Re: Sweet Peaches

FRESH PEACHES

WHEN PICKING, handle fruit carefully because peaches bruise very easily and decay develops rapidly.

WHEN SELECTING, look for peaches with a creamy to gold undercolor that best indicates ripeness. The
amount of red blush on fruit depends on the variety and is not always a sign of ripeness. Two other indicators of
ripeness are a well-defined crease and a good fragrance. Select fruit that has begun to soften for immediate use.
Firm ripe fruit can be held a few days at room temperature and ripened further. Never pick peaches with a green
undercolor since they will not ripen well. They will shrivel, become flabby and never achieve a good flavor.

WHEN STORING, peaches should be held at 32-35 degrees F and high humidity. Fully ripened peaches
should be refrigerated immediately and kept there until ready for consumption. Sound and mature but not
overripe peaches can be expected to hold 1-2 weeks at 32-35 degrees F with little adverse effect. Peaches
deteriorate rapidly when stored for periods longer than this.

WHEN RIPENING, mature peaches, a room temperature of 65-70 degrees F is best. There is no gain in sugar
content once a peach is picked from a tree. Its ripening process consists primarily of softening, development of
juiciness, and development of flavor. So the riper a peach is at harvest the more sugar it will contain. Remember,
once a mature peach begins to ripen it never stops, but you can slow the rate of ripening by using low
temperatures.

WHEN PREPARING, wash peaches gently, peel, and remove pits. Handle carefully to avoid bruising.