ripe. A fully ripe peach will be slightly soft and yield slightly when you gently press on the skin.
5. Taste. Of course, you can also test whether peaches are ready to pick by tasting a peach or two. When the fruit is as sweet and juicy as you like, it’s time to harvest.

How to pick peaches

Peaches ripen at about the same time, although fruit on the outside of the tree and at the ends of branches usually ripens a little earlier than fruit growing in the middle of the tree.

When your peaches are ready to harvest:

• Hold the peach with one hand and the branch with the other.
• Gently twist the peach with your fingers. If the peach is fully ripe, it should come off the tree easily.
• After harvesting, gently place peaches in a bucket, basket or harvesting apron and handle gently to avoid bruising the peach skin.
• It’s best not to wash peaches until you’re about to use them, as excess moisture can speed up the rotting process.
• To preserve freshness, store ripe peaches in the refrigerator or freeze, dry, or can them for longer storage.

What to do if you pick peaches too early

While it’s best to let peaches ripen on the tree, if you happen to harvest them a little early, don’t worry. Unlike citrus fruits and cherries, peaches can continue to ripen after they’re picked.

To ripen peaches:

• Place the freshly harvested peaches on the kitchen counter and let them ripen out of direct sunlight for a few days at room temperature.
• Or, place peaches in a brown paper bag to help them ripen faster.