Can it be eaten fresh off the tree or does it have to be cold stored? First itty bitty crop so I can't afford to waste any. :)

Essentially you harvest when they start falling off the tree (they will be unripe green and hard) and refrigerate a few weeks and then pull some out and let them ripen up a few days. I would think it is getting close in your area. They should come off the tree when gently lifted up and separated from the spur. Do not twist or pull or you can damage the fruiting spur which will limit fruit yield next season. Leave the stem on the fruit.

Leave the pears on too long and they develop stone cells (the gritty things). Also the ripen from the inside out so if you leave them on the tree too long they will rot from the inside.

Check out the associated links.

Here is a link that might be useful: BackYard Orchard CA Pear

This post was edited by Fascist_Nation on Tue, Jul 30, 13 at 21:59

In northwest florida some of the hood pear is ready to be picked about the beginning of july. They must be ripened off the tree. Other pears may continue to mature though july and possibly later, but it is basically an early maturing pear of very low chill hours

The 15 year old Hood pear here and other pear trees with Hood branches from earlier grafting all flower earlier than any other pear varieties here. Case in point: One topworked pear tree with only one Hood branch amidst other pear variety branches has only the Hood branch FULL of white flowers right now, while all the other branches on that tree are still dormant. LOW chill hours for the Hood. Despite the early start, they seem to ripen about the same time. When the pale green skin begins to become slightly Yellowish green, you can squeeze the fruit to see if it is barely compressable. If so, it is time to pick and eat NOW or soon thereafter. They will taste sweet and flavorful, with a small amount of pineapple flavor mixed in. There are no grit cells, and the flesh is firm. Waiting too long will end up with the disappointment of the core rotting while the outside still looks fine. Also, they never have shown any fireblight over the years, but do get leaf spot each year.