When Are Peaches in Season?

Fresh, juicy peaches pair perfectly with hot weather. Throw some sliced peaches into ice cream or yogurt, use them to whip up a delicious pie or cobbler, or simply bite into the succulent flesh to enjoy the quintessential fruit of summer – you’re having a good time regardless.

So, exactly when are peaches in season? You’ll find US-grown varieties of this stone fruit favorite available from May through September, with just a few popular types including the Sugar Lady, Sugar Giant, Redhaven, and Snow Giant. Even the names should make your mouth water.

Sales spike between May and October, but prices remain relatively flat even outside peak peach season. They’re also always available thanks to growers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Be sure to use our grocery app throughout the year to earn rewards points on every shopping receipt. Simply download Fetch, snap your receipts, and redeem the points you earn for free gift cards for everything from Amazon to Target to Starbucks and so many more!

Where Do Peaches Grow?

The peach started life in China, made its way slowly to Europe, then hopped over to the United States.

1 billion pounds are grown annually within our borders alone. It’s a piece of produce strongly associated with Georgia, but California leads with an annual harvest of 475,000 tons. China produces the most peaches globally, but anyone in the US using our rewards app to earn free gift cards from their grocery shopping in the off-season is likely to drive home with peaches grown in Chile.

How Long Do Peaches Last?

We love hearing how people use our shopping rewards app to get the most from their money, but you’ll be letting those savings go to waste if you allow your peaches to spoil.

They’re best eaten fresh for mouth-watering sweetness, but you can also store them out on the counter for about 3 to 5 days or for a few days more in the refrigerator. They’ll last a few months when properly stored in the freezer – just thaw them thoroughly before digging in.

How to Pick Peaches at the Grocery Store

A peach left too long turns soft and mushy, but pick one up before it’s ripe and you’ll be cutting into something hard and sour.

How do you pick out a peach when it’s at its peak peachiness?

• Check the Color: Peaches should have a bright yellow to golden-red skin.
• Look for Damaged Skin: Any green spots, dents, flat areas, or wrinkled skin should prompt you to put a peach back and move on.
• Test the Scent: A peach that tastes good should also smell good. If you smell nothing, it’s unlikely a taste sensation awaits.
• Gauge the Firmness: Give each peach a slight squeeze at the stem or along the side before adding it to your cart. It should give a little to the pressure.

How to Cut a Peach Like a Pro

The stone pit lurking at the center of each peach means taking a bite from one can be risky business. Cutting out the pit and slicing up the flesh removes such perils, so here’s the right way to cut a peach:

1. Find the seam that wraps around your peach, then lightly cut along it from bottom to stem using a sharp paring or chef’s knife.
2. Twist the halves apart using your hands.
3. The pit should come away easily from a ripe peach. If not, a spoon can be used to pry it away.
4. Once destoned, slice each peach half to your preferred thickness in the same direction you originally cut.

How to Store Peaches & Make Peaches Last Longer

You can store your peaches on the counter at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer. Whichever option you choose, keep whole peaches stem side down and leave plenty of space between each one.

• Room Temperature: Keep peaches on the counter away from direct sunlight and pop a towel under them to prevent the bottoms getting mushy.
• In the Fridge: Place your peaches in the produce drawer at the bottom of your fridge. If space down there is at a premium, put them elsewhere encased in a loosely tied plastic bag. Sliced peaches should be wrapped tightly and placed in the fridge as soon as possible.
• In the Freezer: Slice your fresh peaches, then line them up on a baking sheet and flash freeze them for about 4 hours. Transfer your frozen slices to an airtight container and they should stay fresh for 2 to 3 months.

How to Grow a Peach Tree From a Pit

Peaches aren’t just bursting with flavor – they’re also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. You can have all that goodness on hand by growing a peach tree of your very own. The downsides, of course, are you’ll be waiting several years before your first yield and, more importantly, you won’t earn free gift cards on groceries you harvest in your backyard.

