How to Ripen Fresh Pears with Storage Tips

Did you know that pears don’t ripen on the tree? That’s right, pears are always picked in an under-ripe state and are left to ripen once picked. If you’ve ever picked pears or purchased them in an under-ripe state…there’s a quick way that you can ripen them at home.

Let’s talk about ripening.

To get them to ripen you’ll want to place a few of them (no more than 6) in a paper bag. I like to use use brown lunch bags that I pick up at our local Dollar Store. Gently place them inside the bag, being careful to not bang them up or bruise them. They should have no cuts or damage to them.

You can place 1 apple or banana inside the bag and then fold the edges of the bag shut. Store bag in room temperature. The banana or apple will help them to ripen. Check on them daily. If needed, change out the apple or banana in a few days and continue the process until ripe.

Let’s talk about storage.

Unripened pears should be stored at room temperature. Placing them into the refrigerator slows down the ripening process. Once they’re ripe, go ahead and refrigerate to slow it down. If placing them into a fruit bowl, they should be placed on top of heavier fruits. Don’t overload your bowl which can cause fruits to bruise.

If you want to keep fruit flies at-bay you can place a clean kitchen towel over-the-top of your bowl or make a homemade DIY fruit fly trap and place it nearby.  You can find complete instructions on how to make the traps on the TwoClassyChics blog. Replace your fruit fly trap solution every few days, so that it keeps attracting and killing the flies. It works really well.

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