When Are Green Pear Trees Ready?

Harvest

• Pears ready for harvest have a light green or green-yellow color and remain firm. Pears are ready to harvest when they are light green but before they turn completely yellow. Wrap your hand around the pear and squeeze gently. The flesh of the pear should feel springy; they are not ready for harvest if they remain hard. Lift the pears from the stem by pushing your index finger on it and then moving the pear from a vertical position to a horizontal one. The pear will snap from the branch easily when it is ready for harvest.

Storing

• Storing pears prolongs the shelf life and slows down the ripening. Store the pears in a cold location around 30 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Store the pears in the refrigerator for best results. The pears will last for three to five months at this temperature range. When the pears are stored at a higher temperature, the shelf life will decrease. Some types of winter pears, such as Bosc or Anjour, must undergo a cold storage for at least 30 days before they will ripen.

Ripen

• Pears need to be ripened to attain their sweet flavor. Most pears need to undergo a chilling phase to ripen, or the fruits will decompose and shrivel. Place the pears out at room temperature between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. A location with high humidity will work best for ripening the pears. The time that it takes for the fruits to ripen will depend on the variety. Bartlett pears will take around seven days, while Comice and Bosc pears can take up to nine days. Press on the flesh below the stem and if it gives slightly, then the pears are ripe and ready to eat.

Tips

• Pears should not ripen on the trees or they will have a gritty texture, with the exception of Asian pears. Asian pears ripen on the tree and are harvested when they are green or yellow in color and have a sweet taste. Allowing other varieties of pears to ripen can cause the core to decompose. If you wait for the pears to fall from the tree, it might be too late to harvest them because they may be overripe. Inspect the pears that remain on the tree to determine if they need to be harvested or if they have already ripened.