Sep. 09, 2024
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"There are only ten minutes in the life of a pear when it is perfect to eat." &#; Ralph Waldo Emerson
While the quote above may be an exaggeration, it does serve to highlight the fact that many growers struggle to figure out the proper ripening and eating times for pears. In this post, we will teach you everything you need to know for picking, ripening, and enjoying homegrown pears.
Did you know pears don't ripen on the tree?
While most types of fruit reach their peak on the branch or vine, pears need to be picked before ripening. If left on the tree, pears ripen from the inside out and, by the time they seem to be at the ripe stage, they are beyond it &#; usually mushy with a mealy texture beneath the skin.
To avoid such results, you must pick pears when they are mature but not yet fully ripened. Figuring out the answer to "when are pears ripe?" can be difficult. When in season, a mature pear will still be firm to the touch, so feel won&#;t be a strong indicator. You can&#;t really go by sight either; a mature pear could be a variation of colors, like green, yellow, or even blush, depending on the variety.
The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.
Once harvested, most pears will require about a week to ripen at room temperature (about 65-72ºF). If you store the fruit in a paper bag, you can speed up this process so that it will ripen in just a few days. You may also choose to store your harvested pears with an apple or banana &#; fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process. (Beware, ethylene gas may cause your pears to break down faster than anticipated, starting from the inside out, so it may be better to be patient and let the pears ripen on their own at room temperature.)
Pear season is coming! In a typical year, it starts in August for those of us in zones 5 and 6. If you are growing your own, make sure you are prepared!
The information above applies to European Pears. Asian Pears tend to ripen just fine on the tree.
To learn more about ripening and other differences between these two kinds of pears, check out our article:
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Let&#;s dig in.
There are two main families of pears: the European pear is the most common and what we think of when referring to a pear, it&#;s got that elongated slightly round bulbous pear shape&#; and then we have the Asian cultivars of pears that look more like apples and are sometimes sold as Apple Pears.
Asian pears do not have USDA specs or grades; they&#;re typically sold in single layer cases by count. They&#;re usually shipped in netted socks to prevent bruising and damage during shipment&#; the skin is delicate and thin, and the foam sock helps to mitigate loss.
These pears are generally &#;presentation&#; type pears and perfect for fruit baskets, where an inviting fruit with high eye-appeal is important.
Look at this pear: it&#;s gorgeous!
Want more information on Chinese Fresh Pear Farm? Feel free to contact us.
European pears on the other hand, have two separate grading systems depending on when the pears were harvested. Summer and fall pears have one set of grades, and winter pears have another set. The vast majority of what&#;s available on the market are grades US#1 and #2, and it&#;s based mostly on external looks: skin color uniformity of color of the variety, lack of scarring, and a ripeness factor.
California actually has a higher grade standard, as they do with their stone fruit, based on the overall ripeness of a pear.
How do you determine the ripeness of a pear without actually biting into it? In the fields a pressure tester is used, which is a probe that determines how many pounds per square inch is required to break through the skin of the fruit. This is used to decide how ripe a pear is by commercial growers and inspectors. They take care of the first part of ripening, you take it from there.
Since you don&#;t have this tool, the best way to check for ripeness is to press on the stem end, if it yields to gentle pressure and it smells like a pear&#;you&#;re ready to go.
What is the best way to ripen a pear? Well, it&#;s pretty easy&#;if you have a small amount, put them in a breathable bag&#;it could be a paper bag or a micro-perf plastic bag, and just let them sit out and ripen. They don&#;t like it to be completely sealed, they need some ventilation.
When handling pears, take care&#;they are *very* susceptible to bruising and scarring, as well as skin slip, so don&#;t stack heavy things on top of the cases, don&#;t drop the cases&#;and by all means, treat these beauties delicately, especially when ripe.
Store your pears and the coldest part of your walk-in, they like it cold, but don&#;t freeze them, they won&#;t be good to eat out of hand. The other big concern is pears produce a lot of ethylene, so take care where you put them in your walk-in&#;keep them away from sensitive items such as lettuces to maximize the produce shelf-life of everything in your cooler.
Contact your Marketing Associate about adding pears to your next order. If you are not a customer, find out how to become one today!
Content provided by Chef Daniel Snowden, the Director of Culinary Development for FreshPoint Central Florida. He has been in the produce industry years almost 20 years and loves getting geeky about food. Follow FreshPoint Central Florida on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Additional contributions by Lisa Pettineo.
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