picked after ripening begins, their texture
becomes mushy and their core breaks down.
They will also develop a mealy core if
excessively warmed after cold storage.
They’re best ripened slowly over several days
at between 65–68ºF/18–20ºC. Pears are
sensitive to carbon dioxide, so they shouldn’t
be enclosed in plastic bags at any stage. Asian
pears are especially prone to bruising and are
often marketed in protective sleeves.
Pear Varieties Originally, all pears were
gritty “sand pears” and hard-fleshed.
Centuries of breeding greatly reduced the
prominence of gritty stone cells (but not in
varieties for making perry, the pear version of
cider, where they’re valued for helping to
grind the flesh before fermentation). The soft
“butter” texture characteristic of many
European pears was developed in the 18th
century by Belgian and French breeders.
European pears are classified in three groups