Asian or oriental pears have been around since the 1800s but have really become popular since the turn of the century (2000). Asian pears have a distinct but pear-like taste and a crisp texture, much like a good apple, but unlike the buttery flesh of European pears. The flesh of Asian pears is always sweet. Their skin is often russetted. Russeting on pears is a particular type of skin, which is slightly rough and with a greenish-brown, reddish-brown, or yellowish-brown color.
When Are Asian Pears Ready To Pick?
Unlike European pears, Asian pears, like apples, ripen on the tree and do not need a cold storage period to mature before they are ready to eat. does not require the ripening process of other pears.
Commercial growers use two ways to determine when Asian pear fruits are ready to pick, and home gardeners can use these too. Most growers determine harvest time by fruit taste and color.
Color: Before picking Asian pears, look for the color break: when green skin color starts to change to yellow. This is easily seen in yellow skinned varieties, but even with the tan and brown skinned fruit there is a distinct change from greenish to a golden undershade as the fruit gets ripe.
Taste - Asian pears should be crisp, crunchy and sweet when they are ready for eating. So, taste a sample fruit for sweetness, and if it is ready, pick any others that look similar. A refractometer is a more exact method for sugar testing. Sugar content should be above 12.5%.
How To Pick An Asian Pear From The Tree
When Asian pears are ready for picking, you can easily remove them from the spur or branch by slightly lifting and twisting them.
Be sure to remove the fruit with a sharp pair of hand pruners. If you try to pull or twist the bear from the branch it maight damage the fruit spur and prevent flowering next year.
How To Store Asian Pears
Asian pears have a longer shelf life than other pears, especially when refrigerated.
When storing Asian pears loose in a box, it is a good idea to clip the stems short, because the stiff stems can puncture and damage other fruits in the container.
Though the fruit itself feels tough, when handling and storing Asian pears, take care to handle them gently as the fruits are subject to bruising when handled roughly.
