Merchandising and Handling Tips

• Store fruit at 32ºF and 90% relative humidity to maintain maximum quality and market life.
  
  
• Chilling injury leading to internal browning and/or mealiness occurs when fruit are stored between 36-50ºF.
  
  
• Ripen fruit at room temperature (65-70ºF) to ensure optimum flavor. Fruit lose on average two pounds of flesh firmness per day at 68ºF so ripening can be predicted and managed.
  
  
• Peaches and nectarines are ready to eat at two pounds flesh firmness. Peach flesh firmness can be easily and inexpensively measured with a penetrometer.
  
  
• Keep handling to a minimum to preserve the quality of peaches inside and out.
  
  
• Prevent bruising by merchandising peaches no more than two layers deep.