Ripening Your Peaches to Perfection

All right. So you’ve bought the best peaches and nectarines you can find, right? Not just with red blush, but you’ve looked at the background color. You’re really happy with what you see with the background color. Now you get them home. What are you going to do? Most Peaches and Nectarines, even those from the farmer's market, still may need a day or two to fully ripen.  Even a tree-ripened Peach needs some down time to soften up.  Most people will simply set those Peaches on the countertop to ripen.  Heavens no.   Never in a million years should you leave your Peaches and Nectarines in the open air to ripen.  You see, the Peach or Nectarine has no natural oils on its skin to prevent dehydration.  What you end up with is an unripe Peach that has shriveled from dehydration.  There's a better way.  Get out your Nike shoe box. OK, I guess you can use your Sketchers shoe box. It doesn’t matter to me. Just get out a nice clean shoebox. Here’s what you’re going to do. You’re going to take that shoebox and are going to gently place a layer of peaches and nectarines in it. Just one layer. Do not stack them. Close up the shoebox and put it in the warmest spot in your house, which is usually is the laundry room in my home. That way it’s a little bit more humid, more moisture in the air. Now every day you pass that box, lift up the lid. It will tell you when they’re ripe and ready to go. You’ll smell it. It’ll be so good. Get ready to roll up your sleeves...and get out your best Peach Cobbler recipe!
 
YPM...Gettin' Fresh