Struggling for that perfect timing to know that the pear you are eating is ripe? Tired of biting into a pear and find that it's rotten inside? Let's give you some tips so that you won't experience this again.
Pears are a tricky fruit.
A delicious fruit, yet tricky.
What do I mean? Well sometimes they are obvious when they are ripe and ready. And sometimes not so obvious.
Pears need to be picked before they are perfectly ripe or they won't last long. I mean there is no way to get them to the store or even to a farmer's market before they would be rotten to the core. Most of the time when you buy pears they won't be ready yet.
So you need to know the secret to when a pear is ripe, so that either you don't bite into a crunchy, unripe fruit or one that is rotten on the inside already.
Jump to:
❔ How to Tell When Ripe
The best way to tell if a pear is at it's peak, is if you apply gentle pressure to the neck of the pear and it gives a little. There should be no give around the thicket part of the middle of the pear or the pear has already soft inside.
Pears rot from the inside out! That is what makes them little tricksters.
Some people go by color and that works with some pears. The common Bartlett pear turns from green to yellow. But a lot of varieties don't change colors at all (D'Anjou for example), so you are best doing the neck check.
When you are able to get a pear that is at that perfect ripeness zone, oh my goodness. It's heaven. So good. Juicy and sweet. Just perfect.
However that perfect moment is very fleeting. But there is a way to buy some time.
❄️ Do You Put Pears in the Fridge?
When your pears pass the neck check, either use them all up that day, or place them in the fridge. Don't refrigerate them until they pass the check or you will delay the ripening process. Maybe if you have a lot of pears this is something you'll want to do.
When I picked pears off my pear tree, I did refrigerate some so that they wouldn't all be ripe at the same time.
Even when pears are ripe and you refrigerate them you really should enjoy them in 3-5 days, a week tops. Bring the pears to room temperature first for optimal flavor.
💨 How to Ripen Fast
If you are looking to speed up the process, place your pears in a brown paper bag and seal it up good. Then check daily until ready. You can even throw in a banana, it will sped up the process.
🍐 Pear Varieties
Want to learn more about pears? Check out these varieties that I have reviewed.
- Moonglow Pears
- Clapp’s Favorite Pears
- Harrow Sweet Pears
- Spartlett Pears
- Concorde Pears
- Red d’Anjou Pears
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Michele
My limonera pears never seem to ripen. The color changes after a week but they remain crisp like an apple. Is that normal?
Eric Samuelson
I have not had this variety, however this is for sure possible as I have encountered some pears that are still crisp like an apple and they aren't Asian pears either.