How to properly store peaches at home in the refrigerator, freezer and cellar

Storing ripe peaches is characterized by a number of features, but there is nothing complicated about them. There are many ways, but in most cases it is best to preserve fruit at a low temperature, for example, in the refrigerator.

Harvest rules and terms

Peach trees begin to produce fruit in the second half of summer. The first ripe fruits on the tree can be seen already at the end of June. But the peak ripening of the crop occurs in July and August. To understand when to pick peaches from the tree, you need to lightly press on any fruit. If, when pressed, it is soft and slightly springy, it means that the harvest time has come. In this way, it is advisable to check all the fruits so as not to pick unripe ones.

The crop is harvested in several stages. Only fruits that have reached technical maturity should be harvested. Unripe peaches are tough and tasteless. The fruits are removed immediately from the tree as soon as they are ripe. If some of the peaches have fallen off, you should not pick them from the ground. Such fruits are overripe and not suitable for food.

Selection of high-quality and tasty peach

In mid-summer, peach season begins. You can see fruit on store shelves at any time of the year, but it is impossible to find truly tasty and healthy fruits in the cold season. But even during peach season, it is important to be able to choose the right quality fruits. Ripe peaches are aromatic and spring back slightly when pressed. If you are looking for fruit at the market, you need to pay attention to bees and wasps. Insects sense good fruits and flock to them.

Peaches should be purchased without damage to the skin. The skin should be smooth and velvety, and its shade should be natural. Too bright a color indicates that the fruit has been treated with chemicals. If after purchase it is discovered that the seed inside the fruit has shriveled and cracked, this indicates that the fruit has been treated with chemicals that allow it to maintain its beautiful appearance during transportation.

General storage conditions for ripe peaches

It is not enough to just pick the peaches; it is important to store them properly so that they remain fresh for a long time. The easiest way to preserve fruit at home is in the refrigerator, but there are several other options for storing the harvest just picked from the tree.

At what temperature

When choosing warm or cold storage for any fruit, preference should be given to the latter. If you leave the harvest in a warm place, very soon the peaches will begin to rot and ferment. Under such conditions, the crop is stored for about 2-3 days. The most optimal temperature is 0 degrees.

At this temperature, it is possible to keep the harvest fresh for up to 7-10 days, depending on the stage of ripeness at which the peaches were picked from the tree.

Optimal humidity for fruit

Peaches can be kept fresh for a long time at very high humidity, about 90%. To increase the humidity in the refrigerator, you can place a container of water next to the peaches. Low humidity levels cause fruit to dry out. If the fruits are provided with all the necessary conditions, they can be stored for up to 2-4 weeks, depending on the ripening period. Late varieties last longer than early ones.

Storage duration

Peaches are one of those fruits that are not stored for a long time after picking, so it is worth deciding in advance how quickly you plan to eat them. Late-ripening varieties are stored for up to 4 weeks (if they were collected slightly unripe). At the technical maturity stage, the shelf life is about 2 weeks. In the refrigerator, the shelf life is about 10 days for early varieties, if the fruit is ripe.

Outside the refrigerator, the fruits remain intact for about 3 days. The main thing is to find out where it is better to keep the crop.

How to process for long-term preservation

It's no secret that store-bought fruits are treated with chemicals to increase shelf life. But is it possible to carry out such procedures at home without compromising quality?

In industrial production, fruits are processed:

• methyl bromide;
• ethylene;
• biphenyl;
• sulfur oxide;
• sorbic acid;
• wax.

At home, treating fruits with chemicals is problematic and undesirable. It's better to find safe storage methods.

How to store unripe fruits

Unripe peaches last much longer than ripe ones, but their taste will not be as high even after they are fully ripe. Unripe fruits have lower sugar levels. If ripe peaches are stored in the refrigerator or basement, where the temperature is cool and high humidity, then unripe peaches are stored the opposite way.

