How to properly store peaches at home
How to ripen peaches
You can often tell a peach's ripeness by its appearance. First and foremost, the fruit should have a rich color, exude a strong aroma, and be soft to the touch.
But what if the fruit isn't ripe enough? Is it possible to ripen it after it's been picked? The answer is simple: of course, yes. There are several ways to do this:
- You'll need a paper bag. Place the unripe fruit in it, adding a few bananas or apples first. This trick will speed up the ripening process. Store the bag with the fruit in a dry, warm place for 24 hours.
- For the second method, you'll need linen or cotton napkins. Place the peaches on one of them, stems down, but not touching each other. Then cover them with another napkin. Keep the peaches covered for two to three days, after which they can be refrigerated.
Basic storage methods
Peaches have one unpleasant feature – a short shelf life. Knowing a few secrets about how to store peaches at home will allow you to enjoy their flavor for a long time.
Fruits can also be stored at room temperature, but in this case they will only remain fresh for a few days.
If you're storing large quantities of fruit, wrap each one in natural fabric and arrange it in loose rows in special boxes. Then store the boxes in a cool place. The cooler the temperature, the longer the peaches will stay juicy and delicious.
The optimal temperature for storing these fruits is from 0 to +5 °C, which means that all the flavor qualities can be preserved only by placing the peaches in the refrigerator or freezer.
The shelf life of fruit stored in the refrigerator can be significantly extended, but there are a few tricks you need to know. First, ripe fruit shouldn't be stored near other fruit. Second, it should be placed in a linen bag or paper bag.
You can freeze peaches whole or in slices. To do this, you need to know how to freeze peaches for the winter so they retain their flavor for several months. To do this, you need:
- select only ripe and whole fruits, and crushed ones can be used to make peach jam;
- rinse them thoroughly under running water, but do not remove the cuttings;
- dry;
- put in the refrigerator for 24 hours;
- After 24 hours, place them in an airtight container (kitchen containers will do) and put them in the freezer.
Peaches can also be frozen as jam. To do this, peel the fruit and remove the pits. Then, grind it in a blender or meat grinder. A small amount of sugar can be added if desired. Transfer to a jar or other container and freeze. The frozen mixture can be added to tea or warm drinks, baked goods, or used as a base for sweet sauces and toppings.
There are also more unusual methods for storing nectarines, such as storing them in sand. This is done as follows: each fruit is wrapped in paper or parchment paper and placed in deep boxes, but no more than four rows deep. The space between the boxes is then filled with clean, dry river sand. The box containing the fruit is then placed in a cellar or pantry. Stored this way, the fruit will not spoil for several months.
There are many storage methods to choose from, but always remember that shelf life directly depends on the quality of the product. Therefore, choose firm, ripe, and aromatic fruits—only these will keep for a long time.
Video: How to Store Fruits and Berries
This video will teach you how to properly store fruits and berries.