Picking peaches early

General Fruit Growing
1

I usually like to leave fruit to ripen fully - and past fully - on the tree. However, we have these nasty fig eater beetles that attack the peaches once they get soft. They don’t tend to attack harder fruit.

I usually don’t mind sharing a bit with insects but the fig beetles stink and leave a bad smell on the fruit.

I’m considering picking the peaches before they get to the soft stage but are still colored out. I’ve read that they will continue to ripen indoors but I’m concerned that maybe I’m sacrificing some flavor by not letting them ripen fully on the tree.

Does it sound like a good idea in order to salvage the fruit from the beetles? I do have traps set out and catch dozens of beetles a day but there are always more on the fruit.

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2

Yes this is a common tactic. Some table ripened fruit is better than none

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I have been having lots of animal predation so have been picking things early. My method is if the top is rock hard when I press into it I leave it, but if there is any give at all I pick it. Nearly everything ripened great on the counter, but some plums I picked too early and they never ripened well.