The Prospects for Perfect Peaches: Pretty Posiive

Despite the fact that no Southern California markets have been selling peaches in the way that Jon Rowley is promoting, the last two years have been especially good here for peaches and other tree fruit.

Instead of getting the rock-hard, tasteless red fruit that has plagued the industry for some time, Southern California consumers buying in season have been able to pay low supermarket prices for generally excellent peaches that typically need just a day or two of extra ripening time at home.

There are many reasons for this, but they all come down to an increased focus on the importance of flavor by the agriculture industry. Farmers are choosing better varieties, improving orchard practices and picking a couple of days later than in the past. Distributors and grocery stores are paying more attention to gentle handling and temperature control.

And while a truly tree-ripe peach is still the paragon of perfection, the tree-ripe label can be troublesome. In the first place, no one can decide what “tree-ripe” really means. Legally in California, the definition requires only that the fruit meets the standards for what is called California Well-Mature. But more than 90% of the fruit harvested in California last year was graded Well-Mature.

And while California Well-Mature is significantly better than U.S. Mature--the top-quality standard for the rest of the country--it’s not what most of us think of as tree-ripe.

“I have been having my confrontations with the industry on that issue, but it’s a very good marketing tool,” says Carlos Crisosto, a scientist who studies stone fruit at the University of California’s Kearny agricultural research station. “Some people have been using and abusing that terminology.”

In part, that’s because there is no uniform scientific definition of what tree-ripe really means. Like beauty and obscenity, it’s in the eye of the beholder.

But also, it’s not really clear how important an extra couple of days on the tree is. In fact, according to a study concluded by Crisosto last year, what happens while the fruit is on the tree is at least as important to how it tastes as when it is picked.

“In all cases, the longer you hang fruit on the tree, the bigger it will get,” he says. “In most cases, the fruit will gain more red color. But only in some cases will you gain more [flavor].”

On the other hand, cultural practices such as limiting how much fruit each tree has to support and limiting how much water a tree gets in the last two weeks before picking had more of an impact on flavor in most cases.

“California Well-Mature fruit that has been grown under optimum orchard management and picked firm will have higher quality than other fruit that has not been grown as well but picked tree-ripe,” says Crisosto. “You can wind up with really high-quality product even if you’re not picking at tree-ripe.”

Provided, that is, that the fruit is well-handled through the distribution chain and is ripened before eating. The keys to getting good fruit are keeping it away from the refrigerator--if you’ve had peaches turn mealy and tasteless, they were probably over-chilled--and giving firm fruit another day or two to ripen. Simply place it in a paper bag and leave it at room temperature. Within 24 to 48 hours, you’ll have ripe fruit.

A big question for local retailers instituting tree-ripe programs is whether people are willing to pay for the more intensive handling dead-ripe peaches require.

“I think some are, but only in certain areas,” says Roger Schroeder, vice president for produce at Hughes Family Markets. “Obviously in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills and places like that, people are willing to pay any price to get what they want. For people who are just trying to fill their bellies on a budget, they’re not going to pay that extra money.

“And I’m not sure how necessary it is. Hopefully, with our [Tree-Ripened LTD Peaches] program, if the peaches aren’t ripe when you get them, they will be in three or four days and they will eat just as well as tree-ripe. They’ll weigh that and say, I’m not going to pay 50 cents more just so I don’t have to wait a few days.”

At Bristol Farms, produce director Mike Gravette buys peaches mainly from a small distributor he’s worked with for several years. They pre-condition the fruit, ripening it themselves before it gets to the market.

He says his customers not only want, but expect, ripe fruit. “I need my customers coming back, and I can’t sell them something they won’t be happy with. They realize I’m a dollar higher, but they’re willing to pay that price.”

Ultimately, whether the extra price is worth the money depends on how good the peach tastes. And that will depend on how it was grown.