I have a Bosc pear tree and can never tell when the pears are ready to pick. And what is the best way to store some of them. They are not very good canned, but I do make lots of chutney from them. Any more ideas?

-- Hazel in WA (hazelm@tenforward.com), October 06, 2000

Answers

Don't grow pears. Don't eat pears. Don't like pears. So I'll quote from Wyman's Gardening Encyclopedia by Donald Wyman because I can't figure out how to paraphrase this.

"...must be harvested in a slightly unripe condition in order to last for any appreciable length of time." "As the pears begin to show a slight change in color from dark green to lighter green with no definite yellowing, the harvest period is approaching."

"To determine whether harvesting should begin, the pear should be lifted against the curvature of the stem. Most of the pear stems will have a slight curve and where the stem is attached to the spur on the tree there is a slight swelling in the stem. ...if the pear is ready...the stem will separate easily at this swelling." [If it breaks anywhere else, it isn't ready.]

The handling of the picked pears is to keep them around 32F for 1-2 weeks (or longer) but the cold is to ripen the fruit properly. They can be ripened/kept in a refrigerator, but not as well.

Other than that, all I can think of is to (UGH) keep tasting one of the nasty little sandballs until they seem ready and make a note in your gardening diary. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), October 08, 2000.

When we lived in Tacoma and had a pear tree in the back yard (probably a Bartlett) we made a lot of dried pears. They were very good. I don't know how the Boscs would dry, but it would be worth a try.

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), October 09, 2000.

Have lived in Western Washington my whole life, have never seen a tree ripened pear, ever. Learned from my dad over 40 years ago to pick them green, ripe them individually in newspaper, and stack them in boxes. They ripen and sweeten just fine with time. Check them religiously, 'cuz they reach apoint where they'll all ripen overnight. Which is really a pain when you have a great pear year. In 1978, when my kids were just 8 months & 19 months, canned 360 quarts in three days! Dad always picked them on laborday weekend, I wait until the first weekend in October, or later when the weather is holding like this year. I get MUCH bigger pears that way.

-- Kathie in Wa (twinrosefarm@worldnet.att.net), October 11, 2000.

Bosc pears are supposed to be very creamy textured and not at all "gritty" and sandy. I don't like them because they are ugly.

We purchased a pear orchard (7 acres bosc, barlett & D' Anjou) just over a year ago. The man who managed it last year told us that you must pick them before they ripen or they will fall off the tree. I can imagine that to be true since they are so soft, yet heavy.

I'm not sure how well bosc pears keep. D'Anjous are more popular for keeping (sometimes being called winter pears). I would try wrapping them individually in newspaper and keep them in a root cellar if at all possible (or a cool, moist place).

Not a professional at this, just guessing.

www.geocities.com/shilohschild

-- Shiloh's Child (shilohschild@christianemail.com), June 16, 2001.