Your Cool Home is supported by its readers. Please assume all links are affiliate links. If you purchase something from one of our links, we make a small commission from Amazon. Thank you!
To store peaches and nectarines properly, you need to know one key difference right away.
Peaches and nectarines are actually the same species, but peaches have fuzzy skin while nectarines are smooth.
The way you store peaches and nectarines depends on whether they are ripe or unripe when you bring them home.
If they are still firm, you should let them ripen on the counter first before moving them to the fridge.
In this post, we will walk through exactly how to store peaches and nectarines so they stay sweet and juicy for as long as possible.
Let’s dive in.
How to Store Peaches and Nectarines at Room Temperature
When you want to store peaches and nectarines that are not ripe yet, the counter is your best friend.
1. Keep Them in a Single Layer
To store peaches and nectarines on the counter, lay them out in a single layer with the stem side down.
This prevents them from bruising each other and allows air to circulate around each piece of fruit.
If you pile them up, the ones on the bottom will get soft spots and may start to rot faster.
2. Choose the Right Spot
Find a spot away from direct sunlight and heat sources when you store peaches and nectarines at room temperature.
A kitchen counter or a cool pantry shelf works great.
Direct sun will cause them to ripen unevenly, and heat will make them go from firm to mushy too quickly.
3. Use a Paper Bag to Speed Things Up
If you need to store peaches and nectarines and want them to ripen faster, place them in a brown paper bag.
Fold the top loosely and leave them at room temperature.
The bag traps ethylene gas, which is a natural ripening hormone that the fruit produces.
You can also add an apple or a banana to the bag to speed up the process even more.
4. Check Them Daily
When you store peaches and nectarines on the counter, check them every day.
Gently press near the stem end with your thumb.
If it gives slightly, the fruit is ripe and ready to eat or ready to move to the fridge.
Once ripe, you only have a day or two before they start to go bad at room temperature.
How to Store Peaches and Nectarines in the Fridge
Once your peaches and nectarines are ripe, the fridge becomes your best tool to store peaches and nectarines for longer.
1. Wait Until They Are Fully Ripe
Never store peaches and nectarines in the fridge before they are ripe.
Cold temperatures halt the ripening process, and once that happens, the fruit will never soften properly.
It will just sit there, bland and mealy, until it eventually wrinkles and rots.
2. Use the Crisper Drawer
The best place to store peaches and nectarines in the fridge is the crisper drawer.
This drawer provides higher humidity, which helps the fruit stay juicy instead of drying out.
Set the drawer to the low-humidity setting if you have that option, since too much moisture can encourage mold.
3. Keep Them Away from Other Produce
When you store peaches and nectarines in the fridge, keep them separate from ethylene-sensitive produce.
Things like cucumbers, leafy greens, and peppers will wilt or spoil faster if they sit next to ripening fruit.
On the other hand, storing them near other ethylene producers like apples is fine.
4. Don’t Wash Until You’re Ready to Eat
This is a big one when you store peaches and nectarines.
Washing them before storage adds moisture to the skin, which invites mold and speeds up spoilage.
Instead, leave them dry and only rinse them right before you eat or cook with them.
5. Use a Paper Towel Liner
Line the bottom of your crisper drawer or a container with a paper towel before you store peaches and nectarines.
The paper towel absorbs excess moisture and helps prevent soft spots and mold growth.
Replace the towel if it becomes damp.
How to Freeze Peaches and Nectarines for Long-Term Storage
If you have more ripe fruit than you can eat, you can store peaches and nectarines in the freezer for months.
1. Peel and Slice Them First
To store peaches and nectarines in the freezer, start by peeling the skin.
Peaches are easy to peel after a quick dip in boiling water followed by an ice bath.
Nectarines have thinner skin, so you can often just slice them without peeling.
2. Toss in Lemon Juice
Before you store peaches and nectarines in freezer bags, toss the slices in a little lemon juice.
The ascorbic acid in lemon juice slows down browning and helps the fruit keep its color.
3. Freeze on a Tray First
Spread the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them for a couple of hours.
Once they are frozen solid, transfer them to freezer bags.
This way, when you store peaches and nectarines this way, the slices won’t clump together into one giant block.
So, How Do You Store Peaches and Nectarines?
To store peaches and nectarines, keep unripe ones on the counter in a single layer and move them to the fridge once they are ripe.
If you have more than you can eat in time, freezing is the best way to store peaches and nectarines for the long haul.
The most important thing to remember is to never refrigerate them before they are ripe, and never wash them until you are ready to eat them.
Follow these steps and you will store peaches and nectarines like a pro every single time.