How and When to Harvest Pears for the Juiciest Fruit

Pears are delicious fruits with a unique texture, but you have to harvest them and store them properly to achieve the perfect balance. It’s not as easy as gathering berries off the vine when you can simply see that they’re ready to eat.

To make things even more complicated, there are two major types of pears growing in the United States, in virtually the same growing zones: European and Asian types. The method for gathering these fruits is totally different, even if the plants look the same.

Seasonality of Pears

There are hundreds of types of pears out there, and they may all be ready at different times. Broadly speaking, they are usually harvested as early as July and into October. Some trees produce even later into winter. Your growing region may affect this time period, too.

If you don’t remember when your tree was ready last year or if this is your first year with a pear tree, research the variety. This will give you a good idea of when to start inspecting the fruit. They’re often broken into three categories: early season (summer), mid-season (fall), and late season (winter).

Popular early season varieties include ‘Summercrisp’ and ‘Southern Bartlett’. A couple of mid-season varieties are ‘Flemish Beauty’ and ‘Pineapple’. Lastly, ‘Concorde’ and ‘Seckel’ are popular winter varieties.

If you know which kind of tree you are growing, you can also estimate when the fruit will be ready based on the amount of days after full bloom. Make a note on your calendar when the tree blooms, and then you’ll have a rough idea of when it may be harvest time.

For example, Bartlett pears are usually ready in about 110 to 133 days after full bloom. Bosc takes a little bit longer, somewhere in the 130 to 145 day range. Some Asian varieties are ready about 120 days after full bloom, while others take closer to 150 days.

Know Your Variety

There are many popular types of pears, and knowing some of their critical differences is foundational knowledge that you need when it comes to how and when to harvest properly. Though this isn’t always the case, most common varieties fall into two categories: European (Pyrus communis) or Asian (Pyrus pyrifolia).

These two species are treated totally differently when it comes to harvest season. Broadly, European varieties are picked before they are ripe, and Asian varieties are left to ripen on the tree, then picked. Mistaking one for the other would be a critical mistake.

A few examples of European varieties include ‘Barlett,’ ‘Summercrisp,’ and ‘Moonglow.’ A few examples of Asian varieties include ‘Chojuro,’ ‘Nijisseiki,’ and ‘Shinseiki.’ Though they are different species with different native origins, these trees have roughly the same care.

Both species are hardy in much of the United States, roughly throughout USDA hardiness zones 4 through 8, with P. pyrifolia really only hard down to zone 5. They all prefer full sun, well-draining soil, and are similar in height.

Before going any further, determine which kind of pears you are growing. Despite their commonalities, their differences can significantly affect the storage life of your fruit.

Harvest European Pears Before Ripe

Picking a European pear at the exact right time is tricky. Fully ripe fruits do not store for long, so if you wait until the fruit is perfectly ripe on the tree, you’ll only have a few days to eat it. Additionally, fruits that ripen on the tree tend to be gritty in texture and subpar in flavor.

Instead, gather these pears well before they are ripe. The best time is when they are just starting to change from green to yellow, but before they’re completely yellow. They will still be firm at this time, not soft.

Sometimes, there are small dots on the skin, which should be changing from white to brown. Another sign that they’re ready to gather is that their skin smooths out and becomes somewhat waxy to the touch.

If you have a small amount, you can leave them on your countertop, and they’ll ripen over the next week or so. Ideally, the temperature should be between 60 and 70°F (16-21°C), so average room temperature works. 

If you have a large amount, you can keep them in cold storage, where they will remain in their current state for a few months. The temperature should be around 32-35°F (0-2°C). You can use your refrigerator for this task. 

Remove your unripe pears from cold storage as you please, moving them to the kitchen counter where they will need another 7-10 days before maintaining peak temperature and flavor. Fruits will be fully ripe when completely yellow and a tiny bit soft to the touch.

Let Asian Pears Ripen On the Tree

When it comes to Asian types, a totally different approach is necessary. These fruits should indeed be left on the tree until completely ripe. There are two major indicators that they’re ready: color and taste.

First, start with color. Most Asian pears will emerge green and fade to yellow, though there is some variety between cultivars. Once you see a fruit with completely yellow skin (or whatever color the skin is meant to be for your variety), give it a taste. 

If the fruit is sweet and crunchy without being too hard to bite, then it’s ripe. Once you’ve found one ripe fruit, you can assume the others at the same color stage are also ready. You do have to take a bit of a gamble here, as it’s possible that you’ll waste a pear if it’s not yet sweet enough.

Asian types will last about a week on the countertop at room temperature. You can also store them in the fridge for a couple of months, but their flavor may strengthen over time. Some describe their flavor as wine-like when allowed to store for too long.

How to Harvest

Finally harvesting the fruits of your labor is exciting, but if you approach this process too aggressively, you may damage the tree. Avoid the temptation to simply yank pears off the tree. This can hurt the branch and even cause unripe individuals to break off.

Instead, gently grasp the fruit and twist. Continue to roll it in your hand until the stem gently severs from the branch. This will allow you to gather the fruit without risking any of the others around it, which is especially important if there is still a ton of fruit on your tree.

If you twist the fruit and find that it doesn’t easily snap, then it may not be ready yet. This is an important thing to note. When other indicators such as color are unclear, a good way to tell if a pear is mature or not is to turn it horizontally to see if it quickly snaps. If its stem doesn’t break, then it’s not mature. This is the case for both European and Asian varieties. The pears should easily snap off when they’re ready to harvest.

When gathering, be careful not to bruise or puncture the fruit, which can cause them to decay rapidly. Try not to scrape the skin with your nails, and don’t toss the fruit into a basket. You may be thinking that a little bruise here and there doesn’t bother you, but the problem is more than aesthetic.

Bruises and nicks are what give plant pathogens access to the fruit. Since pears are left in storage for so long, there’s a significant window of time in which pathogens can take hold. You don’t want to offer them an easy entryway with a bruise, too.

Safety is also a concern when harvesting from trees. These trees can get surprisingly tall. European varieties tend to reach 40 to 50 feet in height, while Asian varieties usually reach 30 to 40 feet in height. Extendable fruit picker tools can really come in handy. You can also use these tools to lower picked fruit into a basket instead of dropping them, which can bruise the pears.

If you’re using a ladder, practice ladder safety. Make sure the ladder is secure, maintain three points of contact on the ladder, and always make sure someone is there to watch you and steady the ladder if needed.

Storage Tips

When storing, make sure the fruits have the best air circulation possible. If nothing else, this may mean giving each fruit its own space instead of stacking them on top of each other. This will slow the ripening process and can prevent bruising.

Avoid storing with other ethylene-producing fruits, like apples, which can actually cause them to ripen and then decay faster. On the other hand, if you have your pears on the counter and want them to mature faster, then do keep them next to similar fruit.

Additional fruits besides pears and apples that produce ethylene gas include avocados, bananas, mangos, melons, and tomatoes. Keeping these fruits away from each other will allow them to store well for a longer amount of time. They can even cause the decay of leafy greens.

Consider freezing your extra fruit if you have a lot of it. You can simply place them in the freezer whole, or you can peel and cut them first. These fruits also can well, allowing you to keep them in long-term storage.