Hello everyone,
I've got a few European pear trees and I don't know how to determine when to pick. I understand that you typically ripen pears on your kitchen counter, so how do I know when to pick the trees?
I believe that the varieties are Rescue and Orcas (but I'm not sure). This is the first year that they've really produced, so I don't want to mess up and miss my picking window.
Thanks in advance!
Bryce
from: http://extension.oregonstate.e.....g/node/413
Pears picked when slightly immature will ripen with better quality than pears that are over mature when picked. To tell if a pear is mature, a general rule of thumb is that, while still on the tree, most mature, ready to ripen pears will usually detach when "tilted" to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position. Bosc pears always are difficult to separate from the spur.
They also have a slight give, and many will turn color. If they're hard as rocks, don't pick em. I have picked a few that never ripened. Sad.
John S
PDX OR
I am realizing this year that one of the mistakes I've been making is that I lift the pear to an angle that is higher than horizontal. Many pears won't break at horizontal, but they will break if you lift them all the way 180 degrees back up to vertical again. I am realizing that some of these are the pears that don't ripen, because they weren't ready to be picked. Many don't even have a clean stem break. It cracks unevenly, suggesting that the pear wasn't ready.
Live and learn.
John S
PDX OR
I actuallly picked my pears when lifting to a more vertical position. This is an update. After refregerating them for a few weeks, I started taking them out of the fridge a few at a time. I let them sit for 2 or 3 days on the counter, in a bag containing a couple of apples for ethylene production from the apples. The pears are ripening nicely, and so delicious.
I should keep a closer eye on the ones in the fridge. A few spoiled, but most are good.