When to pick Pears??????

[Deleted]

This is the first year we have had our own pears, from what I have read you must pick them before they are ripe, lift the pear gently with the palm of your hand until it is horizontal then give a slight twist, if it comes away then it is ready. Put pears into fridge for a week or two then bring them out and keep at 60 to 70 degrees until ripe. I hope it works as pears are one of my favorite fruits. We have a dual variety tree.

[Ali]

Awww TVM P for putting this here, read your FB thingywotsit. Adore bottled pears and have been doing them for a few years but bugrin wasps get most of them first so am gunna try this idea of yours this year

[Deleted]

How do you bottle pears ?

[Ali]

I promise to post the full instructions that I use tomorrow. It is so easy. We have pears here from 2007 and they are still perfect in their bottles. DelMonte look out.

[<-Rinky-Dink->]

Thanks Pandj ... didn't know you were supposed to pick them before they are ripe. Ours are still really hard ... it's the first time we have any decent pears on our trees, so really looking forward to them this year.

[<-Rinky-Dink->]

Ali ... at the risk of hijacking this thread, how do you bottle peaches, please? I tried to do some last year, but they just fermented and shrivelled up .....

Many thanks....

[Madame Moorhen]

Pears are difficult - when we moved here and inherited pear trees we followed the instructions from Gardeners World which was the same - if they 'pop' off in your hand easily then they will be ripe within about 10 days (no need to put in fridge) - but - some of them like Conference which is a very late variety just pop off in your hand easily at any time.

So some years we've not had them ripen properly as we've only gone and picked them too early. I will wait this year as in a normal year they are not ripe until October - so will prob check from mid September as this year lots of the fruit is very early!

Most of our other pears are too small to make it worth faffing about with (bottling ) but the Conference is a good size.

I do love pear clafouti - it's the best fruit clafouti in my opinion.

[Deleted]

extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/node/413

"After years of study, scientists have found that a really juicy pear is best eaten while naked, in the bathtub, so that you needn't be concerned about the abundant juice streaming down your chin,"

This is what I read, fingers crossed that it works.

[Ali]

Here's a copy of the method I use to sterilise and bottle both pears and peaches. Have had great success with both

The file is a pdf so should open with your web browser and you can print directly from there............

[Deleted]

Thanks Ali.