It is recommended to place peaches somewhere in the kitchen so that they gradually reach technical maturity. If you leave them in the refrigerator, the fruits will either disappear or remain as hard as they were. Unripe fruits can be stored on the balcony and in the basement. If there are a lot of them, ordinary wooden boxes are suitable for this. Peaches are placed in them in one layer.

How to make peaches ripen

After harvesting, there is a need to speed up the ripening of fruits at home. There are several ways to do this without spoiling the taste of the fruit. In order for the fruits to begin to ripen faster, they are not put in the refrigerator, but left at home at room temperature. Another effective way to speed up the ripening of your harvest is to place the fruit in the same bag as the bananas.Bananas secrete special enzymes that help accelerate the ripening of not only peaches, but also many other fruits.

Also, the harvest, if it has not yet ripened, is left for several days in the sun, for example, on a window. Three days are enough for the peaches to reach technical maturity.

We use a paper bag

Another method to speed up the ripening of unripe peaches is to place them in a paper bag. Unlike plastic bags, fruits in paper bags do not rot or rot. And if you put a bunch of bananas in a bag, the ripening process will go even faster. The container with fruit is stored at room temperature in the shade. It is not advisable to place it in the sun so that the fruits do not begin to rot.

It is also worth checking the bag regularly, and if signs of rotting begin to appear on the fruits, such fruits are immediately thrown away before the rot spreads to the entire contents.

Using linen fabric

To speed up the ripening of green fruits, use a bag made of natural linen fabric. 4-7 fruits are placed in one bag so that they do not lie on top of each other, and put away in a cool room.

How to prepare for the winter

There are two ways to preserve the harvest for winter - freeze the peaches in the freezer or dry them in the sun or in the oven. An electric dryer is also used for drying. But at the same time, frozen fruits last longer than dried ones. You can also grind peaches with sugar for the winter. To do this, the pulp is crushed in a blender, mixed with sugar and placed in jars. Then they put it in the freezer. This jam is suitable for making teas, for decorating ice cream and as a filling for pies.

Store in the refrigerator

Only ripe fruits should be stored in the refrigerator.The main thing is to ensure favorable temperature and humidity. This way you can significantly increase the shelf life of fruits. Peaches are stored separately from all fruits, especially bananas. Being near bananas speeds up the ripening process. And if this is not included in the plans, it is better to put bananas away. To increase humidity, place a bowl of water next to the fruit and change it daily.

Storing nectarines in the freezer

Many people mistakenly believe that nectarines are a hybrid of peach and plum. But in fact, these are the same peaches, only with smooth skin. In addition, nectarines and peaches can grow on the same tree. The difference is that nectarines are juicier and contain less sugar. That's why they are stored exactly the same.

You can increase the shelf life of fruits by storing them in the freezer. To do this, just rinse the nectarines and dry them. Place in a plastic bag and put in the freezer.

Whole peaches with pit

Before placing fruits in the freezer, they should be thoroughly washed and dried so that there is no water on the skins. Place the fruits in a bag or plastic container and put them in the freezer. The disadvantage of this storage method is its limited use. Frozen fruits are only suitable for heat treatment. When fresh they are not very tasty.

Slices without skin

To simplify the work before using fruits for cooking, you can peel them in advance and cut them into slices. To make the skin easier to remove, the fruit is immersed in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Then the top is cut crosswise and the skin is removed. After this, fold and put the plastic bag in the freezer.

With parchment

You can prepare peaches for the winter by drying them in the sun on parchment paper.To do this, the fruits are cut into slices and laid out on parchment paper in one layer. It is better to lay it out so that the slices do not touch each other. Place the parchment in the sun and leave for several days. As soon as the slices begin to dry out, turn them over. This continues until the peaches are completely dry.

Drying

The collected fruits can be dried for the winter. To do this, the fruits are washed and cut into 4 parts. Preheat the oven to 40 degrees. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 2 hours. The slices need to be checked and turned over regularly. Dried workpieces decrease in size and become tough. Dried peaches are stored in a glass jar.