Picking Fruit and Berries at Their Peak

As fruit and berry growers in a home garden, it’s important for us to pick the fruit when it is at its optimum stage of ripening. But how do we know the best time to harvest? This blog article is a home gardener’s guide to picking fruit and berries at their peak.

Climacteric and not climacteric fruit

It is important to understand the difference between climacteric fruits and those that are non-climacteric. Climacteric fruits continue to ripen after being picked, which is why most fruit can be shipped long distances and still arrive in good condition. However, fruits generally taste better and are more nutritious when harvested at their peak ripeness. As home gardeners, we have the advantage of being able to pick fruit at just the right time, and we can also harvest it in advance for storage.

Climacteric fruits, which include apples, apricots, peaches, plums, and pears, continue to ripen and enhance their flavor and texture even after being harvested. This ripening process is initiated by ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone that the fruit produces in increasing quantities once it reaches maturity. By the way, tomatoes are also climatcteric, and that’s why they nicely ripen indoors.

Non-climacteric fruits like cherries and grapes do not ripen significantly after being harvested and will only spoil over time. Most common berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and cranberries, are also non-climacteric. It’s important to pick these fruits when they are ripe and to use or preserve them shortly after harvesting.

When is the best time to pick fruit and berries?

If we want to pick fruit and berries at their best ripening stage for fresh eating, the best indicator is the plant itself. Plants hold on to their fruit until it is ripe. When the fruit becomes ripe, the plant releases it. Then the fruit can be easily twisted off the branch. Eventually, ripe fruit will fall to the ground. The window between being perfectly ripe and falling differs by variety. Also, seldom does a plant have all its fruit ripe at the same time, so do not assume that if some apples have fallen, all apples are ready. However, fallen fruit is an indicator that we are getting close to the right time to harvest.

Color change is an important indicator of ripeness in fruit. A fruit typically changes color as it ripens. It may take some experience to notice this change since not all fruit is as obvious, but once you do, it becomes clear. Once overripe, a fruit might become somewhat translucent. Don’t wait too long.

Size is another indicator, especially for berries. It’s almost as if they swell slightly. However, after the peak-ripening stage, the berries tend to shrink back. As a home gardener, make sure to visit the berry patch frequently.

Firmness, or rather the lack of it, is a great indicator of ripeness. A ripe fruit feels slightly soft, but it shouldn’t be mushy. Think more of a balloon filled with air just right. This sensation is noticeable without bruising the fruit.

Picking fruit for storage

When harvesting climacteric fruit for storage, it’s best to pick them just before they become fully ripe. If picked too early, the fruit may not develop its full aroma potential. You may have noticed that fruit in supermarkets often lacks a smell. As home gardeners, we have the advantage of allowing the fruit to ripen slightly more on the tree.

Exceptions to picking ripe fruit

However, there are exceptions to the general rule of picking ripe fruit. For instance, pears should be harvested when they are mature—still firm but not yet ripe. The picture I shared above depicts a fruit that was slightly overripe. Since it’s a new tree for us, this experience inspired me to write this blog article.

Pick pears when they break away easily from the tree but are still green. Early-maturing varieties will ripen quickly once picked, while later varieties may take a couple of weeks and are ideal for storage. Pears that ripen indoors usually taste better. Additionally, keep in mind that pears spoil quickly once they reach full ripeness.

Another exception is if there are predators or insects that will damage the ripe fruit. In our garden, birds go after the red and sweet September Ruby. We prefer to pick it a bit earlier to prevent damage.

Cherries are prone to getting maggots. We are careful to pick all the fruit, ensuring that nothing is left in the garden for the larvae to overwinter. This way, we can usually achieve an early harvest before the maggots develop. Cherries do not ripen after being picked, but early picking is excellent for making sour cherry jam.

Living in the hailstorm alley, we watch the weather very closely. If the fruit is almost ripe and there is a thunderstorm in the forecast, we pick it. Hail can severely damage fruit, so harvesting slightly under-ripe fruit is still better than facing a total loss. Another option is to pick damaged fruit as soon as possible and to make apple jam.