How to pick pears

4 min read

The one fruit here you should pick before it is ripe, because a pear ripened on the tree is gritty at the core.

What to look for

1
Pick when full size and still firm. Tree-ripened pears go mealy from the inside out, which you cannot see until you cut one
2
Tilt to horizontal. A pear ready to pick separates from the spur at that angle and no other
3
Watch for the skin turning from grass green toward a lighter green or yellow. That is your cue, not softness
4
They bruise through the skin without marking, so lower them into the container rather than dropping them
5
European pears need a week or two of cold before they will ripen properly, so plan on the fridge before the fruit bowl

Seasons are short and local. See which pick-your-own farms have pears on right now.