A juicy and sweet fruit like nectarine is a perfect choice for you to get refreshments in the summer. If you have a nectarine tree in the garden, it’s fantastic to pluck a ripe fruit on the tree and enjoy it. Of course, not everyone in that case. That’s why you have to know how to ripen nectarines off the tree.
The fact that farmers do not harvest nectarines right the time they are ripe because it takes time to transfer them to markets and retailers. They have to make sure the fruits are not bruised and spoiled before going to customers.
Because of this, the nectarines you buy at the market are often not fully ripe. Therefore, I’m going to reveal some tips that you can ripen nectarines at home so quickly.
How To Ripen Nectarines In Brief?
Here are some simple methods that you can use to ripen nectarines:
- Storing At Temperature Room: The effortless way to ripen nectarines.
- Rice Storage Box: Taking use of materials available in your kitchen.
- Incense: A creative method by burning incense to create smoke that can ripen nectarines.
- A Paper Bag: Put nectarines in a paper bag combined with ripe banana and apple to ripen nectarines in a short time.
- Napkins: Covering nectarines in napkins to ripen them after 2-3 days
What Is The Difference Between Nectarine And Peach?
Before finding out how to ripen nectarines, you have to be sure to choose the right nectarine. Why do I say that?
There are some reasons if you are confused about choosing between nectarines and peaches. Actually, nectarines are a type of peach with the same shape and very similar flavors. I will show you some physical features so that you can make the right decision.
The first and also the most straightforward feature to distinguish is their skins. Nectarines have a smooth and firm skin. While peaches have a fuzzy and soft coating outside skin.
There is still another way to get the difference, that is the size. Compared to peaches, nectarines are usually a little smaller. Let’s have a look at the following picture, and you will get it.
What Signs Of Ripe Nectarines?
How can you know if your nectarines are ripe or not? Here are some signs for you to recognize:
Color
The ripen nectarines’ skin should be in the red dark. Both white nectarines and yellow nectarines have the same dark red skin when they are ripe. But it’s not enough. You have to look at the background color. I call it “undertone.”
A ripe white nectarine should have pale-yellow undertones, while a yellow nectarine should have a golden one. If your nectarine has a greenish color in the background, it means it’s not the right time to eat yet.
Skin
The nectarine’s skin indicates whether it’s ripe or not. When the fruit is unripe, the skin looks glossy. But when it ripens, the skin will lose its shine.
Besides, the skin also reveals if the nectarine is sweet or not. Just look at the skin, and if you see many spots, it means you have a tasty fruit in your hand.
Smell
A ripe nectarine has a typical fragrant scent. Just handle it gently and hold it closer to your nose. If it’s intensely fragrant, it’s ready to eat.
Touch
Another way, also the easiest way to know if your nectarines are ready – if they are soft when you gently squeeze. As I mentioned, nectarines are juicy and moisturizing fruit, and soft flesh is a typical sign for this kind of fruit.
However, it will be bad if your nectarines are too soft. Just slightly soft is enough. Because when a nectarine becomes too soft, it means the nectarine is overripe and might be spoiled.
Why Should You Ripen Nectarines?
Some fruits are not so different even if you eat them raw or ripe such as mango, papaya, guava. However, the nectarine is not the same. Let’s find out why you should ripen nectarines!
More Flavor
Do you want to eat a hard and flavorless nectarine? That’s obviously not my choice. During the ripening process, nectarines gradually change their color and flavor. And when they are fully ripe, it’s the right time to enjoy juicy and sweet ones, which are truly the gift of nature.
It becomes softer to touch as nectarine ripens. You can slightly squeeze it and feel how succulent it is. It’s an awesome feeling to bite that soft and tasty nectarine melting in your mouth.
Fully Nutrients
Most fruits are healthy only when they are fully ripe. There is a study showing that ripe fruit contains highly active antioxidants. In the same way, nectarines provide you full of nutrients only if they become ripe.
How To Ripen Nectarines At Home With 5 Easy And Quick Methods?
I gave you some tips on how to get tasty and ripe nectarines before. However, what if you go to the market and there is no ripe one to take home? Don’t worry because you can ripen nectarines by yourself at home with some easy and simple methods following.
First of all, you should know that the key to getting your fruits ripe is ethylene gas. Ethylene gas is known as a natural “fruit-ripening hormone.” The ethylene concentration can regulate the fruit’s metabolism and cause some changes to the fruit during ripening.
Therefore, in the following methods, I will show you how to apply this mechanism to increase ethylene concentration by naturally ripening nectarines.
Method 1: Storing At Room Temperature
The first and the simplest method to ripen nectarines is storing nectarines at room temperature. Just place the fruits at room temperature and wait a few days until they mature on their own.
