My Pears Aren't Ripening!

[Vandy]

This is so weird b/c I have had these Bosc pears for over a week now and they are still hard, yet some are just going rotten on me...It could be one of these factors. but maybe someone can help me get them to ripen:

1) Pears are going out of season and I got a bad bunch
2) They have not been sitting in the sun at all
3) They are just weird

Are there special types of pears that will be availible during the summer?

Also, a thread of mine was deleted (the one about Paul Nison)... does anyone know why??? Moderators~ I think this is a question for you guys....

[Sheryl]

I've had the same thing happen; it's usually when fruit is picked so underripe that it rots while still hard. I usually bring that fruit back for a refund. Sometimes you can resue it by putting it in a paper bag with some ripe bananas. The ethylene gas can kick off the ripening process. I think if you look carefully at them though you'll notice they are unusually hard and small pears (under ripe). With commercial sales of food now most fruit is picked under ripe, and sometimes they take that a little too far!

Try the bananas in a bag trick, and if they still rot just take them back!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[greenfeline]

If you are waiting for the pears to get soft, those kind don't really...Bosc pears do not get as soft as Bartletts. Did you try to eat a hard one yet?

[juliebove]

I've had the same thing happen, but don't know why. Pears are supposed to be picked before they are ripe. I have two pear trees, although last year one didn't produce any pears. I don't know why this happened either. It's loaded with blossoms now so hopefully I'll get something this year. I have occasionally picked a ripe pear from the tree and it tastes fine, but it is recommended to pick them before they are ripe. Perhaps this is because they are so fragile when ripe or something.

[Sheryl]

"Perhaps this is because they are so fragile when ripe or something."

That's my guess too - can you imagine how hard it would be to transport soft ripe pears!! I'd love to have a fresh one right off the tree!

Cheers,
Sheryl

[Vandy]

greenfeline~

Bosc pears DO become soft to the touch...they have been one of my main staples for the past 5 months... :)

Sheryl~ Thanks for the advice, I just put them in a bag with bananas...

That has been my dream to own different types of fruit trees in my back yard. Right now in Houston we have a banana tree (that doesn't grow), and we have a papaya tree that has had the same green fruit on it for a few months now...it should hurry and ripen! In mexico, we have coconut trees everywhere! I would be in HEAVEN if I had a peach, nectarine, pear, and grapefruit tree in my back yard... actually, to heck with it... I wish I had hundreds of different things growing!

[RowanC]

Bosc Pears are to be eaten before they get very soft. They ripen BEFORE they get really soft. So if you are waiting for them to get soft, they'll be brown and icky inside most likely.

You can sometimes tell by the fragrance if they are ripe or not. But when you eat them, they're more crispy, rather than soft like a Bartlett.

I like to use Bosc Pears in Alissa's Beet-Pear salad because of their crisp sweetness.

There is a boatload of information on Pear varieties and it would be good reading if you like them because they are all different.

When I was growing up, we'd pick the Bartlett's GREEN. Then we'd lay them out on sheets of newspaper in a cool room to ripen. They ripen quite nicely this way, as do all pears. Once they are ripe, you can put them in the fridge or cellar so they don;t get too ripe. In those days, we canned them once they were ripe.

[RowanC]

Pears


Why Eat It

First cultivated some 4,000 years ago, pears are now grown in temperate regions worldwide, and so enthusiastically that some 5,000 varieties have been developed. In the United States, the pear is almost as popular as the apple, to which it is related. Both are members of the rose family, and both are pome fruits (those with a distinct seeded core). When eaten with their skin, pears are a good source of dietary fiber, providing slightly more than an equivalent number of apples. Pears are not consumed in the same quantities as apples, probably because they are not quite as hardy. They quickly become mealy if left to ripen on the tree, and they have a much shorter storage life.

Pear trees were brought to North America by early colonists. Though pear trees have a long lifespan (75 to 100 years), most of the original ones planted were killed by a disease called fire blight that is still prevalent enough in the northeastern part of the country to limit commercial cultivation. The blight has been severe in the Pacific Coast regions, and today 98% of the domestic pear crop is grown in California, Oregon, and Washington.

Pears, like bananas, are seldom tree-ripened. Growers pick pears when they are mature but still green and firm, allowing them to ripen in the market and at home. As pears ripen, the starch converts to sugar and the fruit becomes sweeter, juicier, and softer with an almost melting texture that led Europeans to nickname some of the varieties "butter fruit."

Varieties

Only four principal varieties and a few specialty types of pears are available in most areas of the country. Bartletts appear in summer, the others are available in fall and winter. A number of varieties are imported when their domestic counterparts are out of season. Each type has a distinct shape and color with subtle differences in flavor and texture.

Anjou: The most abundant winter pear, the Anjou, is oval shaped, somewhat stubby with smooth yellow-green skin and creamy flesh that has a slightly blander taste than the other leading varieties.

Bartlett: The leading summer pear and the most popular variety, the Bartlett accounts for 65% or more of commercial production. It is also the principal pear for canning and the only variety sold dried. Large and juicy, a ripening Bartlett turns from dark green to golden yellow, often with a rosy blush. Growers have also developed a red-skinned strain.

