Commonly Asked Questions
Q: How do I select and ripen pears?
When purchasing pears, select clean pears with uninjured skin. Pears with no cuts and with the stem intact will keep longer. Surface russeting -- brownish areas on the skin are generally caused by weather -- does not affect the quality or flavor.
Pears should be firm, or fairly firm, but not hard.
Avoid wilted, shriveled, moldy or discolored pears.
Check for good color for the variety you are selecting.
A ripe pear will yield slightly to gentle pressure at the base of the stem.
A pear will ripen after it is picked.
To ripen, leave pears at room temperature in a paper bag until the flesh responds readily to gentle pressure.
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