How to store peaches
Best place: the counter until ripe, then the fridge. Let peaches ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, the fridge gives 3 to 5 days, and the freezer 2 months.
Where these times come from. USDA FoodKeeper has no entry named "peaches". The times on this page are the USDA figures for peaches, copied without change from its Peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, sapote entry. The full entry lists other kinds too.
Until ripe
Until Ripe, then 1-2 days. Ripe is when this item is tender, fully developed and ready to eat.
3 to 5 days
from purchase
Timeline for refrigerator applies to ripe fruit.
2 months
best quality within
Freezing guidance applies to product when sliced, with lemon juice and sugar.
USDA notes for peaches
- Until Ripe, then 1-2 days. Ripe is when this item is tender, fully developed and ready to eat.
- Timeline for refrigerator applies to ripe fruit.
- Freezing guidance applies to product when sliced, with lemon juice and sugar.
How to tell peaches have gone bad
General signs for produce: fresh fruits, the group USDA lists peaches under.
- Soft, mushy spots that were firm a day or two before
- Visible mould, often fuzzy white, green or grey
- Leaking juice or a fermented, alcohol-like smell
- Wrinkled, shriveled skin on fruit that used to be firm
- Sour smell replacing a fruit's normal sweet scent
More on produce: fresh fruits. The times above are quality guidelines, not safety limits; food that shows these signs goes out regardless of the date.
Storage habits that make the difference
Keep most fruit in the fridge's crisper drawer, but leave bananas, avocados and stone fruit on the counter until ripe. Store ethylene-sensitive fruit, like berries, away from apples and bananas to slow ripening. Wash fruit just before eating, not before storing, since early washing speeds up spoilage.
How to store other produce: fresh fruits
Source: USDA FSIS FoodKeeper dataset (public domain). How we decode the data.