Picking Bartlett Pears

Several Bartlett pears from my semi-dwarf pear tree. Which should you pick? (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Picking Bartlett Pears

It’s that time of year in my garden; actually it’s a little overdue and that’s picking Bartlett pears from my 37 year old Stark Brother’s pear tree.

I planted the tree close to my deck with the vision of sitting on the deck and plucking fresh fruit out of the tree. I can still do that but the timing is the important part. Besides pears ripening from the inside I have to beat the squirrels to the pears. Sometimes I will find very young pears on the ground from where someone had breakfast. These Dog in the Garden kitchen towels also remind me of my neighbors labs who liked to stop by and take a pear or two home.

To get a good ripe pear, they have to be picked when they still appear green. One trick a friend showed me was to gently bend the pear at a 45 degree angle. If the stem breaks, then it’s time to pick. If not, leave it on the tree and try another day.

Old cake stand makes a handy spot to ripen pears and tomatillos. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Those green Bartlett pears go into the kitchen and into either a brown bag with an apple or banana. This year I also have them under glass in an old cake stand keeping company with apples and ripening tomatillos. The ethylene gas from the apples will help ripen the pears and tomatillos and I like seeing the pears displayed in that glass stand.

A pear that is ripening will also start to yellow, although it can be hard to tell unless that pear is close other, less ripe pears.

To check if they are ripe, gently press the top near the stem. If it’s soft the pear is ready to eat.

I have removed several yellow pears to find they were already someone’s meal. The pear gets washed and those parts get cut off and composted while I enjoy what remains. I don’t use any chemicals on my trees so I don’t have to worry about what has been sprayed.

I gave a friend two pears a week ago and she left them on her counter for the week. When I stopped by 7 days later, the pears had turned yellow and were soft around the stem, perfect for snacking.

If you want to save them for a specific day, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process.

One other trick. If you want to enjoy a pear before its ripe, you can cut it up and microwave it for a minute or so. I dust it with cinnamon or, after cooking, a drizzle of honey.

However you enjoy pears, there is something very special about picking your own homegrown pears.

Charlotte