Peaches
In season in the Midwest · down 18% this week
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from June through September, and is generally in stores from May through October. This week it's in season in the Midwest — buying it in season usually means better quality and, as the regional prices below show, a lower price.
Per a typical 150g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Peaches, yellow, raw).
- 1 NortheastCheapest $2.29/lb
- 2 Southwest $2.46/lb
- 3 Southcentral $2.74/lb
- 4 Southeast $3.07/lb
- 5 Midwest $3.10/lb
- 6 Northwest $3.10/lb
Buying peaches in the Northeast saves about 26% versus the Northwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- Go by smell and give, not colour — the red blush is a variety trait, while the background colour should be cream or gold rather than green. A ripe peach smells sweet at the stem and yields along the seam. Hard, scentless peaches were picked too early and will soften without ever getting sweeter.
- What a good price looks like
- Peak season runs June through August at $1.50 to $3 a pound. Under $2 is a good price and the point at which cobbler and freezing make sense. Out of season the fruit is imported from South America, costs $4 or more, and is almost always picked hard and mealy — a case where buying out of season is not worth it at any price.
- What you actually get
- A pound is three medium peaches and gives about 2 cups sliced, serving three to four. The pit is around 10% of the weight. Peaches bruise where they touch, so buy them in a single layer if you can and expect some loss from any bag that has been stacked.
- How to store it
- Ripen on the counter, stem-side down and not touching, then refrigerate for two or three days once soft. Cold applied too early causes mealy, dry flesh.
- In the kitchen
- A peach ripens on the counter and rots in the fridge, so leave it out until it gives at the shoulder and smells like a peach, then refrigerate only to hold it. For peeling, score an X and dip in boiling water for 30 seconds exactly as with tomatoes. Freestone varieties come away from the pit cleanly and clingstone do not — the label rarely says, but freestone dominates late summer.
- Getting the most out of it
- Freestone varieties, which appear mid-season, are far less work than clingstone. When they are cheap, slice and freeze them for smoothies, or roast halves cut-side down — heat rescues a peach that is sweet but bland.
- Peach MuffinsRecipe by Two Peas & Their Pod~$0.36 / serving 1 in-season
- Peach Coffee CakeRecipe by Two Peas & Their Pod~$0.49 / serving 1 in-season
- Zucchini Peach Streusel Muffins.Recipe by Half Baked Harvest~$0.50 / serving 2 in-season
- Peach Upside Down CakeRecipe by Spend With Pennies~$0.52 / serving 1 in-season
- Fresh Blueberry Peach CakeRecipe by Pinch of Yum~$0.57 / serving 2 in-season
- Rustic Strawberry Peach GaletteRecipe by Sally's Baking Addiction~$0.61 / serving 2 in-season
See all 243 recipes with peaches →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA National Retail Report. Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Peaches — FAQ
When can you buy peaches in season?
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from June through September, and is generally in stores from May through October. This week the Midwest has peaches marked in season.
What's the price of peaches right now?
As of the week of October 2, 2026, the price of peaches in the Midwest is $3.10/lb, down 18% from last week. It's cheapest in the Northeast at $2.29/lb.
How many calories and how much protein are in peaches?
A typical 150g serving of peaches has about 59 calories, 1.4g protein, 14.3g carbohydrates, 0.5g fat, and 2.3g fiber, per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I make with peaches?
SeasonSort indexes 243 recipes that use peaches, each with its cost per serving computed from this week's prices — starting from about $0.24 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.