# Grainy pears



## EmilyMArkansas (Jul 22, 2008)

I have a pear tree in my yard that has yielded a ton of pears. The unfortunate part is that the pears don't ever get soft and ripe. Even the pears I pick up off the ground are still quite hard. This makes them kind of not that appealing to eat. The other thing is that they are very grainy or granular in texture so it feels like you've got some sand in your mouth when you eat them. I thought maybe cooking them would help and that does soften them, but they are still very grainy. Right now I am using them as animal treats since they are like chocolate to the horses and goats. 

Is there something that I can do for the tree to increase the palatability of the pears? I just bought my house almost two years ago and haven't done anything to the tree since that time. The pears last summer had the same problem.

location- south/central Arkansas


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

Sounds like Keifer pears. I like to can them as they hold their shape/texture well. That said, they must be an acquired taste as many people don't care for them. I also peel & bake them with butter, nutmeg & a little mace for a side dish.


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## o&itw (Dec 19, 2008)

Most of the old original pears are like this. They have what are called sclereids or stone cells in the fruit that give it a "gritty" feeling. There is nothing you can do to improve the fresh fruit, it is normal. Being hard is another normal quality. If you cook them, or make preserves, they loose some of that consitancy.


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## Windy in Kansas (Jun 16, 2002)

Just this afternoon I received a horticulture newsletter telling about the harvest of pears.

Here is a link. http://www.hfrr.ksu.edu/DesktopModules/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=2528


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## VOR. (Feb 3, 2009)

Most pears will not ripen on the tree. Asian pears are the exception. If you are not growing Asian pears, pick them when they change color and let them ripen in a cellar.


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## EmilyMArkansas (Jul 22, 2008)

Thanks for all of your input. I am going to try the suggestions in the article if it's not too late for my pears this year already. Although storage at 60-65 degrees for ripening will be difficult (I don't even keep the a/c that low).


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Do you have a basement or root cellar? That would be cool enough.

The grittiness is why I hate pears. They all seem that way to me.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Our Bartlett pears don't have that grainy texture, which was a pleasant surprise for me.

I wonder what would happen if you cooked the pears down and put them through a food mill. You could can the pear puree, or perhaps make fruit leather with it. 

I've noticed that the grains in the keifer pears tend to be more toward the core. Could you cut away the part that isn't grainy, and then process it? We dehydrated our Asian pears last year -- heavenly bliss!

Good luck with your harvest!


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## VT Chicklit (Mar 22, 2009)

My pear tree had about 75 pounds of fruit last year. The fruit was not fully ripe when it dropped or was picked from the tree. We placed them in cardboard boxes in the basement to keep. As we wanted pears, we brought out some to ripen on the counter. I also brought out 1 box to ripen and canned them just before they were ripe. This way they dont turn into mush in the canner.


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## tnokie (Jan 30, 2007)

Those hard pears are the only kind I grew up with! Peel ,core and slice,cook down with sugar,till nice and sweet and sryupy,then cold pack! Wow those are some great pear preserves They will be dark brown colored but its very pretty. Yes even then they will be a bit grainy,but you won't mind when put on toast or just to make a sandwich out of. Can you tell I like this stuff!Lol


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Pear butter! Cook the pears down - add nutmeg, cinnamon - maybe some orange juice. The best! I like it much better than apple butter.


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## MichelleMtnCatLady (Sep 27, 2020)

I have a Kieffer pear tree and it is loaded this year. I have given several buckets away after keeping several buckets for myself . So far I have made pear jam and then I boiled down the peelings and cores and with that I made pear honey . Everybody loves that . so since I still have a lot of pears to process I was looking for something different . So I made pear fruit leather . I washed the pears and using one of those apple corer things you push through the Apple . I used the apple core push tool on my pears . I tossed all of them... about 10 large pears... in a large pot. The Skin & the cores, too. (Extra flavor & nutrients). I cooked it down for an hour. I fished out all the skin and cores and rubbed them through a sieve to get any of the good stuff. I progressively used smaller holed sieves until I got a nice smooth consistency. I could have done it all at once but this is the way I prefer to do it. I put parchment paper on pans or cookie sheets and I bake it in the oven overnight for 8 to 10 hours at 140 to 180 degrees. The leather, fruit leather is done when you touch the center and it doesn't leave an indent. And is no longer sticky. Then cool and then you roll up the fruit rolls . fruit leather is supposed to stay good for a month at room temperature or year in the freezer . Enjoy your Kieffer pears . Bottom line you can make anything with them if you don't like the stones then sieve them out . ="EmilyMArkansas, K9post: 3957724, member: 33452"]
I have a pear tree in my yard that has yielded a ton of pears. The unfortunate part is that the pears don't ever get soft and ripe. Even the pears I pick up off the ground are still quite hard. This makes them kind of not that appealing to eat. The other thing is that they are very grainy or granular in texture so it feels like you've got some sand in your mouth when you eat them. I thought maybe cooking them would help and that does soften them, but they are still very grainy. Right now I am using them as animal treats since they are like chocolate to the horses and goats. 

Is there something that I can do for the tree to increase the palatability of the pears? I just bought my house almost two years ago and haven't done anything to the tree since that time. The pears last summer had the same problem.

location- south/central Arkansas
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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Might think about this. You already have a super strong rootstock. Find a neighbor/donor of good pears.






geo


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

If those are table pears, you pick them before they are ripe and set them out to ripen at room temperature. They will store for quite awhile if you keep them cool.

Pears are ready to pick when you take hold of the pear gently and tip it to one side. If it is time to pick it, the stem will snap and the pear will come free. If the stem just bends and doesn't break, it is too early. If you wait until pears are falling off the tree, it is probably going to be too late for most of them. 

When my pears were getting close to ready to pick, I checked them a couple of times a day. Then, when they started to be ready, I would go out and test the pears a couple of times a day to get the ones that were ready at that time. Harvest could be spread out over a couple of weeks.


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