In my opinion, pears never get the acclaim they deserve. Instead, this fab fruit is seemingly always consigned to the sidekick role while its flashier pome cousin, the apple, is left to take all the plaudits. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love apples, too, I just wish there was a little bit more p(e)arity between the two.

I say this because the taste of a beautifully ripe pear, either eaten fresh or poached in rich, spiced wine, is frankly, near-impossible to beat. The process of ripening pears is a bit different to other fruits, though, so in this guide we’re going to be walking you through how to properly harvest, ripen and store your pears to get the most from them.

Jump to:

• When and how to harvest pears
• How to ripen pears
• How to store pears
• Which pear varieties keep best?

When (and how) to harvest pears

When

Pears are generally harvested from September onwards, or, as English poet John Dryden once more lyrically said, “When bounteous autumn rears her head, he joys to pull the ripened pear”. There are, however, earlier varieties which benefit from being picked towards as soon as the latter part of August (like ‘Beth’, for example).

Unlike other fruit, pears benefit from being picked before they’re fully ripe (sorry, Mr. Dryden). That’s because if you leave them too long, their insides can become mushy while the outsides still seem the perfect level of ripeness. Not ideal. ‘Nobody likes a mushy pear’ sounds like it’d be a track from a shoegaze indie band’s debut LP, come to think of it.

How

To harvest your pears, gently twist the fruit at the stem, holding it in your hand as you do so. Pears are among the more-easily bruised fruit, so take care when you’re handling them – you don’t want all your tree’s hard growing work to go to waste!

How to ripen pears

Once you’ve picked your not-quite-ripe pears, the best way to ripen them is to store them in a cool, dry place. This allows the pear to ripen from the inside out and develop that scrumptious, succulent taste we all know and love. The easiest way to tell when your pear is ripe is to feel its neck – if it feels tender with a slight give, then your pear is good to go.

Top tip: if you want to speed up the ripening process because, like me, you’re an impatient so-and-so, then store your harvested pears in a sealed paper bag – this traps in the ethylene gas that helps facilitate the ripening process.

What to do with overripe pears

Given the relatively narrow window that pears have in which they’re perfectly ripe, there might be the odd occasion where, unfortunately, you leave it a little too late and your pears become overripe. While this isn’t ideal, it’s not the end of the world. You can use your overripe pears in a number of delicious recipes, including both crumbles and sorbets.

How to store pears

Once you’ve harvested your pears, you need to know how to store them – that is, of course, unless you plan on going on a serious pear-eating spree… You’ve got a few options available to you, including the following:

Fridge

Ripe pears will generally stay at that perfect level of ripeness in the fridge for around five days before they start to go mushy.

Freezer

If you freeze your pears, then you should expect them to last for between 10 and 12 months. The method you use for freezing depends on what you’re going to be using your frozen pears for down the line.

Drying

To dry pears, you can use a dehydrator, oven or even an air fryer (if it has a dehydrate setting). Talking about ovens, because let’s be real, most people probably don’t have access to a commercial kitchen dehydrator, here’s what you need to do.

First, slice your pears into thin chips, as this will help them dry out more quickly (as well as making for a more convenient, portable snack). Preheat your oven to around 100°C and arrange your pear slices on a baking tray. Sprinkle the slices with a mix of sugar and cinnamon, then bake for a couple of hours, turning the chips halfway through. Check out the full recipe from The Nutrition Adventure.

Which pear varieties keep best?

Varieties like 'Doyenné Du Comice' and ‘Conference’ are known for storing well, plus they taste fantastic, too! To get the best from your pear tree and ensure it’s both happy and healthy, check out our comprehensive planting guide.

Final thoughts

Properly-picked pears provide palate perfection! Phew, try saying that when you’ve had a pint or two of perry cider. Harvested and left to ripen off the tree, your pears will develop that sweet, sweet flavour you’ve been waiting for without turning into a soft mess. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a rather delicious-looking pear cake on the counter with my name on it...