Fastest way to ripen rock hard peaches in your own kitchen

Buying fresh fruit can be tricky as you can either buy it too ripeand it ruins quickly - or not quite ripe enough and you can't eat straight away, including peaches. Finding the right balance on ripeness can be tricky, however this simple trick can speed up the softening process easily.

Unripe peaches don't have any taste, and the texture is different too, which is why it can be annoying when you go to eat one and realise it's not ready to eat. All you need to do is simply pop them in a brown paper bag, loosely roll the top closed and leave them at room temperature.

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The total time for ripening varies, and largely depends on just how firm the peaches are when starting, but it’s safe to plan on a day or two, according to The Kitchn. It's also advised to check the peaches after 24 hours, and when they're ripe, they should be fragrant and the skin will be soft.

They should also have a dark yellow color, with or without red spots. If they’re not quite there yet, give them another day and check again. The Kitchn further recommended that if you want to speed up the ripening process, toss a banana in the bag along with the peaches.

Peaches, as well as apples, pears and bananas all naturally release ethylene gas and when stored in a paper bag, the gas is trapped and accelerates the ripening.

It's important to avoid using plastic bags for ripening peaches. While they will still trap the ethylene gas, plastic also traps moisture, which will cause fruit to rot more quickly.

Bananas emit even more ethylene gas, so placing them in the bag along with the peaches will speed up the ripening process even further.

Once ripe, they are best to be eaten straight away. However if you have spare, it's advised to keep them in the fridge as the cool temperature slows down ripening and prevents the peaches from quickly spoiling. It’s worth noting, however, that extended time in the fridge will dehydrate the fruit, making the texture less appealing.

Similarly, plums have a short shelf life too. To maintain their freshness, there's a unique trick that sets them apart from other fruits typically found in your kitchen. One key aspect of storing supermarket-bought plums is knowing when to leave them out of the fridge and when to refrigerate them to maximise their lifespan.

Plums need to ripen outside of the fridge. Only once they've fully ripened should they be placed inside the fridge. While plums remain fresh and edible at room temperature, refrigerating them post-ripening is the optimal strategy for prolonging their freshness.