Seckel Pear

Seckel Pear is also called a “sugar pear” or “candy pear”. This is an old-fashioned pear variety that is super sweet with “a hint of spice” originated near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. Mostly used in cooking and canning, this variety can also enjoyed fresh, and that is our favorite way to eat it! These pears stay somewhat crunchy even when they are fully ripe.

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.