Fresh peaches are a favorite late summer and early autumn fruit and a popular home orchard choice.

The best stage for harvesting and the stage for eating are usually several days apart with different signs for readiness. Peaches will increase in juiciness and softness after they are picked, but they won’t increase in sweetness, so it’s important to make sure peaches have reached their maximum sweetness before their picked.

The first of the early season peach varieties should be ready within the next week or two. If you know what variety of peach tree you have, you can try checking at local fruit stands to see if your peach variety is being harvested.

There are also a few things to look for in your home orchard if you don’t know what variety you have or aren’t sure if your peaches are ready.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver

Peaches that are ready will no longer be green in color and the fuzz will often be thicker. They should look full sized, round and plump with an amber or warm yellow undertone to their color, but don’t depend on color alone to tell whether your peaches are ready. Many peach varieties have a natural rosy blush, but fruits on the same tree that have been shaded by foliage may not develop that color even though they are ripe. There are also varieties, like the Lemon Elberta, that will remain mostly yellow even though there was plenty of sunshine for them.

Peaches are all about that sweet, peachy flavor, so the most obvious first check for readiness is to taste one of your peaches. It should be sweet even though it may still be quite firm and not juicy yet.

As peaches approach the ripe stage, a few will fall from the tree. Don’t confuse this with the “June drop” when the tree naturally drops many of its smaller fruits early in the season. You could use one of these peaches for a taste test.

Your peaches should release easily from the tree when they are ready for harvest. If you need to tug or twist to pick your peaches, they need another day or two on the tree. And keep in mind that not all the peaches on a tree will ripen at the same time. You’ll probably need to do about three harvests if you want all the peaches to be at their best.

A ripe peach will yield slightly to very gentle pressure at the stem end.

Courtesy Meredith Seaver

Peaches are best when picked at the ripe but still firm stage and then held for a few days to develop a softer, juicier texture instead of leaving them on the tree until they are soft. Keep your firm-ripe peaches only one or two layers deep in shallow boxes to avoid bruising and check them every day or two for any bruising or spoilage. Separate out any blemished peaches and use them first.

You can eat your peaches any time after you pick them, but if you like your peaches at least a little juicy, wait until they are very fragrant and slightly soft, yielding to gentle pressure. If more of your peaches are ready to eat than you can use at one time, they can be held in a refrigerator for several days. For the best fragrance and flavor, remove the peaches from the fridge an hour or so before eating them.