Ah, summer! It brings sunshine, longer days, and arguably the best part: an abundance of juicy, sweet stone fruits. Peaches and plums, with their velvety or smooth skins and delectable flesh surrounding a hard pit (or stone, hence the name), are true seasonal highlights. But walking into a grocery store or farmer’s market faced with piles of these beauties can be daunting. How do you pick the ones that promise pure bliss, not disappointment? Choosing the perfect peach or plum isn’t rocket science, but it does involve engaging your senses. Forget guesswork; let’s explore the practical ways to ensure you bring home the best of the bunch.
Understanding Ripeness in Stone Fruits
The key challenge with peaches and plums is ripeness. Unlike some fruits (like bananas) that ripen significantly after picking, stone fruits develop their sugars and much of their flavour profile on the tree. While they will soften off the tree, they won’t get substantially sweeter. Picking an underripe peach or plum often means it will stay tart and less flavourful, even if it softens. Conversely, an overripe one can be mushy and prone to bruising or spoilage. The goal is to find that sweet spot: mature fruit that is either ready to eat or will be perfectly ripe in a day or two on your counter.
It’s also helpful to know that peaches generally fall into two categories based on how the flesh attaches to the pit: clingstone and freestone. Clingstone varieties, often the earlier season ones, have flesh that stubbornly clings to the pit, making them great for eating out of hand but trickier for slicing or canning. Freestone varieties, more common later in the season, have flesh that separates easily from the pit, ideal for baking, preserving, or easy slicing. Plums also have varieties that are clingstone or freestone (or semi-freestone), though it’s less often labelled explicitly in stores.
General Tips for Choosing Peaches and Plums
Before diving into specifics for each fruit, some universal rules apply. These rely heavily on using your senses – sight, smell, and touch.
Look Closely (Sight)
Colour is often the first thing we notice, but it can be misleading. For many peach and plum varieties, the background colour (the colour underneath the blush) is a better indicator of maturity than the rosy blush itself. Look for a warm, creamy yellow or golden background on peaches, rather than green. For plums, the specific colour depends heavily on the variety (ranging from deep purple and red to yellow and green), but look for rich, vibrant, and uniform colouration for that specific type. Avoid fruits with significant green patches (unless it’s a green variety like Greengage plums), as this usually indicates underripeness. Also, check for bruises, soft spots, mould, or shriveled skin – these are definite no-gos.
Take a Whiff (Smell)
Your nose knows! Ripe stone fruits should have a noticeable, sweet, and fragrant aroma. If a peach or plum smells richly sweet and almost floral, it’s likely ripe and ready (or very close). If it has little to no scent, it was probably picked too early and won’t develop much flavour. Conversely, if it smells fermented, overly pungent, or vinegary, it’s past its prime. Gently lift the fruit towards your nose – you shouldn’t need to press it hard to detect the scent if it’s ripe.
Gentle Touch (Feel)
This is where finesse is required. Please, do not squeeze the fruit hard! Stone fruits bruise incredibly easily, and excessive poking ruins them for everyone else. Instead, gently cradle the fruit in your palm. It should feel heavy for its size, indicating juiciness. Apply very gentle pressure with your fingers – not just your thumb. A ripe peach or plum will yield slightly to gentle pressure, particularly near the stem end or along the “seam.” It shouldn’t be rock hard, nor should it feel squishy or leave dents from your fingers. Think of it like testing an avocado – a slight give means it’s ready or almost ready.
Selecting the Perfect Peach
Peaches are delicate divas. Their fuzzy skin offers some protection, but they bruise easily.
Peach Colour Cues
As mentioned, ignore the amount of red blush – some varieties are naturally blushier than others, and it’s often influenced by sun exposure, not ripeness. Focus on the background colour. Look for a deep golden yellow. If the background is still greenish, it needs more time (and likely won’t ripen well off the tree). Avoid peaches that are entirely green or have green tints near the stem.
The Peach Squeeze (Gentle!)
Gently cup the peach. Does it feel heavy? Good sign. Apply that feather-light pressure. A ripe peach ready for eating today will give slightly. If it’s still quite firm but has that lovely golden background colour and sweet smell, it will likely ripen perfectly on your kitchen counter in a day or two. Rock-hard peaches with a green tinge are best left behind.
Peach Skin Secrets
Look for smooth, slightly fuzzy skin without major blemishes, bruises, or punctures. A little wrinkling around the stem area can actually be a good sign – it indicates water evaporation and concentrated sugars, suggesting ripeness. However, widespread wrinkling means it’s likely overripe and potentially drying out.
Verified Check for Peaches & Plums: Engage multiple senses for the best results. Look for vibrant, appropriate background colour (golden for peaches, variety-specific for plums) and avoid green tints. Sniff for a sweet, fragrant aroma near the stem. Gently cradle the fruit; it should feel heavy and yield slightly to delicate pressure, not rock hard or mushy.
Picking the Prime Plum
Plums come in a wider array of colours and sizes than peaches, from tiny yellow Mirabelles to large, deep purple Black Splendor.
Plum Colour Guide
Know your plum! Since colours vary so much (purple, black, red, green, yellow), the key is looking for a rich, deep, and uniform colour characteristic of the specific variety. Avoid plums with green patches (unless it’s a green variety). Many dark plums develop a silvery-white dusty coating called “bloom.” This is perfectly natural – it’s a waxy layer produced by the plum to protect itself. Intact bloom is actually a sign of freshness and minimal handling, so don’t shy away from it!
The Plum Pressure Test
Similar to peaches, use gentle pressure. A ripe plum will feel slightly soft, yielding gently. Some describe the ideal feel as similar to the fleshy part of your hand at the base of your thumb. Again, firmness means it needs a day or two at room temperature (provided the colour and smell are promising), while excessive softness or stickiness indicates overripeness.
Plum Pointers
Check for smooth skin without cracks, soft spots, or leaks. Like peaches, they should feel relatively heavy for their size. The smell test is just as important for plums – look for that sweet, fruity fragrance.
Bringing Them Home: Storage Savvy
You’ve navigated the market and chosen your treasures. Now what? Proper storage is key to enjoying them at their peak.
Ripening Firm Fruits
If your peaches or plums are still a bit firm, leave them at room temperature, ideally in a single layer, not piled up, and out of direct sunlight. Placing them stem-end down can sometimes help prevent bruising. Check them daily by gently feeling for that slight give. Placing them in a loosely closed paper bag can speed up ripening slightly, as it traps the natural ethylene gas the fruit produces.
Important Storage Tip: Avoid refrigerating peaches and plums until they are fully ripe. Chilling underripe stone fruit can cause “chilling injury,” resulting in a mealy, dry texture and loss of flavour, even after they soften. Only refrigerate ripe fruit you want to keep for a few extra days.
Storing Ripe Fruits
Once perfectly ripe (they yield gently and smell fragrant), you can either eat them immediately (the best option!) or store them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer to slow down further ripening. They’ll typically last for another 3-5 days this way. Let them come back towards room temperature for about 30 minutes before eating for the best flavour and texture.
Choosing fantastic peaches and plums really boils down to paying attention. Use your eyes to assess colour and condition, your nose to detect that sweet perfume, and a gentle touch to gauge softness. With a little practice, you’ll confidently pick fruit that bursts with juicy flavour every time, making those summer months even sweeter.
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