Peaches do ripen off the tree. They get softer and sweeter. Most of my peach and nectarine ripen over a 2-3 week period. So I never pick them all at once.

I'm not into canning but would think you would need to peel and can while they are still firm.

Except that, as mentioned in the other thread, it's hard to get the peel off underripe peaches. This makes a real difference in canning them.

Someone mentioned to me the other day that his wife dips the peaches for a very brief time in boiling water and then is able to slip the skins right off, guess you'll get to figure out the timing yourself.

If you don't know how immature you can pick your fruit and still have it fully ripen off the tree, start now trying to figure it out. Mine seem to have a limit of no more than 4 days indoors before they begin to dessicate and shrivel. In order to pick and avoid waiting 4 days to fully ripen I look at the blush and background color around the fruit as well as feel for a spot that yields easily to very gentle finger tip pressure. If there is more than a hint of green, they won't fully ripen off the tree. My tree is Reliance, yours may well be different.

Be observant, it shouldn't take long to figure it out.

I grow this variety, and am about done picking it this year. It's a commercial variety that takes about 2 pickings. As Michael says, wait till the background color turns yellow. Ideally, there won't be any green at all. But if you see a little green just around the stem after you've picked one, don't fret, it will soften and sweeten up if you leave it on the counter. When I pick, 25% of the fruit might have a little green around the stem. I try not to pick those, but many times, you can't tell until after you pick them, but they soften and sweeten just fine.

Fruit that have a yellow background color, but are still firm and allowed to soften on the counter, taste just as good as fruit that soften on the tree. We are only talking the difference of a day or two.

As a general rule the fruit on the outside of the tree ripen before the inside fruit.

If you have some fruit falling on the ground, you need to pick some of it (probably half).

Technically, peaches don't increase in sugar content once they are picked, rather the acid decreases giving the illusion sugar has increased.

By like I say, I've sampled a lot of fruit soft on the tree, and a lot properly counter softened, and the two are indistinguishable to me.

Olpea, Thanks for the 1st hand information. I think that I'll start picking tomorrow. I am very impressed with the PF13 peach so far. Your info is good news to my wife, she can freeze or can in stages instead of all at once. By the way, local peaches, Red Haven, are selling for $44.00 a bushel. Ouch! Thanks again to all who posted. Luke

I pick my peaches when they are slightly soft on one small part- generally on the most sun exposed part of the peach.

Never noticed any sweetening up after picking- how bout a brix test, fruitnut. I guess if acid decreased it wouldn't necessarily show up on the test though.