Pear ripness

 Pears will ripen off the tree.  OK but

When is it best to pull them?  When they are big?  How big?

Will they be better if left to ripen on the tree?

David

 G'day David

Not sure where you are located, but pears are usually picked end of
March to early April in the Central West of NSW.  They continue to ripen
once they have been picked, and they don't travel well (to market) when
fully ripe.  When I buy half a dozen I put them in the fridge crisper
and put one out each day on the kitchen windowsill to ripen a bit more.

Hope this helps?
Bronwyn ;-)


David Hare-Scott wrote:

 

Mid north coast(ish).  I picked ours two weeks ago to keep them from the bats.
They were a good size, some are ripening and taste really good.  I was just
wondering if there is a more scientific approach, that is next year when I
have bat nets up will they be better if left longer, if so how much longer.

David

 G'day again

Aha!!...you are somewhere closeby!!

Presume picking would start earlier here, I'm only familiar with
CentWest NSW as far as pears/apples/cherries go.  Sorry I can't be more
specific for this area but it sounds like you've picked them at the
right time if they are a good size, taste good and you got them before
the bats.  Some varieties need really cold weather so maybe you have one
of the new ones.

Bronwyn ;-)





David Hare-Scott wrote:

 
No.  We have just had an argument about this in our household as I told
Himself that Pears are one of the few fruits which need to be picked before
ripe.  Wouldn't believe me would he till I dragged out my fruit growing
books.

Louis Glowinski in his "The Complete Book of Fruit Growing in Australia"
says:
"Pears must be picked when mature but still hard.  If left too long on the
tree, the flesh, especially near the core, will become slimy, with the rest
of the fruit being mealy and tasteless.  The fruit develops best flavour if
picked 2 weeks before full ripeness and it can be tricky to decide on
harvest time.  If you goof and pick the pear too early it will never ripen
but merely lose water and shrivel.
  Colour is not an indication of maturity."   etc etc.  he says that
Williams' pears must be picked when still very green and tha signs of
maturity are that it will separate from the tree easily, that even though
unripe it will still be juicy and sweet and trail and error.

Paul Baxter's "Growing Fruit in Australia" says the same about early picking
but generally gives less detail than Glowinski.