Most tree fruits start to signal their best taste with a sweet scent in the air. But it’s very hard to gauge the exact moment of peak ripeness. Times will vary year by year and different varieties will come in at different times. Here are a few signs to watch for by fruit variety.
Apples – You’ve probably heard that ripening apples give off ethylene gas. Ethylene is a hormone and one of its effects is to cause the separation of the stem from the tree, causing the apples to fall. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case and it’s not the best test for ripeness.
Many apple varieties are ready when you can easily pull them from the tree. Don’t yank. Hold gently and give them a slight twist.
Another way to tell is by looking at the seeds. When the seeds turn brown, they have hit their peak taste.
I still maintain that the best test is to bite into an apple. It should be juicy and sweet. Too starchy and tart means it’s underripe. Pithy or mealy means it’s overripe.
Pears – Pears should be picked when just starting to change color from green to a tinge of yellow. At this point, the fruits will still be hard, but will easily pull away from the tree. Give them a few days to a few weeks to continue ripening off the tree.
Allowing pears to fully ripen on the tree produces pears that have a gritty texture and quickly go to mush.
Stone Fruits – For fresh eating, allow them to fully ripen on the tree. Most will not continue ripening or sweetening post harvest. You’ve probably had some flavorless peaches or cherries from the grocery store that were picked immature and allowed to soften in shipping.
If you plan to can or freeze the fruits, pick a little on the firm side. They will soften more with processing and you will probably be adding sugar to compensate for any loss of natural sweetening.
Stone fruits are ripe when they look fully colored and the flesh has started to soften slightly to the touch. The only true test, though, is by taste. Stone fruits don’t store well, so enjoy them while you can.
Grapes and Citrus Fruits – These fruits stop ripening when they are picked. For juicy, sweet flavor, they need to be completely ripe before harvesting and ripening can take months. It’s hard to tell ripeness by touch and, once again, the best test is by taste.
Citrus does not separate from the tree easily and I’d recommend cutting them, rather than pulling.
General Harvesting Tips
Use caution when eating fruit that has fallen from the tree. Fruits sometimes drop from trees because they are infested, so check before you munch down on a fruit full of worms.
Be gentle. Don’t tug and tear the stem off soft fruits like strawberries, cherries and even tomatoes. You may injuring the stem end, which is an invitation for rot.
Don’t toss fruits into your basket or container and don’t pile them so high they crush the fruits. To prevent messy staining from the juice running out of your container, line it with a layer of paper towels before harvesting.
Don’t leave fruits on the tree or lying on the ground. This will cut down on the chance of disease or pests from overwinter nearby.
Freshly harvested fruits should be stored at room temperature for the best flavor. But if you’re like me, you’ll trade a little flavor for an icy cold, juicy fruit.
Until next issue, I’ll see you in the garden center. FBN
Ken Lain, the mountain gardener, can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W. Iron Springs Road in Prescott, or contacted through his web site at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter .