Bought peaches that are still hard? Put them in a paper bag to speed up ripening instead of refrigerating them

Store-bought peaches might look perfectly ripe from the outside, but when you bite into them, they can still be firm and almost crunchy. This is a very common disappointment during the peach season, but it is an easy one to fix. Usually the first instinct is to refrigerate the fruit to keep it fresh, but that can work against the peach and might make it worse, since it's not fully ripened.

The paper bag trick

Food scientists and extensionists go along with a simple approach of keeping the unripe peaches at room temperature. But if the peaches are still firm and you want them to ripen more quickly, place them in a paper bag for a day or two. Once the peaches soften slightly and develop their characteristic sweet aroma, transfer them to the refrigerator, where they can stay fresh for another three to five days.


The method works because peaches are classified as climacteric fruits. Unlike strawberries or grapes, peaches continue ripening even after being picked. During the course of the ripening process, fruit produces ethylene – a type of plant hormone responsible for ripening. Ethylene starts the chain of reactions in the peach, breaking down cell walls that make the flesh softer while increasing sweetness and aroma. A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports examined post-harvest peach ripening and the role of ethylene in fruit softening and quality during storage.

A paper bag accelerates the natural process by trapping the ethylene released by the peaches. The gas remains concentrated around the fruit in the surrounding air, therefore encouraging it to ripen more evenly and often more quickly. This is the reason why experts recommend using paper bags instead of plastic. Paper allows enough airflow to prevent excess moisture from building up while still retaining the ethylene needed for ripening. Researchers from the University of Illinois Extension recommend that peaches should be stored at room temperature for one to three days in order to get ripe and to use a paper bag to speed up the process if needed.

Refrigeration must be avoided

Refrigeration is best reserved for peaches once they have already ripened. Cold temperatures slow down the biological process responsible for ripening. If ripening is not completed, the chilling process might make the peaches dry and bland, and they would lose flavor and may never develop the juicy texture and rich flavor associated with peak-season fruit. Refrigerating peaches before they ripen can reduce their flavor.

If the fruit yields softly to light pressure near the stem and produces a sweet smell, it signifies that it has reached its ideal stage of ripeness. Ripe peaches can be refrigerated for another three to five days. Under normal household conditions, ripe peaches generally maintain good eating quality for another three to five days when refrigerated, allowing a little more extension before they become overly soft.

Simple storage tips

There are a few other ways for storage to get the best results. Keep peaches in a single layer to reduce bruising. Ripe peaches are very delicate, and pressure can quickly damage the flesh. If several peaches are ripening together, check them daily since not all peaches in one group become ripe at the same time; an individual fruit may mature fast, and friction and pressure from the surrounding peaches might damage the former. Those that are already ripe can be put into the fridge while others can be left on the counter to ripen.

A study in the Oregon State University Extension notes that peaches ripen faster if placed inside the paper bag with a ripe banana or apple. Bananas and apples also release quite a bit of ethylene, which makes the ripening process faster for the peaches. The bag should remain loosely closed rather than tightly sealed so excess moisture can escape while ethylene stays concentrated enough to do its job.

The effectiveness of the simple kitchen hack

The same ethylene-driven ripening process also influences commercial fruit storage. The Scientific Reports research studied post-harvest peaches and found that limiting or controlling the exposure to ethylene slows softening and maintains peach firmness. Farmers and food scientists therefore try to inhibit ethylene production in peaches once they are ready for shipping, while home cooks may be trying to speed up the process of softening peaches that are too hard.

To conclude, if you want to have peaches like a summer fruit, never store them in your fridge. Let them sit on your kitchen counter for one or two days; preferably, put them in a paper bag and let nature soften and ripen them completely. Once they are soft and ready to eat, put them in the fridge to hold their softness for a few more days.