http://www.democraticunderground.com/11592537Oh my.
The Robb primitive, the layabout-at-home primitive whose wife hauls in the bacon, who has problems keeping the commode in his house clear.
Robb (35,626 posts) Sat Sep 8, 2012, 09:08 AM
Picked pears. Now what?
So this year my apple tree took a break from giving fruit this year -- which was a good thing, because the peaches and pears went nuts.
From my two small pear trees I've brought in about 30 pounds of fruit. I know I'm meant to store them at 30F for a few days, but I didn't have a spare freezer (mine lives at 0°F) so I've put them in the bottom of a 38°F fridge for about a week. Is this going to do whatever it is the cold storage part is meant to do?
I want to eat some, and intend to juice the rest for a lovely perry. How much longer do I need to keep these guys in the fridge before I take them out to ripen? And does anyone have any tips for ripening a whole lotta pears?
NRaleighLiberal (23,336 posts) Sat Sep 8, 2012, 09:36 AM
1. Pears are tricky - they actually need to be picked green, then slowly ripened on the shelf.
Once ripe, into the fridge - but they don't last long.
Our favorite use is as an ingredient on salads that include craisins, toasted nuts, sliced turkey.
beyond that - pears are a great snack any time!
good luck...wish I had your "issue"! no fruit trees here (just local fruits/nuts - don't know which my wife and I are!)
Viva_La_Revolution (26,003 posts) Sat Sep 8, 2012, 09:41 AM
2. use apples to ripen the pears
I just made pear sauce a few days ago, and planned to make pear butter with it, but everybody ate it. so I bought more pears yesterday to make more.
put apples in a single layer, then pile the pears on top. the gasses from the apples will ripen the pears faster. I do this in the garage where its about 70-75 degrees. won't take but a few days.
idahoblue (110 posts) Sat Sep 8, 2012, 10:27 AM
3. I have a very prolific pear tree
I give the tree a shake every day, take what falls off, chunk and freeze what we cannot eat fresh. I have enough to last all winter for making smoothies. I chunk, freeze on a tray, then scoop into a b****e.
Curmudgeoness (8,181 posts) Sat Sep 8, 2012, 01:12 PM
4. At first, I thought that said "pickled" pears.
Which is a great idea too. I will agree with the suggestion of using apples to ripen pears, or any fruit. Fruit produces the gas ethylene that causes the ripening...and apples produce a lot of it. If you want all the pears to ripen at once, use the method suggested above. If you want to ripen just a few at a time, just put them in a bowl with an apple and that should do it. Easy peasy.
I think that if the Robb primitive got off his ass and worked, he could afford to buy pears at the grocery store, instead of bothering with any of this Mickey Mouse stuff. And he could probably afford a better motorcycle too, if he was bringing home a paycheck.
