Shelf Life

Maximum market shelf life is 14-21 days, depending on the variety. Once peaches ripen, they have a very short shelf life of 1-2 days at room temperature. Optimum storage temperatures from 30.5 to 32°F with relative humidity at 90 to 95%.

Other Information

• Peach varieties may be freestone types, which have stones that separate easily from the ripe flesh, or clingstones, which have flesh that adheres firmly to the stone. Freestone types are preferred for eating fresh, while clingstone for canning.
• China is the world's largest producer of peaches. Italy is second, with about one-sixth the world supply. The United States (three largest peach producing states are California, South Carolina, and Georgia), where the peach ranks second to the apple, produces about a fifth of the world's supply.
• Peaches are hand-picked into bags, baskets or totes and are transported from orchard to packinghouse and cooled as soon as possible after harvest. At the packinghouse, fruit are dry dumped and cleaned. Packers work directly from buckets to select, grade, size, and to pack fruit into plastic trays.

For more information:

• http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/outbreaks/surveillance-reporting/investigation-toolkit.html
• www.fda.gov/Food/RecallsOutbreaksEmergencies/Outbreaks/ucm272351.htm