To grow a peach tree from a pit:

1. Clean your peach pit with a soft, dry brush, then dip it into a 1:10 bleach and water solution to prevent mold. Let it dry, then apply a fungicide.
2. Pop it in the fridge to keep it between 35 and 50 degrees for around four months. Avoid contact with other fruits to prevent premature sprouting.
3. Once ready, crack the pit’s outside covering and remove the smaller, smoother seed within.
4. Plant the seed at least 12 inches deep in a container of soil-free potting mix, vermiculite, or sphagnum moss. Place it in a warm spot and keep it moist until germination (around 4 to 6 weeks).
5. Once the seedling has at least two sets of leaves, acclimate it to the outdoors by leaving it in a sheltered spot for an hour more each day.
6. Water new trees deeply two or three times each week. Once mature, peach trees require 36 inches of water per year, including around 40 gallons per day during the hot summer months.
7. After three or four years, your tree will start to bear fruit.

Can Dogs Eat Peaches?

Dogs don’t need fruit in their diet, but you can still indulge your favorite canine with small bits of peach as an occasional treat. All that vitamin A and fiber will be great for your pooch, but there are a few caveats:

• Too much fruit can cause digestive problems, so peaches should be small and infrequent snacks rather than a main meal.
• Fresh peaches are fine, but canned or preserved peaches should be avoided due to the high amounts of sugar, preservatives, or artificial sweeteners they often contain.
• Peaches should be washed to remove any residual pesticides before being passed to your dog.
• Peach stones can cause obstructions and contain a toxic sugar-cyanide compound known as amygdalin. Remove the pit instead of letting your dog have uncut peaches.

Can Cats Eat Peaches?

Cats aren’t attracted to sweetness and tend to be a little more discerning than their canine counterparts, so many will turn their noses up at peaches entirely. Cats with more culinary curiosity may enjoy small slices of peach as a special treat – just be sure to follow all the same advice listed above for feeding peaches to dogs.

Easy Peach Recipes

Sweet and juicy peaches are showstoppers on their own but become even better when made into a tasty dessert. Here’s a quick look at a few of our favorite simple peach recipes.

How to Make Peach Jam

Here’s the perfect way to use your overripe or imperfect peaches. You’ll only need three simple ingredients (that’s right, no pectin!).

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 medium peaches
• 2.5 cups of white granulated sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

Recipe:

1. Prep your peaches by peeling them, destoning them, and slicing them.
2. Combine your peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan, then crush the peaches using a potato masher or spatula before boiling for 15 to 25 mins.
3. Let the jam cool, then transfer it to jars. Once cool, pop each jar in the fridge until your jam has fully set.
4. Store in an airtight container and use within three weeks or place in the freezer and use within a year.

How to Make Peach Cobbler with Cake Mix

Juicy peaches are transformed into a delicious and almost caramel-like sauce when made into cobbler, and this one’s a cinch to whip up when you use store-bought cake mix.

Ingredients:

• 8 peeled and sliced peaches
• 2 tablespoons of melted butter for the filling and 14 tablespoons for the topping
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• ¼ cup of brown sugar
• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 14 tablespoons of butter

Recipe:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, brown sugar, and cornstarch to a bowl, then drop in your peaches and fold to combine.
3. Once combined, turn into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
4. Sprinkle cake mix over the peaches, then take your remaining melted butter and pour it over slowly until no powdery cake mix spots are left.
5. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until lightly browned and bubbly.

How to Make Peach Pie Filling

This filling isn’t just fantastic for pies – it’s also a tasty addition to everything from ice cream to oatmeal. However you have it, we’re convinced you’ll enjoy it.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• ¼ cup of cornstarch
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 6 peeled and sliced peaches

Recipe:

1. Melt butter in a medium pot, then add and whisk your vanilla extract and cornstarch.
2. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Stir for 5 minutes until the sugar melts down, then add your peaches.
4. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently until peaches become soft and the filling thickens.

Remove from the heat and either bake in a pie crust or let cool before storing in the fridge in an airtight container and using within 5 days.

Turn Your Grocery Receipts Into Rewards With Fetch

Just as learning how to pick the best peaches and turn them into delicious treats will give you the most from each one, using our receipt app to snap all your grocery receipts can help you get the most from your money. To start earning rewards today, simply head to your smartphone’s app store and download Fetch.