How to Store Fresh Pears

Pears ripen best after picked from the tree and stored under the correct conditions.

Enjoy juicy delicious pears by storing and ripening them at home. Start with fresh unblemished pears picked from the tree or purchased from the grocery store while they are still hard and green. Pears ripen when they are off the tree; they must be stored at the correct temperature and given enough time to ripen properly. Once ripened, the taste and texture is extended by storing them under the right conditions. Pears are an excellent source of fiber, vitamin C and potassium. They are delicious and do not contain sodium, saturated fat or cholesterol.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Plastic bag

Instructions

1. Use a pencil to punch approximately 20 holes in a medium-sized plastic bag. When fruit is stored in a perforated plastic bag it does not lose moisture as quickly.

2. Place fresh unwashed pears in the plastic bag. Set the bag on the counter or tabletop out of the direct rays of the sun. The pears should rest at room temperature between 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit without becoming too warm. The fruit will soften, turn color and become sweet as it ripens.

3. Store the pears, once they have ripened and turned yellow, in the same perforated plastic bag. Place the bag into the produce drawer of the refrigerator and keep them at full flavor and texture for 1 to 3 days. Wash the fruit thoroughly before eating.

Tips & Warnings

• Hasten ripening by placing one apple for each six to seven pears. Do not use Fugi or Granny Smith apples since they do not generate much of the ethylene gas that ripens the pears.

• Slow down the ripening process of pears by placing them in the produce drawer of the refrigerator.

• Store pears in a drawer separate from vegetables.

• Arrange a large bowl of pears at varying degrees of ripeness to use as a table display.

• Make certain that as the sun changes position during the day its rays do not shine through a window onto the produce.

• Do not store pears in a sealed plastic bag because the ripening process is slowed and the fruit takes on an off-odor.

References

• University of California, Davis: Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for Better Taste
• Library 4 Farming: Apples, Pears
• USA Pears: Fun Facts & FAQs