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thistlecreekhoney

When to Pick Pears

We planted a pear tree years ago. It was in the Bartlett tree section of the store, but after I planted it, I noticed the tag said "Oriental pear", but the fruit looks like a Bartlett. That's what I get for buying trees at Home Depot. We've been getting pears from the tree, but no matter when I pick them, the fruit is hard and stays hard no matter how long I leave them out. I've tried picking at various times and leaving them out until they shrivel up. I've tried leaving them in the fridge for a week and them leaving them out. I've read many state ag web sites on when to pick and how to store them to ripen. Still no luck. Any help?

Comments (8)

  • marknmt
    9 years ago

    If these are indeed Bartletts, and it's not unlikely, than at least they're pretty easy-ripening pears, as they'll take a long cold-storage period without problems, and then will ripen on the countertop over a period of a few days or a week.

    Wait until the neck gives a bit when you squeeze it, and then pick them. Don't be afraid to let them sit in the fridge for two or more weeks before you start bringing them out.

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    For Bartletts, I do more or less what Mark indicates, except that I wait till the very first ones turn slightly yellow on the tree. Then I pick them all.

    The ones which yellowed on the tree won't be any good because they will be brown in the center, but the others ripen very sweet on the counter. The loss of the tree ripened ones is minimal. This seems to work for me whether I refrigerate or not.

    I picked Bartlett here about a month ago and Red Bartlett about 2-3 weeks ago.

  • skyjs
    9 years ago

    Knowing when to pick and ripen pears is one of the most difficult parts.

    That said, I am growing a type of Asian pear that looks like a Bartlett, but is a real Asian pear, more crunchy than a European pear. It is called Ya Li, but there are probably others.
    John S
    PDX OR

  • biorat
    9 years ago

    If the pears never get buttery soft they are almost surely Asian/Oriental pears which soften a bit but retain their crunch. If you can find an orchard locally with Bartlett pear trees you can compare the leaves. Asian pears have a less elliptical more rounded, darker green leaf; which gives the whole tree an over all different look, from European pears (in my limited exposure to Asian pears). Asian pears ripen to peak maturity on the tree and differ from European pears in this regard.

    Pick Bartletts when green color starts to lighten and then about one week later you get a tinge of yellow coming in. Gently lift the pear vertically and if its ready an abscission layer will have begun to form at the end of the stem and will allow the pear to easily disassociate from the branch spur. If it doesn't immediately snap off from rotating (lifting) the pear from the hanging 6 o'clock position to 4 to 2 o'clock position it is not ready. All European pears are similar (even they don't "yellow" such as Bosc), and need to be picked before fully ripe on the tree or they get overripe/brown in the center. You need to know relative cultivar ripening order to know approximate time to start checking for ripeness; starting with Clapps in Aug and ending with Keiffer and Winter Nellis in Nov.
    Storing immediately in refrigeration will slow ripening, the closer to 30 degrees F, the longer they will hold. Put out at room temp to ripen for about a week at the beginning, they will continue to slowly ripen in cold storage so later ones may be almost ripe when brought out to room temp. Commercial long term storage is done by controlling the storage atmosphere in sealed refrigerated rooms, with high carbon dioxide, low oxygen (to slow respiration and turning starch to sugars) and ventilation to remove ethylene gas concentration (the ripening trigger). Not practical for home use. But to have pears longer plant late maturing varieties some of which may be able to be held until Feb or March in refrigeration.

    I have minimal experience with Asian pears but would assume that they would indicate maturity with a more full color change, and an abscission layer with even easier snapping off at the point when the first fruit to mature begin to drop off tree. They may store longer in "good" condition since most retain their crunch and never get buttery soft like the European pears. Also I would assume, that by picking them before fully ripe, on the tree, would also allow for longer storage as with the Europeans.

    Hope this was helpful.

    fruitfully,
    DanL

  • loneranger_grow
    9 years ago

    What causes knots, the small dents and hard deformities on pears. I had quite a few deformed Bartlettes.Thanks

  • ThistleCreekHoney
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback. I'll try leaving them longer in the fridge to see if that helps anything

  • olpea
    9 years ago

    "What causes knots, the small dents and hard deformities on pears. I had quite a few deformed Bartletts"

    Lone ranger,

    It could be various catfacing insects like stinkbug, or tarnished plant bud.

    Pears are also susc. to stony pit virus, which show some of the symptoms you describe.

    In my opinion, its more likely the former.

  • alexander3_gw
    9 years ago

    Here's a neat trick with Asian pears. Go to the tree at night, and hold a flashlight up against the bottom of the pear. Before it is ripe, it is pretty much dark. When it is ripe, the whole thing glows, really cool!