If you've got a bounty of pears on hand there's a good chance that at least some of them are less than ideally soft and ripe. Why? Because pears are one of the rare fruits that actually taste better when ripened off the tree. Tree-ripened pears are often mealy and mushy, so they are usually picked unripe and shipped cold to prevent bruising and spoilage.
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This means that most of the pears we buy are still not in "eat today" condition. That's usually fine for pears we cook with; having that bit of firmness and the balancing residual acidity make these pears perfect for use in cakes, pies, tarts, and preserves or butter. But if you want pears for eating out of hand or using raw in salads and the like, you want a soft, nicely ripened pear.
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So what do you do when you have a bowlful of pear rocks? Time to help them ripen!
How to Ripen Pears
The good news is that pears ripen very effectively at room temperature over the course of 4 to 7 days. If you don't have a pear emergency, just leaving them out in a bowl or on a plate will do the trick eventually.
If you want them to ripen faster, add some ripe apples or bananas to the mix. These fruits will increase the natural amount of ethylene, the gas that helps with ripening, and speed the process.
For more speed to ripen pears in 2 to 4 days place the pears in a paper bag and close the top tightly to trap the ethylene. The paper will breathe enough to prevent mold or rot but will still capture the ethylene gas to create a little ripening chamber. Add an apple or banana to the bag to speed things up even more.
If you have a lot of pears and don't need all of them ripe at once, don't worry: Pears ripen when kept at 65 to 75 degrees F, so any pears you aren't ready for can be stored in the fridge until you want to move them to room temperature to start them ripening. If you like eating a pear a day, for example, keep three or four out ripening, and the rest in the fridge: After eating one, replace it with a cold fruit to keep the ripening cycle going.
Pears are a juicy fruit that are often the crowning glory of any fruit basket. Delicious to enjoy on their own or in a recipe, their sweet and buttery texture make them an easy favorite. What isnt quite as straightforward is when to know if pears are actually ripe, because just glancing at the skin of a pear wont tell you much.
If youve hauled home a collection of pears from the grocery store or farmer's market, chances are they arent ripe yet, because they do not ripen on trees. It most likely leaves you wondering about how to ripen pears. Thankfully, its pretty easy and there are two methods you can try at home.
Chelsea Edwards is a Registered Dietician and the owner of Huntsville Nutrition Collective in Huntsville, Alabama.
The Best Ways To Ripen Pears
Its easy to ripen pears at home and there are two easy ways to get the job done.
Give them proper time. If you're not in a rush, you can simply leave a pear sitting out on the counter at room temperature and it will slowly ripen, usually within four to seven days, according to Edwards.
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Speed up the process. If you'd like to ripen your pears faster, you can put them in a paper bag with ripe apples and/or bananas. Doing so exposes them to ethylene, a natural gas emitted by ripe fruit that ripens the fruit around it, says Edwards, adding this method takes about two to four days to ripen the pears.
How To Tell When A Pear Is Ripe?
Edwards says that unripe pears are typically hard and more tart, and Bartlett pears will get brighter in color when ripe.
USA Pears recommends their trademarked "Check the Neck" method to determine ripeness of non-Bartlett varieties. "Check the Neck for Ripeness daily by applying gentle pressure to the neck or stem end of the pear with your thumb, their website states. If it yields to pressure, then its ripe and ready to eat.
Edwards explains that making sure a pear is ripe and passes USA Pears press test prior to eating is important. This will give you the texture of a pear that's most enjoyable, she says.
Store Pears Properly
When a pear has ripened, it should be moved to the fridge to lengthen shelf life. Prior to ripening, pears should be stored at room temperature to allow them to ripen on their own. Once in the fridge, pears are generally best within three to five days, Edwards says. Refrigerating an unripe pear will delay the ripening process.
Are pears ripe when you buy them?
Usually not, because pears do not ripen on the tree.
Can pears be refrigerated?
Yes, but only after ripening. Refrigerating an unripe pear will delay ripening.
Should overripe pears be thrown away?
Overripe pears may not be as crisp to eat on their own, but can be blended for soups or sauces.
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