When to Harvest Fruit
Loading
Apricots
Apricots are ready for harvesting when they display an orange-gold color. Leave any apricots that have any tinge of green on the tree to ripen further. At this stage, ripe apricots will also appear plump and can range in size from a golf ball to about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter and should have a softness to it, neither to hard nor too soft. It should have a rich aroma, unripe fruit doesn't have a smell.
Apples
Apples must display the correct color to be harvested. Ground color is the color of an apple’s skin, disregarding any areas that have become red. In red-fruited cultivars, observe the portion of the apple facing the interior of the tree. When the ground color of red cultivars changes from leaf green to yellowish green or creamy, the apples are ready to harvest. In yellow cultivars, the ground color becomes golden. Mature apples with a yellowish-green background color are suitable for storage.
Apples that will be eaten immediately, may be ripened on the tree. Apples that are to be stored, should be picked when hard but mature, showing the mature skin color but with a hard flesh. Therefore, storage apples will be harvested before fresh eating apples. Most apple cultivars have brown seeds when ready for harvest. However, seeds may become brown several weeks before proper picking maturity. When harvesting, do not remove the stems from apples that will be stored. Be sure to store only apples without bruises, insect or disease damage, cracks, splits or injury.
Cherries
Wait until the cherries turn fully red to harvest them; the sugar content rises dramatically in the last few days of ripening. You'll need to go over the tree every other day for about a week. Pick the fruit with stems attached, but be careful not to tear off the woody fruit spur, which will continue to produce fruit year after year.
Figs
Figs should be allowed to ripen fully on the tree. But they must be picked as they ripen; otherwise, spoilage from the dried fruit beetle can occur. On-the-tree spoilage or souring is caused by microorganisms in the fully ripe fruit. These organisms are usually carried into the open eye of the fig by insects, particularly the dried fruit beetle. Daily harvests and the removal of overripe, spoiled figs can greatly reduce spoilage problems. This is particularly true of varieties which have an open eye.Use gloves and long sleeves when harvesting figs to prevent skin irritation from the fig latex.
Peaches
Peaches should be picked when they being to get a hint of red on their skins and soften a bit. The birds, squirrels and other animals also enjoy peaches, so if you are sharing more of your harvest than you would care to, you may need to harvest a few days sooner. Typically peaches will ripen in batches about 2 to 3 days apart, so check on the trees frequently.
Pears
Pears are best ripened off the tree. When left on the tree, they often turn soft and brown and become a prime target for birds. Pick pears when their color changes from a dark to light or yellowish green, but before they turn yellow and the dots on the skin should turn from white to light brown . The fruit should be relatively firm and lift relatively easily away from the tree when you lift and twist the fruit. Mature pears will ripen within a few days if stored at room temperature and high humidity. They will ripen even faster if stored with other pears in a paper sack.
Plums
Plums of high quality are well shaped, colored, firm and green from defects such as bruising and insect and disease damage. The best way to determine plum ripeness is to apply gentle pressure to the fruit with your thumb and feel if the flesh is beginning to soften. If so, the fruit should be ready for consumption. If not, it can be picked, but allow to ripen further for another day or two at room temperature. Experience will provide a gauge on the optimal time of harvesting the fruit from the tree.
Apricots are ready for harvesting when they display an orange-gold color. Leave any apricots that have any tinge of green on the tree to ripen further. At this stage, ripe apricots will also appear plump and can range in size from a golf ball to about 2 to 2.5 inches in diameter and should have a softness to it, neither to hard nor too soft. It should have a rich aroma, unripe fruit doesn't have a smell.
Apples
Apples must display the correct color to be harvested. Ground color is the color of an apple’s skin, disregarding any areas that have become red. In red-fruited cultivars, observe the portion of the apple facing the interior of the tree. When the ground color of red cultivars changes from leaf green to yellowish green or creamy, the apples are ready to harvest. In yellow cultivars, the ground color becomes golden. Mature apples with a yellowish-green background color are suitable for storage.
Apples that will be eaten immediately, may be ripened on the tree. Apples that are to be stored, should be picked when hard but mature, showing the mature skin color but with a hard flesh. Therefore, storage apples will be harvested before fresh eating apples. Most apple cultivars have brown seeds when ready for harvest. However, seeds may become brown several weeks before proper picking maturity. When harvesting, do not remove the stems from apples that will be stored. Be sure to store only apples without bruises, insect or disease damage, cracks, splits or injury.
Cherries
Wait until the cherries turn fully red to harvest them; the sugar content rises dramatically in the last few days of ripening. You'll need to go over the tree every other day for about a week. Pick the fruit with stems attached, but be careful not to tear off the woody fruit spur, which will continue to produce fruit year after year.
Figs
Figs should be allowed to ripen fully on the tree. But they must be picked as they ripen; otherwise, spoilage from the dried fruit beetle can occur. On-the-tree spoilage or souring is caused by microorganisms in the fully ripe fruit. These organisms are usually carried into the open eye of the fig by insects, particularly the dried fruit beetle. Daily harvests and the removal of overripe, spoiled figs can greatly reduce spoilage problems. This is particularly true of varieties which have an open eye.Use gloves and long sleeves when harvesting figs to prevent skin irritation from the fig latex.
Peaches
Peaches should be picked when they being to get a hint of red on their skins and soften a bit. The birds, squirrels and other animals also enjoy peaches, so if you are sharing more of your harvest than you would care to, you may need to harvest a few days sooner. Typically peaches will ripen in batches about 2 to 3 days apart, so check on the trees frequently.
Pears
Pears are best ripened off the tree. When left on the tree, they often turn soft and brown and become a prime target for birds. Pick pears when their color changes from a dark to light or yellowish green, but before they turn yellow and the dots on the skin should turn from white to light brown . The fruit should be relatively firm and lift relatively easily away from the tree when you lift and twist the fruit. Mature pears will ripen within a few days if stored at room temperature and high humidity. They will ripen even faster if stored with other pears in a paper sack.
Plums
Plums of high quality are well shaped, colored, firm and green from defects such as bruising and insect and disease damage. The best way to determine plum ripeness is to apply gentle pressure to the fruit with your thumb and feel if the flesh is beginning to soften. If so, the fruit should be ready for consumption. If not, it can be picked, but allow to ripen further for another day or two at room temperature. Experience will provide a gauge on the optimal time of harvesting the fruit from the tree.
|
|
|
