How to Ripen a Peach

There's nothing better than enjoying a ripe, juicy peach, but sometimes you may end up disappointed when you bite into one that's as hard as a rock. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic! You can easily ripen a peach quickly, either to eat right away or use in cooking.

Prepare a paper bag. Brown paper bags are ideal for ripening peaches. Fruits naturally produce ethylene gas, and the thin paper helps to trap this gas without causing moisture buildup. In contrast, plastic bags tend to ripen peaches too quickly, which can lead to them spoiling.

Place the fruits in a paper bag. Arrange the unripe peaches inside the bag. To speed up the ripening process, add a banana or an apple to the bag. These fruits release a large amount of ethylene gas, which helps the peaches ripen faster.

Wait for the peaches to ripen. Leave the bag of fruit in a dry spot at room temperature for about 24 hours. The number of peaches and their initial ripeness will determine the time it takes for them to fully ripen.

Check the peaches. After 24 hours, inspect the peaches to see how ripe they are. If they have a subtle fragrance and feel slightly soft, they’re ripe and ready to eat. If not, place them back in the bag for another 24 hours. Repeat this process until the peaches are ripe.

• If the peaches aren't ripe yet, leave them in the bag for another 12-24 hours.

Enjoy the peaches. Once the peaches are ripe, you can eat them right away! Peaches kept at room temperature will stay fresh for a few days, but they last longer if stored in the fridge.

Spread out a linen cloth. Choose a dry, clean spot (such as a kitchen countertop) to lay down the linen or cotton cloth. Make sure the surface is flat to maximize the area used.

Place the peaches on the cloth. Arrange the peaches with the stem side down on the linen cloth. Ensure that the peaches are spaced apart and do not touch each other, even if you’re ripening multiple peaches at once.

Cover the peaches. Lay another piece of linen or cotton cloth over the peaches. Try to cover them thoroughly, and if possible, tuck the edges of the cloth underneath to prevent air from reaching the peaches.

Wait for the peaches to ripen. Ripening peaches with linen takes a few days but helps the peaches become juicier. Check the peaches after 2-3 days, paying attention to their softness and the familiar peach fragrance. If they’re not ripe yet, continue covering them with the cloth and check again after one day.

Enjoy the ripe peaches. Once the peaches are soft and fragrant, you can enjoy them right away! Eat the peaches while fresh or store them in the fridge if you have many and want to extend their freshness.

• The peach ripening methods mentioned above can also be applied to other fruits such as apricots, kiwis, mangoes, pears, plums, bananas, and avocados.
• When holding a peach, avoid squeezing it as this can cause bruising. Unlike other fruits, a bruise on a peach will spread, causing the entire fruit to spoil within a day or two.