This method is the best choice if you do not intend to eat your nectarines right after buying them from the market. It often takes 2 or 3 days for the ripening process at room temperature.
Method 2: Taking Advantage Of Rice In Your Kitchen
What you need:
- A storage box with a sealed lid
- Rice
What you need is a sealed storage box with rice inside. It’s a traditional way to promote the ripening process of fruits. Rice is very good at holding ethylene gas, so you can take advantage of this rice’s ability to ripen the fruits and vegetables like nectarines.
To do this, you just simply bury your nectarines deeply in the rice storage box and wait. The next day, ripe nectarines will be ready for you to eat. But I have to remind you one thing, this process will take place in a very short time, about 24 hours.
Don’t forget to bring your nectarines out of the box within an acceptable time. If not, your fruits might be spoiled. And I’m sure that’s not what you want.
Method 3: Using Incense
What you need:
- A bucket with a lid
- Stick or cone incense
- A lighter or a box of matches
It sounds strange, doesn’t it? But it’s true. After being near incense smoke for a period, fruits will produce ethylene gas and self-ripen.
Similarly, you can put your nectarines into a bucket and burn incense inside it until it is almost burnt out. Then, take the incense out and seal the bucket with a lid for the annealing process. That helps your fruits ripen more quickly.
Method 4: Using A Paper Bag
What you need:
- A thin paper bag
- Other ripe fruits like banana or apple
Do you still keep the paper bag from the last time you went to the market? If yes, just use it to ripen your nectarines. As a fruit’s characteristic, nectarines can produce ethylene gas themselves. And the thin paper bag plays a role as a cover to trap the gas inside without moisture.
What you need to do is to place your nectarines into a paper bag and wait for ripening. Besides, you can also place a banana or an apple into the bag for adding ripening powers.
The special thing about these fruits is that they release a higher amount of ethylene gas than other fruits. And it’s what you need, right?
Now, leave the bag in a dry place and check the fruits’ ripening after 24 hours following the signs I gave you before. If they are ripe, enjoy them. If not, replace them in the bag for more time and repeat this checking process until they are ready to be eaten.
Method 5: Wrapping Nectarines In Napkins
What you need:
- Two napkins
- A flat surface
Last but not least, another way to ripen your nectarines more quickly is by wrapping them in a cotton or linen napkin.
The first step is to lay out a napkin on a flat surface. Then, place your nectarines on the napkin by how the stem ends down, giving space between them for not touching each other.
After that, cover the fruits with another napkin on the top. After that, cover the nectarines with another napkin on the top. Fold the corners and edges of the napkin so that the fruits inside are wholly isolated from the outside environment.
Despite taking several days to ripen your nectarines with this method, it is worth it for you to get juicier fruit. Check the result after 2-3 days, and make sure that your nectarines are soft enough before they become overripe and rot.
How To Store Nectarines For A Long Time?
If you’ve been reading this post until now, you probably already know how and why you have to ripen nectarines. But now, the question is how to store these ripe nectarines for a long time. They may become overripe and rotten if you cannot eat all of them right after they ripen. I’m sure that’s not what you want to hear.
The solution is storing ripe nectarines in the fridge. The cold temperatures can slow down the ripening process and prevent your nectarines from being spoiled. In this way, your nectarines can keep their original flavor for about 5 days.
For more extended storage, you can cut nectarines into small slices and put them into the freezer with a vacuum bag. This method allows your nectarines to be fresh for at least one month. But don’t forget your nectarines there and try to eat them as soon as possible to enjoy their original flavor and whole nutrients.
Incredible Health Benefits Of Nectarines
Nectarine is not only a luscious fruit but also a source of various nutrients for your health. Let’s find out what nutrients are in nectarines and how they affect your body.
Significant Nutrients In Nectarines
There are many nutrients in the nectarines that is helpful for your body, but I just list some significant and important ones here:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is commonly found in fruits with yellow and red skin. It is known as an essential vitamin in increasing the body’s defenses. Nectarine is one of the fruits with high vitamin C amounts that you should not miss.
Fiber
Nectarines are a good source to get fiber. We all know that fiber is an essential factor to help with digestion. It is also used in the diet by tricking your brain by creating a feeling of fullness then reducing the number of calories your body can consume.
Beta-Carotene And Vitamin A
The high beta-carotene content in nectarines makes their orange-red skin color. Beta-carotene is known as an antioxidant that is converted into vitamin A in the human body.
Its role is to protect the body from radicals that can cause cancer or heart disease. Eating nectarines is a good way to protect yourself from potential risks attacking your health.
Potassium And Minerals
Potassium and some other minerals such as phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese are essential elements in nectarines. They have specific functions in the human body’s systems and contribute to overall health.
How Are Nutrients In Nectarines Good For You?
