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When are Pears Ripe to Pick?
For years we've had a small espalier pear tree. It's more for decoration but it yields a dozen or so pears each year. And each year, by the time I pick them, they are too mushy to eat.
Like many people I assumed this fruit ripens on the vine so I'd go up and squeeze the pears and see if they have ripened. Since they were always hard as a rock I let them go a bit longer.
Well it turns out that pears don't ripen on the vine which makes it a bit more tricky to know when you should pick them. But here's what to do.
Put the pear in the palm of your hand and pull it towards you until it's completely horizontal. If the pear comes off the branch easily, it's ready to pick. If it holds on the to branch, it's not ready.
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| Holding it horizontally, give it a little tug. A mature pear will come off easily. |
So now you have a bunch of hard pears - what to do next? If you have a lot of them, put them in the fruit bin in your refrigerator. They will store for months (at least that has been my experience and the experience of my friend Ray who has way more pears than I do.) When you want a few ripe pears, take them out and let them sit for a week or less at room temperature.
Some say that you can tell a pear is ripe when the neck softens. But I think the best way is to smell it. When it smells like a ripe pear, it's ready to eat.
Here are some of my favorite pear recipes:
Strawberry and Pear Crisp with Nutty Hemp Seed Topping
Black Bean and Pear Taco Sliders
Pomegranate, Pear and Orange Salad
Raw Vegan Pear and Apple Crisp with Raisins
Organic Apple and Pear Bundt Cake with White Whole Wheat Flour
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