Buying the Best Pears

[Jim Koepke]

Locally Bartlett Pears are on sale at the market. Pears are one of my favorite snack foods.

Many years ago Joe Carcione was known as the Green Grocer on radio and TV.

I am not sure if he ever mentioned how to pick pears at market, but he did mention a trick that was already in my fruit picking tool box. When picking out apples I flick them with a fingernail. First come the visual cues and then the best apples will have a 'tight, high pitched sound.' The apples that have a lower 'thunk' sound are placed back in the bin.

This trick seems to also work for pears. I usually select the best looking pears with at least a little bit of pink to red blush among the green skin. Then it is the 'click test.' Years ago when my pears were selected just on looks a lot of them would mature to be mushy in the middle. Since using the click test I have only had one that wasn't good all the way to the core.

Pears seem to be currently in season. At least locally they are on sale. I just enjoyed one that was bought last week and forgotten due to some unforseen calamities. The others in the group were enjoyed a few days ago and this one would have likely been eaten last Thursday if we didn't have a sudden need to drive into Portland. Friday had a table failure, Saturday was the Farmers Market and just this morning seeing the local sale ads reminded me there was a ripe pear in the kitchen. It was delicious.

When the store label peals off and takes the skin with it, they are ripe. We keep them in a box covered with a paper bag. When we bring them home we usually also put some bananas on top to speed the ripening.

Anyone else have any tips for getting the best produce at market?

Okay, there is always growing your own...

jtk

[Evan Patton]

Jim,
I like pears as well. What I struggle with, however, is catching them in the 2 hour window (or so it seems) between when they're hard and crunchy and soft and mushy. Any suggestions there would be appreciated.
Evan

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

I like Bosc pears that are soft, and oh...so juicy

[Shawn Pixley]

I buy by smell. That is the only way I get consistently ripe pears.

[Jim Koepke]

Jim,
I like pears as well. What I struggle with, however, is catching them in the 2 hour window (or so it seems) between when they're hard and crunchy and soft and mushy. Any suggestions there would be appreciated.
Evan

Selecting them well when they are green helps to prevent the quick transition to unedible mush.

I am very diligent with my pears. I usually check them in their ripening box in the morning and the evening. When they turn yellow is when I apply the sniff the blossom end test. The sweetest smelling one will then be checked to see if the store label takes the skin with it.

After that, you are on your own.

jtk

[Fred Perreault]

The best pears, apples and peaches I have ever had come from the trees I have on my property. I have had 10-15 dwarf trees on my 2 acres for over 30 years. They require quite a bit of attention to get it right, but the results are beyond the imagination. I do have an abundance of apples at season's end, so we have an apple pressing party in October and process 30+ bushels each year. I bought a 1.25" acme screww and made a press, and made a separate grinder. We make sweet cider, then harden some off and bottle some for "sparkling" hard cider, and also use some hard cider to make vinegar. It is a fun time. Buying "fresh" fruit at the chain grocery store is usually so hit or miss. Not everybody has room for trees, but squeezing one or two onto a property is not too difficult if you have some sunshine...... and pruners.

[David Weaver]

I buy by smell. That is the only way I get consistently ripe pears.

Ditto ten times. melons, cantaloupes, pears....if they don't smell like something, at least at the stem for the melons, then they're not ready.