Tips for Storing Pears

Storing pears will actually help to ripen them. Pears don’t ripen while on the tree.  If pears are left on the tree to ripen, they will ripen from the inside out, making the center mushy by the time the outside is ready to eat.

In order to reach their optimum eating quality, pears need a period of cold storage (34°F to 38°F or 1°C to 3°C for a couple of weeks) followed by room temperature storage for 3 to 4 days.

Pears are highly ethylene sensitive.  It may be possible to speed the ripening process by storing pears with an apple.  Pears are also high ethylene producers so they should not be stored with other foods that are sensitive. Mushrooms, cucumbers, and watermelon are examples of ethylene sensitive foods.

Pears lose moisture quickly.  Wrapping individual pears in newspaper will prolong the time they can be stored after they are ripe.

Once ripe, pears should be eaten or stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 or 3 days.

If you found this post useful, or if you have any tips for storing cucumbers, please leave a comment.

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