The Only Way To Store Peaches, According to Peach Farmers

Fresh peaches are my official mark of summer. I have the most distinct memories of devouring those fuzzy flavor bombs on the beach when I was young, peach juice dripping down my little sun-kissed chin. And when peach season hits, there’s nothing I want more than a bag of peaches from my local farm stand. 

As much as I love them, peaches can be fickle little friends. Buy a bunch at the same level of ripeness and watch them all hit perfectly ripe at the same time, leaving you with a lot of peaches to consume in one day. This may not be the worst problem to have. However, let your peaches ripen too long, and they become mealy. And then, of course, there’s the dilemma of your peaches going from rock-hard to overripe overnight. 

To get to the bottom of this and ensure a summer of perfectly ripe peaches on repeat, I called up two Georgia peach farmers who have made their entire personalities all things peaches. I spoke with Will McGehee from Genuine Georgia and Teresa Clements from Penelope’s Peaches.

My biggest takeaway is that this season has the best crop they’ve seen in a while, so get your game face on.

Where You Should Store Your Perfect Peaches

Will McGehee lays down some essential rules: “Never, ever refrigerate your peaches before they are ripe. After your purchase, simply leave them stem-side down on your counter for a few days. Monitor them daily. When they give slightly to a gentle squeeze, they are ready to eat.” 

Once your peaches are ripe, McGehee says to refrigerate them. Teresa Clements adds, "Once they’re ripe and happily living in the refrigerator, be sure to eat them within two or three days when they’ll be tastiest.”

If you want to help your peaches ripen faster, “place [them] in a paper bag which traps the natural ripening gases,” according to McGehee.

Clements adds, "At our farm, we advise customers at pick-your-own to leave them in a brown paper bag to hasten the ripening process—but you better check it every day. As the peaches ripen, they produce a gas—ethylene—which is why they will continue to ripen in a paper sack.” 

How To Tell When a Peach Is Ready To Eat

McGehee advises looking inside the stem cavity of the peach for the background color. "If it is electric yellow, it needs another day. If it's sherbet-yellow, it's ready to go!”

Clements recommends, “When you pick the peach up, and you can press it in with your thumb, that’s a nice rice peach. If it’s softer than that, it’s overripe.” 

What To Do with Overripe Peaches

Are your peaches feeling a little too soft? Don’t worry, they can still have a nice, tasty life. "Use overripe peaches for jelly or purée or just cut off that spot," suggests Clements. Another recommendation? Cut off the soft spot and the rest of the peach should be just fine!

How To Freeze Peaches

For those with an abundance of ripe peaches, Clements recommends freezing: “Fill a sink with water and add a third of a cup of vinegar to wash them. Then peel them, cut them up, and store them in a gallon-size bag. So that they don’t brown, add Fruit Fresh or citric acid bought in bulk.” Frozen peaches are perfect for a peach smoothie or for baking your favorite peach desserts all year long.

With these expert tips from Georgia’s finest, you’re set to enjoy a bounty of perfectly ripe peaches all summer long.