Harvesting Tree-ripe Fruits

HARVESTING “TREE-RIPE” HOME-GROWN FRUITS Originally written 1971 by D.C. Alderman of the University of California, Berkeley Adapted for Arkansas by Dustin Blakey, Sebastian County Extension Agent

Fruit Firmness

The popular ideal of a tree-ripened fruit is a fruit that has been allowed to reach optimum flavor, sugar, juiciness, texture, and color before harvest. This is a luxury that a home orchardists can enjoy since there need be no delay from the “tree to the table.”

Firmness is another useful way to estimate fruit maturity. It is particularly helpful in gauging the degree of ripeness in soft fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, persimmons, and apricots.

Fruit maturation or ripening is an extremely involved physiochemical process. Fortunately, there are a few simple, common indicators you can use to determine when the fruit has reached the delectable stage known as “tree ripe.”

Seed Color In apples and pears, you can tell ripeness by the seed color if the ground color is not obvious. This involves cutting open the fruit to expose the seeds that are located in the center or core. If the seed coat color has turned completely brown, the remaining fruit is usually ripe enough to pick.

Skin Color Skin color—the most obvious indicator of ripeness on many fruits—can often be separated into two main parts. The most noticeable factor is the overlaying or predominant color that is commonly referred to as skin color. It is a crude method for approximating the fruit’s ripeness

The individual fruits produced on fruit plants never ripen simultaneously. Fruit at the top and on the outside of the tree tends to ripen ahead of that on the inside. Do not pick the entire crop at one time. Plan to make to or more harvests.

The other factor—ground color—is inconspicuous on most fruits, but is a fairly good indicator of properly matured fruit. On red apple varieties, for example, the ground color is visible between the red stripes and quite often shows through around the stem and blossom end. It is most evident on the shaded side of fruits.

The following table is useful as an approximate guide in judging when the fruits on your home orchard trees are ready to pick.

1

FRUIT

APPROX. HARVEST DATES

Apples, red

SKIN COLOR

GROUND COLOR

Stripes and/or blush change from dull- to brightred

Changes from green to yellow-green or yellow

Aug-Oct Apples, yellow

On certain varieties, a delicate blush overlays yellow base

Apricots

Changes from dull greenish-orange to bright yellow-orange

Jun-Jul

Turns to light yellow-green or yellow—often waxy in appearance

Changes to light yellowgreen

SEED OR PIT

Seeds should be solid, darkbrown

Figs

Jun-Aug

Jul-Oct

Not all berries ripen together

Turns from green to purplish brown, or to yellow depending on variety.

-

In most varieties, pit does not adhere to flesh when mature -

When picked, fruit should release easily from tree— stem intact Should be crisp, juicy, somewhat melting

Entire fruit yields to gentle hand pressure Flesh tender and melting Berries become soft, skin tender and easily damaged—sometimes shatter or break apart Flesh turns from greenish-white to strawberry or to amber

On dark varieties, changes to yellowish-green On light varieties changes to golden-yellow

REMARKS

Same as above Late varieties store at 3234ºF; higher temperatures shorten storage life

Changes from red to black Blackberries

FLESH TEXTURE AND/OR FIRMNESS

Fruit bend at neck and yield to gentle hand pressure

Many varieties ripen unevenly Berries release readily Best not to sample from fruit on very tip Cool A.S.A.P. after picking Pick fresh figs with stems attached Dried figs are left on the tree to partially dry; then picked, trayed and dried completely Figs must be tree-ripened

2

Nectarines and Peaches

Flesh yields to gentle hand pressure

Green changing to yellowish-cream Jun-Aug

“Spot” pick fruit as it ripens -

Depends on variety Not fully ripe until green disappears

Flesh color often yellowish with red toward pit on freestone

Cool immediately and eat soon

Juicy, good flavor Taste is best indicator Pears, Asian

Aug-Oct

If not russeted many turn yellowish-green

-

-

Jul-Sep

Harvest fruit when full size but still green in color Do not ripen fully on tree Harvest when full size

Pears, European (other varieties)

Plums

Jul-Oct

Jun-Sep

Harvest reds just as ground color shows through Color may be solid or mottled, red, dark blue or purple

Ground color still green, but shows faint tinge of yellow-green. Blossom end sometimes gets reddish tint.

Yellow-green to yellow

Seeds should be light-brown to brown

Texture is buttery, juicy, and melting

Varies, but generally similar to above

-

Firm yet yielding to gentle hand pressure Juicy and aromatic

Some times yellow or green

Firm, crisp; inclined to be tough Quince

Sep-Nov

Yellow

Usually three harvests needed

Taste is sweet

Not a dependable indicator

Pears, European (yellow varieties)

Flesh is crisp, very juicy

Bright light-yellow to yellow-green

3

Brown

Sub-acid flavor, inclined to be astringent

Serve chilled “Ripen” harvested fruit in cool place off tree (5070ºF) until ground color turns light yellow-green

Hold winter varieties at 3234ºF until ready to eat Ripen as above Does not keep long Cool immediately Taste best indicator Fruit ripens unevenly— leave on tree until fully yellow in color Can be used in jams, jellies, preserves