The quality of stone fruit

17 June 2025

They're back again: peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries. Stone fruit is the ultimate summer fruit and guarantees a unique taste experience. But guaranteeing good quality? That's easier said than done.

Short season, wide spread

Peaches and nectarines come in countless varieties, but the season for each variety is extremely short. Harvesting must take place within a few weeks. So to keep the shelves in Northern Europe filled throughout the spring and summer, many different varieties as well as growing locations are needed. Yet there are always times when stone fruit is simply not available. It is therefore the only fruit category that cannot be sold year-round.

Differences in taste and preference

In addition to timing, the type of stone fruit also affects sales. There are both white- and yellow-fleshed varieties. Classic peaches and nectarines are yellow-fleshed and slightly more acidic. Newer varieties are often white-fleshed, less acidic and thus sweeter in taste. In the Netherlands, consumers are less familiar with these. In Belgium, France and the United Kingdom you do see these varieties on the shelf. Unknown makes unloved - and that hinders the acceptance of these varieties.

Ripe, but not too ripe

The biggest challenge for retailers and suppliers is to offer peaches and nectarines when they are ready to eat. This is particularly difficult in the winter months and in the first weeks of the European stone fruit season, when the fruit is often still unripe. But even in mid-summer - when Spain and Italy are in full production - fruit can actually ripen too quickly.

Peaches and nectarines must be harvested at the right maturity level and then continue to ripen. This is a delicate process: if the fruit is picked too ripe, it is susceptible to damage and has a limited shelf life. If harvested too early, ripening stops and consumers are left with hard, unpalatable fruit.

In some cases, post-ripening is used to achieve proper eating ripeness, as with stone fruit from South Africa during the winter months. But this is still done on a relatively small scale.

Ripe nectarines, some of which are halved, on a woven background.

Want to learn how to grade stone fruit yourself?

Want to get a better grip on the quality of peaches, nectarines and other stone fruits? In the P13 inspector module you learn how to objectively inspect these products for ripeness, taste, structure and visual characteristics. Practice-oriented, directly applicable and developed for AGF professionals who want to make a difference.

Smart management on quality

Retailers can boost sales by offering fruit that is ready to eat. But beware: fruit that is too ripe quickly leads to mealy-mouthedness and disappointment. A good rule of thumb is that the product should be edible within two days of purchase. Grip on quality is therefore important, especially with stone fruit.

Your partner in the world of fruit and vegetables

Quality and availability of fruits and vegetables fluctuate constantly. Besides daily activities such as inspecting fruit and vegetables, there are new challenges. Think of the reduction of packaging materials, the increasing focus on taste, the AGF knowledge of new staff, improving specifications, optimizing seasonal transitions and the introduction of new growing techniques.In this complex world of fruit and vegetables, Normec Foodcare is your partner. We give you a grip on the quality of AGF. We do this by:

Monitoring quality in the supermarket
Product comparisons
Shelf life tests
Taste research
Store inspections
Product specifications
Secondment of inspectors & quality managers
Training AGF quality

Our team of AGF experts and inspectors is here for you. With many years of knowledge and experience, we know better than anyone else how to make a difference in AGF as a grower, importer or supermarket chain.

Need support in the food sector?

Our experts are happy to think along with you and help you quickly on your way.

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