The Easy Way To Test If The Pears On Your Tree Are Ripe & Ready To Pick

If you haven't been fortunate enough to grow and care for a pear tree in your backyard, you might not know that the pear is a bit of an unusual fruit. European pear varieties like Bartlett, Bosc, and D'Anjou, which are popular in the United States, ripen best off the tree. Asian pears, which are typically low-maintenance pear tree varieties that are easy to grow, represent just a small portion of the pears commercially grown and sold in the U.S. They ripen on the tree.

The off-tree ripening of European pears presents a conundrum for home growers. If they don't ripen on the tree, how do you know when to pick them? Plus, it's challenging to identify the sweet-spot picking time that allows for ripening, rather than over-ripening, indoors. Rock-hard pears are not ready to be picked, but as they ripen, their flesh will soften. Gently grasp a pear. If you feel a bit of give, you can pick it. Some, but not all, pears change color slightly when they're ready for harvest, including Comice, Bosc, and D'Anjou varieties. Their unripe green hue pales. You may notice white dots turning brown as the pear nears harvest readiness.

Another test of a pear's readiness for picking is how easily the fruit comes off the twig it's attached to. Grab the pear and tilt it until it's horizontal with the ground. If it's ready to harvest, you'll be able to pull it off the branch with little effort. A pear that hangs on for dear life should be left on the tree. Conversely, some pears will indicate they're ready for harvest by detaching themselves from the tree and falling to the ground. If you find a pear on the ground, it's a pretty safe bet that it's ready for indoor ripening. Generally, however, you should handle pears gently during harvest and storage because they bruise easily.

Place your plucked pears in a fruit bowl to ripen. Or ditch your countertop produce bowl and try this clever storage solution instead: produce drawers. Now that the fruit is off the tree, the next dilemma is determining when your pears are ripe enough to eat. Timing is one indication. At room temperature, fresh-picked pears need about a week to ripen. The check the neck trick is the easiest to do and simplest to remember. The pear's neck will have a bit of give when you apply gentle pressure to it. You can hasten ripening by placing the pears in a paper bag with another piece of fruit, such as a banana or apple. The ethylene gas emitted by the fruit will accelerate the ripening process. Refrigerate ripe pears to halt the process.