Can You Pick Peaches in Massachusetts?

What to Pick When

• Redhaven peach (Prunus persica “Redhaven”) is a popular freestone peach grown in Massachusetts. It is suited to the state’s U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 to 7, but can also be grown in zone 8. An early ripening fruit picked from July to August, it has yellow flesh, nearly hairless skin, and a golden blush color when ripe. It is ideal for eating fresh or canning and freezing. Glohaven peach (Prunus persica “Glohaven”) ripens later in the season in USDA zones 2 to 7. Its yellow flesh resists browning, making it suited for salads. It also cans well.

Picking Pointers

• A ripe peach will be soft and slip off the branch when harvested. If it doesn’t, it’s not ready. Prevent bruised fruit by holding it gently between your fingers and turning one-half turn to remove it from the branch. Fruit near branch tips ripens first. Skin color varies depending on variety, but ripe peaches do not have any green and will smell sweet. Prevent bruising peaches when carrying them by only stacking the fruit three to four deep in a container -- any deeper and you'll risk damaging fruit on the bottom. Shallow, long containers work best for carrying a lot of fruit in one basket.

Storing Your Harvest

• Once peaches are removed from the tree, they begin to deteriorate and soften. Store freshly picked fruit in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to five days. Ripe peaches left on a kitchen counter deteriorate in three days. Circles forming on the skin signal peaches are past ripe and should be consumed or preserved. Freeze or can peaches within two days of picking, if you do not plan to eat them right away. Peaches can be made into jam, jellies, peach butter (similar to apple butter) or salsa before canning or freezing.

Measures

• If you do not plan to preserve your harvest, only pick what you can consume in two to three days. Keep in mind one bushel of fresh peaches equals about 48 pounds. When measuring for recipes, two medium peaches yield about 1 cup of sliced peaches and four medium peaches equal about 1 pound. One and one-quarter pounds of fresh peaches yields about one pint when canned or frozen.