How to Make Pear Trees Produce Softer Pears

Ripe pears have a slightly grainy yet juicy flavor, perfect for eating raw or chopped in a fruit salad. Pears can range in color and size, but one thing every pear-lover wants to find is a ripe pear. Hard pears are slightly bitter and hard to snack on. These fruits are a healthy food choice -- just three pears a day can make your eyes healthier. If you like growing fruit trees, you'll find pear trees to be fragrant choices. Get the softest pears possible by picking and growing a soft variety and knowing when to harvest them.

Instructions

- 1
  Plant two pear trees -- one will act as the pollinator to the other. Choose a soft pear tree variety for softer pears. Pick varieties such as Baldwin, Flordahome, LeConte and Hood. Do not buy hard pear varieties such as Carnes, Keiffer and Pineapple pears.
- 2
  Care for the trees and wait for blooms to appear in summer. Wait for the pear to grow and ripen, about six weeks.
- 3
  Squeeze the pear with your hand without pulling it from the tree. Detect the pear's pliability. Fruit that yields slightly is ripe; hard fruit should be left to ripen a week longer.
- 4
  Remove the pears from the tree by giving them a quick tug at the stem. Place pears in paper bags and lay the bagged fruit, closed, on a kitchen counter. Leaving the pears in bags for one to two days will make them more ripe.

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