In the supermarket you will mainly find hard fruit specimens because they should look fresh on the shelf for as long as possible. There are a few tricks you can use to speed up ripening. These don't require much effort.
How can pears be ripened?
To allow pears to ripen, you can place them in a paper bag, store them between a cotton cloth or store them in a fruit bag with ripe apples. Depending on the method, maturation takes between one day and several weeks.
Identifying ripe fruit
Pears have a special feature because they do not ripen evenly. The ripening process begins inside and extends outward through the pulp. Therefore, a fruit whose skin feels firm may be well ripe. Coloring is not a sure sign of ripeness. So check the stem. If it gives way when the base is lightly pressed, the pear is ripe.
Cloth method
A gentle way to ripen the fruit is to store it between a cotton cloth. Dry and mild room conditions favor the ripening process. The method is suitable for fruit that was picked early and was carried out in the 19th century to refine imported goods. The taste and consistency of such severely unripe fruits improve in two to four weeks, depending on room temperature.
Paper bag
The process will be faster if you put the fruit in a paper bag. Pears release ethylene, which acts as a ripening gas. This causes the green plant pigments to break down, so that different colored pigments emerge. This increases enzyme activity and sugar production. The consistency changes as pectins are broken down. With this variant, fruits bought in the supermarket are ripe after two to four days.
Tip
Avoid using plastic bags, as the gases cannot escape and moisture forms. This increases the risk of rot formation.
Apple method
Ripe apples also release gases, which further accelerate the ripening process. Overripe fallen fruit reduces the ripening time to one day if you place it in the fruit bag. Do not leave the bag for too long to avoid over-ripening. As a precautionary measure, it is recommended to pierce the paper in several places. Pears and apples, along with bananas, are among the fruits that secrete particularly large amounts of ripening gas. The holes provide additional ventilation and allow gas to escape.
Good to know:
- Alternatively place the harvest in a bowl
- do not store on top of each other as they are sensitive to pressure points
- Indented areas turn brown and rot more quickly
Store ripe fruit
When the pears are soft, put them in the refrigerator. The cold temperatures cause maturation to stagnate, so that the sweet aroma and soft consistency are retained for some time. You should eat the yield after about five days at the latest.
Storable varieties
Early maturing varieties such as Williams Christ and Gellert's butter pear are less suitable for long storage. They ripen quickly and lose their shelf life quickly. Late pear varieties that are ready to harvest in autumn can be stored for up to two months. The ripening doesn't work as well for them.
