When Pears Are Ripe
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Bartlett Pears don’t ripen on the tree. One of the signs the pear is ready to eat is it turns yellow. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)
When Pears Are Ripe
If you have your own Bartlett pear trees welcome to the club. My 35-year old plus semi-dwarf Bartlett Pear tree has a good supply of pears this fall. Unlike apples and some other fruits, pears ripen from the inside so it can be tricky to know when it’s time to pick them.
Over the years, friends with pears have shared four ways to determine the age of a pear:
Size and shape. Should be that of a ripe pear.
Color. Check every couple of days and when the color yellows slightly, it's ready to pick.
Feel. A slight softening of the texture from very hard to firm at the top of the pear where the stem is located, and the bottom, indicates it is ready to be removed.
Ease of picking. Pears should easily twist off when bent at a forty five degree angle to the stem.
Once removed from the tree, store pears in a cool spot until you want to eat them. Those you took into the kitchen can be stored in a basket with apples or bananas so the ethylene gas helps the pears to ripen.
Enjoy!
