# Rock Hard Pears



## highlandview

My dad has an orchard on property he no longer lives on. He has two loaded pear trees, but the pears are always so hard. When should I pick them and what do I do with them?


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## mammabooh

Maybe they are the same as what we have. My grandma calls them "winter pears". We don't pick them off the trees...we wait until they fall. We gather them when they fall and then wait a couple of weeks before we eat them. They still aren't really soft like bartletts, but they are tasty and are great for canning.


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## Shawna

We do the same....we wait for them to fall from the tree and gather them up. I don't know what kind of pears we have....there were three trees here when we bought the place.

Good luck!
Shawna


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## Stephen in SOKY

Sounds like Keifer pears. I actually plant them. They're late, usually somewhat small, but require far less care than other varieties. They can beautifully by the way.


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## jlxian

My dad used to gather these kind of pears, spread them in a single layer in a cool spot (the basement) then let them soften up (usually a week or so). He would can a few quarts at a time this way. Made the basement smell good while they were softening.


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## Snakeoil

Sounds like to me you have cooking pears that are used in cobblers and jams.


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## Country Lady

I've just finished canning 30 pints of this type pears. My mom called them canning pears. I guess for lack of a better name for them. It seems they never get soft and if I wait until they fall off the tree, it seems too late. They either have worms in them or the squirrels eat them. We gathered, peeled and canned them and they are yummy.


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## WisJim

Most varieeties of pears need to be picked before they are ready to eat. Most kinds you pick when they start to feel slightly soft around the stem end. Then pick them, and either store in the refrigerator, or leave at room temp to ripen in a few days. It seems like just about every variety varies a bit in just when to pick them, so if you have lots of pears, do a bit of experimenting. Not many kinds actually ripen on the tree--most kinds will be overly soft and brown inside when they feel ripe on the tree.


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## netandtim

Sand pears is what we call them around here....I do think they are a Kieffer pear. They are highly prized for canning. Perfect for pear preserves because they do not get soft/soggy after water bath. Instead, the pears remain "al dente" and firm. Lucky you to have several trees! My sand pears should be ripe in about 2 weeks...they go from a green to a mottled tan but will still be very hard.

Happy pear picking!
Net


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## backachersfarm

We have some of those pears too. If you wait till they are soft...it's too late. They ripen from the inside out. They make good pear butter. The horse loves them. I planned to can some this yr and see how they do.
Sharon


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## marytx

We also call them canning pears, and if you wait for them to fall from the tree, all you have is a bunch of rotten pears under the tree.


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## farmergirl

I have used this type of pear in canned chutney. Turned out really yummy!


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## Beaners

I was just talking to my grandfather last night about the pear tree in his yard, and how the pears never get very big or seem very ripe. He said he didn't know much about them, but that they used to have another tree with pears for eating. This sounds exactly like the fruit the remaining tree has.

Too bad the deer eat all of them off the tree by midsummer.

Kayleigh


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## chicky momma

I found some trees the other day loaded down with pears. They are a pretty brown on one side and very hard. Thought they weren't ripe yet. Plan to check on them next week. So I should check for a little softness at the stem end? Then can them? Wonder could you freeze them? Lisa


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## Queen Bee

They are (what my mil calls) canning pears! They are delicious canned with a light syrup.. I peel, half, core, drop into 2 T. each vinegar, salt and one gal water solution (I leave them for about 10 min.) to keep them bright, rinse and cook until the are just tender, pack into hot jars and cover with a light syrup, can as directed. I serve them with a light or cream cheese, a berry on top and a sprig of mint in the middle of winter...


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## Country Lady

I canned mine with some crushed pineapple, which gave it a very good taste.


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## Rocky Fields

Hey.

Visit this link for an expert answer to your question about ripening:

http://www.usapears.com/pears/faq.asp#generaltwo

I would consider canning and pear juice as two viable options besides fresh eating.

When they talk about ripening in a bag...use paper, not plastic. Put a piece of fruit that is already ripening in with the greenies and it will give off a gas that may assist in the ripening process.

RF


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## Suektx

I have a very old pear tree on the property we bought. It is always loaded with pears. But they are rockhard even when they fall off the tree. They start falling off mid August. The horses love them. I have never figured out what kind of pair they are or what to do with them. When I look up pear varieties that look like them, I find some that really fit well except that it says they need another tree. This is the only tree around. I picked a bunch up off the ground today and this is what they look like.


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## RoBlaine

If they have a brownish-purplish blush when falling off the tree they could be Seckel pears. Small hard, sweet. They're way too hard to eat but soften when canned. They make good pear butter or other preserves. They have a good solid flavor so if you make pear butter, they mix well with tart apples, even elder berries.


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## Tintype

Suektx said:


> I have a very old pear tree on the property we bought. It is always loaded with pears. But they are rockhard even when they fall off the tree. They start falling off mid August. The horses love them. I have never figured out what kind of pair they are or what to do with them. When I look up pear varieties that look like them, I find some that really fit well except that it says they need another tree. This is the only tree around. I picked a bunch up off the ground today and this is what they look like.
> View attachment 90197
> View attachment 90197


I too have a tree like that ( only one ) and I can never tell when the pears get ripe. They start out harder than a granny Smith apple and STAY hard. I've picked some off the ground and some off the tree and they have a great taste. They start falling off the tree around August. The large ones are bigger than a baseball but the shady side of the tree has smaller ones. I wish someone could tell me what kind of pears these ugly things are! BUT THEY TASTE GREAT!


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## HDRider

Suektx said:


> I have a very old pear tree on the property we bought. It is always loaded with pears. But they are rockhard even when they fall off the tree. They start falling off mid August. The horses love them. I have never figured out what kind of pair they are or what to do with them. When I look up pear varieties that look like them, I find some that really fit well except that it says they need another tree. This is the only tree around. I picked a bunch up off the ground today and this is what they look like.
> View attachment 90197
> View attachment 90197


I have the same thing. I bet the tree is 100 years old

I juice them


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