After being aware of some nutrients in nectarines, you could be curious about how they are beneficial to your health. Let’s check this out:
Enhance Immunity
Many antioxidants such as vitamin C, zinc, and other protective components in nectarines will synthesize antibodies increasing the ability to fight various body infections. They also reduce the risk of getting common illnesses and help speed up the recovery of wounds.
Antioxidant Defense
In the skin of nectarines, there is a good amount of polyphenols, vitamin C, and carotenoids, such as beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin, with high concentrations that have excellent antioxidant power. That’s the reason why you should not peel nectarines’ skin when eating.
Improve Eye Health
You can add nectarines to your menu because of their lutein – an essential nutrient that improves eye health. In addition, the beta-carotene converting to vitamin A also helps maintain healthy eyesight and prevent eye diseases.
Assist Digestive System
The dietary fiber of nectarines absorbs water, regulates bowel movements, and can help prevent issues like constipation, gastritis, and ulcers.
Fiber also combines with alkalinity to maintain the digestive system in the human body.
Applied In Skincare
Nectarine is a kind of stone fruit that provides helpful antioxidants and compounds for the skin. Beta-carotene can protect the skin from UV radiation. Vitamin C in nectarines plays a role in synthesizing collagen, maintaining bright and tight skin.
With a fragrant smell and various useful nutrients, nectarines are applied in producing many skincare products.
To get further information about the health benefits of nectarines, here is the answer for you:
Can Nectarines Cause Allergies?
Despite being a nutritious and delicious fruit, unfortunately, nectarine may be allergic to some people. Although it’s not common as other fruits, allergic symptoms can occur soon right after eating nectarines. It is because of a phenomenon called oral allergy syndrome(OAS).
It’s not so clear, but there are still some symptoms you can notice if you’re allergic to nectarines or not.
From a positive perspective, OAS symptoms are usually not as serious as true allergies, but it doesn’t mean you can neglect them. If you have any symptoms mentioned above after eating nectarines, seek urgent care immediately.
What if you still want to eat nectarines despite being probably allergic to them? By cooking nectarines, you can break down the proteins to which the immune system reacts. In that way, you can avoid OAS symptoms.
However, I will not recommend this way because nothing can be more valued than your health. Don’t take risks with your health.
Some Impressive Nectarine Recipes You Should Not Miss
What if you buy too many nectarines and don’t want to waste them? The good news is there are many recipes you can make with nectarines for delicious dishes. You can enjoy your nectarines in various ways that are perfect for summer cooking.
You can make it by yourself or do it with your family and friends to have a fun time together this summer. No matter if you are a professional chef or a normal person like anyone else, I believe you can do it well with the very detailed instructions provided.
1. Nectarine Smoothie
A cup of smoothie on such sweltering hot days is really a perfect solution to quench your thirst. With a very simple recipe, I believe you can do it easily and quickly.
2. Nectarine Ice Cream
Another recipe with nectarines is ice cream. Some people don’t like to make ice cream at home. But with this peach ice cream recipe, you will feel it has never been easier than ever.
This ice cream is the perfect combination of sweet fresh fruit and vanilla, creating a special deliciousness.
3. Nectarines Salsa
This dish is a blend of sweet and slightly salty flavors. You can serve it with grilled fish and have a main course.
4. Nectarines Pie
If you are a fan of sweet foods, you cannot ignore this nectarine pie recipe. The crispy crust plus the soft and moist filling make a perfect combination.
5. Grilled Honey – Nectarines Ricotta Toast
This recipe is the perfect dish for a midday snack. When toasted, nectarines add an impressive flavor to the dish, combined with sweetness from honey and other ingredients like almonds and fresh mint.
You can enjoy this dish with bread with a thick crust so that the coating can be preserved.
FAQs
The following frequently asked questions may be your situation, and I hope the corresponding answers will give you more helpful information.
Which Method Is The Best For You?
After reading all the detailed guidelines about how to ripen nectarines, you can choose a suitable method and try to do it. I hope that you can enjoy your nectarines with the best flavor when they are already ripe.
You can also try these ways for other types of fruits; it works for almost all fruits. Ripening fruits safely at home is easier than ever.
If you succeed in ripening your nectarines and think the above information is valuable, don’t forget to share it with your friends and family who need these tips. Thanks a lot!
References:
1. Kamaljit Moirangthem and Gregory Tucker. How Do Fruits Ripen? – kids.frontiersin.org. [Online]
2. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Ripe Fruit Contains Highly Active Antioxidants. (2007)-sciencedaily.com. [Online]
3. Eva S Wintergerst, Silvia Maggini, Dietrich H Hornig. Immune-enhancing role of vitamin C and zinc and effect on clinical conditions.-pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov-[Online]
4. Meenakshi Nagdeve. 12 Surprising Benefits Of Nectarines. (2020) – organicfacts.net. [Online]
