When should I pick my Asian pears?

Asian pears are ready for harvest when you easily remove them from the spur or branch by slightly lifting and twisting them. Use the taste test–they’re ready when they taste good. Asian pears should be crisp and crunchy when eaten.

What time of year do Asian pears ripen?

Unlike European pears, which are picked from trees before they mature, Asian pears are left to ripen fully on the tree. Depending on what part of the country you live in, harvest can begin as early as mid-July or as late as early October. The best way to tell when the pears are ready is to taste one.

How can you tell if an Asian pear is ripe?

The skin color of most Asian pears changes from green to yellow when ripe. When the color change occurs, pick and sample a pear. Ripe fruit should be crisp, crunchy, and sweet. Harvest Asian pears when the fruit have the appropriate color and taste.

How do I know when my pears are ready to harvest?

The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.

Will frost hurt pears on the tree?

Fruit trees — like apples, peaches, plums, pears, cherries and apricots — can all be damaged by temperatures lower than 31 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why does my pear taste like alcohol?

Unlike European pears, Asian pears are ripened on the tree and can be eaten immediately after picking. In most cases, Asian pears keep in the refrigerator for up to three months (and in the case of the 20th Century variety, up to six months), but if kept too long, they develop a strong wine-like flavor.

How do you ripen a pear in minutes?

Placing the pears in a brown paper bag keeps ethylene close to the fruit and speeds up ripening. Any bag would work, but paper is preferred over plastic as it allows the fruit to breathe. Another way to ripen pears is to place them next to fruits like bananas, avocados, or apples (perhaps in a fruit bowl).

Why are my pears so small?

Naturally, they shed the fruits if they can so that other fruits in the cluster or on that branch can grow larger. However, not every fruit tree is an efficient fruit shedder and even though they may drop small hard fruit, the remaining fruit stays small because of too much competition for resources.

Will pears ripen after picking?

Unlike a lot of other tree-borne fruits, pears ripen after being picked and not while on the branch. Pears have a fairly narrow ripening stage, so it is best to store them in a cool, dry place. Once the pears are harvested, growers will generally take care of the chilling process for you.

Can dogs eat pears?

Yes, dogs can eat pears. It’s been suggested that eating the fruit can reduce the risk of having a stroke by 50 percent. Just be sure to cut pears into bite-size chunks and remove the pit and seeds first, as the seeds contain traces of cyanide. Skip canned pears with sugary syrups.