To tell if a peach is ripe and ready to eat, use these key indicators:
- Smell: A ripe peach gives off a sweet, strong peachy aroma, especially noticeable on a warm day. If it lacks smell, it’s likely not ripe yet
- Touch: Gently squeeze the peach. It should have a slight give, similar to a tennis ball, but not be too soft or mushy. Firm or hard peaches are unripe, while overly soft peaches may be overripe or bruised
- Color: Look for a yellow background color (the part not exposed to sun). Green undertones mean it’s not ripe. Red blush is from sun exposure and doesn’t indicate ripeness. A ripe peach typically has a dark yellow or golden hue without green
- Shape: Ripe peaches tend to be rounder, while unripe ones are more oval
Additional tips:
- Handle peaches gently to avoid bruising
- Peaches can continue ripening at room temperature away from direct sunlight. To slow ripening, refrigerate them
- If peaches are too firm, placing them in a paper bag with an apple or banana can speed ripening due to ethylene gas
In summary, a ripe peach smells sweet, has a yellow background color, yields slightly to gentle pressure, and is round in shape
