Bartlett Pear

Bartlett pears have long been considered one of the choicest canning varieties. This variety accounts for about 75% of the pear production in the United States and Canada. A favorite for all uses.

Did you know that pears ripen from the inside out? That is why pears are usually picked early and allowed to ripen for a week or so off the tree in order to ripen evenly. If left on the tree, by the time the outside of the fruit seems ripe, the inside may be over-ripe and mealy. The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. If it is ready to harvest, the stem will usually break off easily from the branch. If it holds on, it is not quite ready yet.

To ripen a pear at home, you can put it in a paper bag or just leave it on the counter. To accelerate the ripening proces you can store your pear with an apple or a banana — both are fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process.