Bosc: A firm, almost crunchy pear, the Bosc has a long, tapering neck and rough, reddish brown skin. It holds its shape well when cooked so it is an excellent choice for baking and poaching.

Comice: This pear is generally regarded as the sweetest and the most flavorful. The Comice is favored as a dessert pear and is likely to be included in gift boxes and fruit baskets. It has a squat shape and a dull green skin that may show light blemishes and discolorations that do not affect the flavor.

SPECIALTY PEARS
Seckel: Seckel is the smallest pear variety and very sweet, which makes it ideal for snacking.

Winter Nellis: A spring pear with a squat shape, dull green skin, and firm flesh, Winter Nellis is excellent for baking.

Clapp: Clapp is a juicy, sweet pear with green-yellow blushed skin.

Forelle: Forelles are small, bell-shaped pears, with golden yellow skin and freckles that turn bright red during ripening.

Asian pears: Asian pears look like large, greenish-brown apples. They are quite crisp and have less of a pear flavor than other pears. They are in limited supply, and usually more expensive.

Availability

August through October is the height of the pear season, though one or another variety (supplemented by imports from Latin America, New Zealand, and Australia) is available year round. Bartlett pears are on the market from July through December; Anjou and Bosc pears from October through May; and Comice from October through December. Imported Bosc pears and a Bartlett-like variety called Packham are in season from March through July.

Shopping

Generally, pears should be relatively unblemished and well-colored. Some varieties will not develop full color until the fruit ripens. Bartletts turn pale yellow but may not develop their characteristic blush when they are ready to serve. Anjous stay completely green when fully ripe. Russetting, a brown network or speckling on the skin, is common on many types of pears and may indicate superior flavor.

Since they are always picked unripe, pears are a "plan ahead" fruit; they will usually be quite hard in the market and need additional ripening at home to soften and attain their best flavor. Some stores offer ripe or near-ripe pears, but unless these are individually wrapped and displayed just one or two deep, they are likely to be bruised by their own weight or by customer handling. If you find ripe, undamaged pears, handle them carefully until you get them home. Ripe pears will give to gentle pressure at the stem end, depending on the particular variety: Crisp Bosc pears and firm Anjous never get as softly melting or as fragrant as Bartlett or Comice pears. Do not purchase pears that are soft at the blossom end (the bottom), shriveled at the stem end, or those that show nicks or dark, soft spots. Small surface blemishes can be ignored.

Storage

You can ripen pears in two ways: Ripen them at room temperature first, then refrigerate them for no longer than a day or two before eating them. Or, refrigerate the pears until you are ready to ripen them--the cold will slow, but not stop, the ripening process. Remove the pears from the refrigerator several days before you plan to eat them, and let them ripen at room temperature.

To speed ripening, place the pears in a paper or perforated plastic bag and turn them occasionally to ensure more even ripening. The process will take from three to seven days. Never store pears--either in or out of the refrigerator--in sealed plastic bags as the lack of oxygen will cause the fruit to brown at the core.

Preparation

Pears are delicious eaten with or without the peel that contains some of the fruit's fiber. For other purposes, remove the core with a melon baller or apple corer from the bottom. Halve the fruit lengthwise and scoop out the core with a teaspoon or a melon baller. Peel very thinly with a paring knife or vegetable peeler, if necessary, and coat the peeled or cut pears with lemon juice to keep them from darkening.

[samadhisoul]

i have some of those too!!!
i have been telling the kids to stay away from them cuz they are not ripening but my mother got the same ones at the same time as i did and yesterday she calls me "did you taste those pears, they are DELICIOUS!, so, we'll see.

[RowanC]

EAT 'em!!! They are GOOD when they're crispy, those Boscs!

[Shivananda]

This is so weird b/c I have had these Bosc pears for over a week now and they are still hard, yet some are just going rotten on me...

Think of the seasons when you buy produce. Unless they are from the Souther Hemisphere, the pears you buy now were picked last fall and have been refrigerated ever since, usually with a (sorry) gas treatment to keep them fresh longer. The later in the "marketing season" a fruit is, the more likely it will be to have problems ripening properly. Pears are usually gone by March of the following year.

I try to buy local whenever possible, and by in season whenever possible, and that means some things I just don't buy all the time. Pears is one.

In any case, if they didn't ripen properly, take them back for a refund. Get used to asking for your money back if the produce you get is sub-par. Trust me, the markets do.

[Vandy]

I bought them at the farmer's market, NOT at the grocery store... which means they were fresh, and sadly, that I cannot return them

Should I try to make a juice with them?

[Shivananda]

I bought them at the farmer's market, NOT at the grocery store... which means they were fresh...

Just because you bought them at the farmer's market doesn't mean they were actually fresh. That was the point of my previous post. Pears are generally harvested in August and September. What you are eating now is probably over 6 months old, unless they were brought in from the Southern Hemisphere. Pears only grow in climes where the winters get cold. and here in America the pear trees are mostly just beginning to bud.

But pears do store well, which is why you can buy them through the winter, like apples. But by April the quality is usually not so good. Taste a bite and see if they are sweet tasting. If not, they are not worth juicing. And look for that "farmer" the next time you are at the market and lodge a complaint.