If you are a true fruit fan, then you are in luck because it’s officially peach season! Whether you like to bake them up in a pie or just eat them plain, this delectable treat is always a summer favorite….

…that is, unless your peaches are HARD.

Talk about a buzzkill, right? We can’t even tell you how many times we’ve bought a big box of beautiful-looking peaches at a local fruit stand, thinking they’d be ready to eat when we got home, only to have to wait up to a week until they were actually soft!

That’s why we decided to enlighten ourselves on all things peaches, so we wouldn’t have to get into this frustrating scenario yet again. As it turns out, all of that research we did wasn’t in vain because we learned all about some super simple ways to soften up our peaches.

Similar to avocados, there are some clever ways to speed up the ripening process of that famed Georgia treat. Here are a few of our favorite methods:

1. The Paper Bag

   The most popular ripening technique around – “The Paper Bag”, as we like to call it – is quite possibly the easiest of the three.

   All you have to do is stick your hard peaches in a brown paper bag, set the bag on your counter, and forget about it. If all goes well, even the firmest of peaches should be ready to eat within a couple of days.

   Although this is a tried and true ripening method, this is not for those who live in a humid climate, as the paper bag tends to trap in moisture, which can spoil the fruit prematurely. When in doubt, check on the fruit regularly to make sure that it’s handling the heat ok.

2. The Linen Napkin

   Jack Dykinga via Wikipedia Commons

   Invented by a food blogger who wasn’t willing to risk spoiling 3 pounds of fresh peaches, “The Linen Napkin” is a more mindful spin on the above-mentioned paper bag technique.

   For this one, simply cover each peach with a couple of layers of linen napkins. After two short days, you should be welcomed with picture perfect peaches. Score!

3. The Poach

   If you are planning on cooking your peach (i.e. using it as an ingredient in a pie or jam), then “The Poach” is the way to go.

   Simply cut the peach in half and remove the stone. This is also the time when you should peel away the skin, if your recipe calls for it. Next, boil water – or wine, beer, simple syrup, etc. for extra flavor – bring to a simmer, and add in your halved peaches.

   The cooking time can be a bit tricky—it can take you anywhere between 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the original ripeness.

And… that’s all there is to it! Now you don’t have to wait days and days for soft, moist fruit. We don’t know about you, but all of this talk about peaches is really making us crave some dump cake!

What do you think of these peach ripening tips? Have you ever tried these techniques before? Do you have another one that you would like to add to the list?