We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but the
great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall at
our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know how
to do that?

Des in Dublin

Des Higgins wrote:
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but the
great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall at
our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know how
to do that?

Des in Dublin


I guess it depends on what you mean by unripe. When my pears a ready for
picking they are still hard. A week to 10 days will ripen them, it is
recommended that you wrap them in grease proof paper to keep them, I
don't bother, I eat them too quickly. ;-)

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know
how to do that?

Des in Dublin


I guess it depends on what you mean by unripe. When my pears a ready for
picking they are still hard. A week to 10 days will ripen them, it is
recommended that you wrap them in grease proof paper to keep them, I don't
bother, I eat them too quickly. ;-)

ok, how do you know when to pick them?
Do you then just store them indoors or in a shed?
They are excellent when they do ripen and it is a nice tree.

Des

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know how
to do that?

Poaching is one solution but it takes ages to prepare hard pears and is
wearing on the hands.

When we had a pear tree and more fruit than even our large and always-hungry
family could consume I made pear chutney, it was excellent and meant that we
could enjoy them year-round.

Two or three times we made perry too but they need to be ripe for that.

Time should ripen the most obstinant, keep them at room temperature. They
are ripe when they give ever so slightly if you press gently at the flower
end. They don't keep for long when they're ripe :-(

I think it's best to pick them even before they're ripe so that they're not
damaged by falling.

Mary

Des in Dublin

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know how
to do that?

Des in Dublin

You probably have 'Conference' pears ( fairly long appearance ), as I think
the other usual type 'Williams' ripens in early September. I picked my
Conference a couple of weeks back whilst they were still hard and they have
all ripened up gradually in the fruit bowl. Pinch the neck firmly to see if
they are ripe, the flesh will give way a little if they are ripe.

Andy

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know
how to do that?

Poaching is one solution but it takes ages to prepare hard pears and is
wearing on the hands.

When we had a pear tree and more fruit than even our large and
always-hungry family could consume I made pear chutney, it was excellent
and meant that we could enjoy them year-round.

I do not suppose you can remember the recipe. That sounds like a good idea!
I will see if I can find some fruit chutney recipes in me curry book.s

Des

"Andy" wrote in message
...

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know
how to do that?

Des in Dublin

You probably have 'Conference' pears ( fairly long appearance ), as I
think the other usual type 'Williams' ripens in early September. I picked
my Conference a couple of weeks back whilst they were still hard and they
have all ripened up gradually in the fruit bowl. Pinch the neck firmly to
see if they are ripe, the flesh will give way a little if they are ripe.


Thanks Andy!


Andy

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back
wall at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know
how to do that?

Poaching is one solution but it takes ages to prepare hard pears and is
wearing on the hands.

When we had a pear tree and more fruit than even our large and
always-hungry family could consume I made pear chutney, it was excellent
and meant that we could enjoy them year-round.

I do not suppose you can remember the recipe. That sounds like a good
idea!
I will see if I can find some fruit chutney recipes in me curry book.s

We're in Yorkshire, our tree was a Comice, the fruit wasn't ready to pick
until November and the fruit was past its best by Christmas. There are many
types of pears, it doesn't really matter what you have, make the best of it
:-)

No, I can't remember what recipe I used, we cut down the tree a few years
ago. But what I do now is use any chutney recipe and substitute the fruit of
my choice - make sure you use plenty of spice. In a glut of plums this year
I made masses of plum chutney and because I had no whole spices I used some
(a lot!) ground mixed spice. It's wonderful stuff!

Mary

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the
great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at
our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know how
to do that?

Des in Dublin



You could always try storing some in a brown paper bag with
a ripening banana in a warm room, and see if the ethylene does
the trick. Ethylene is heavier than air, and so position the
banana(s) on top. Change (and eat) the banana(s) every few days
and check the pears.

There's a nice selection of pretty meaningless, but nice looking
charts on the topic, on here -

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/datastore/234-636.pdf


michael adams

....

"michael adams" wrote in message
...

"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...


You could always try storing some in a brown paper bag with
a ripening banana in a warm room, and see if the ethylene does
the trick. Ethylene is heavier than air, and so position the
banana(s) on top. Change (and eat) the banana(s) every few days
and check the pears.

I can't see the point of hurrying ripening of any fruit - it will happen in
its own time, naturally!

Mary

Des Higgins wrote:
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
. net...
When we had a pear tree and more fruit than even our large and
always-hungry family could consume I made pear chutney, it was excellent
and meant that we could enjoy them year-round.

I do not suppose you can remember the recipe. That sounds like a good idea!
I will see if I can find some fruit chutney recipes in me curry book.s

One year at my old lotty, all our pears had disappeared - someone
believes it was to make gin (!?)

This year, there's so much fruits I've made tons of stewed pears (and
apples) in orange juice (bit of sugar and cinamon stick), remove them
from the pan once they're soft but not too soft, make sirop with the
juice (adding sugar and mixing till juice evaporates) and put the pears
back in. We consume immediately with ice cream, or custard or for
breakfast with muesli and yogurt. I also keep them in the fridge in
jars, bowls, any containers and eat well past xmas. I've never bothered
putting them in jars, sealed and in cellar. Food here goes too quickly
)

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Des Higgins wrote:
We have a pear tree and live in a cold damp wet country.
A small number of pears ripened this year and some continue to ripen but
the great majority never ripen.
Anyone know what to do with them other than throw them over the back wall
at our neighbours?
I heard someone mention poaching and storing unripe pears; anyone know
how to do that?

Des in Dublin

I guess it depends on what you mean by unripe. When my pears a ready for
picking they are still hard. A week to 10 days will ripen them, it is
recommended that you wrap them in grease proof paper to keep them, I don't
bother, I eat them too quickly. ;-)


http://tinyurl.com/yaresx (Google - 154.000 recipes!)
Enjoy :~)

Mary Fisher wrote:
"michael adams" wrote in message
...
"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...

You could always try storing some in a brown paper bag with
a ripening banana in a warm room, and see if the ethylene does
the trick. Ethylene is heavier than air, and so position the
banana(s) on top. Change (and eat) the banana(s) every few days
and check the pears.

I can't see the point of hurrying ripening of any fruit - it will happen in
its own time, naturally!

Mary


Pears are ready to pick when you cup them in your had and lift the pear
to the horizontal, if it breaks away from the tree it is ready for
picking. Seems simple but it works for me.

"JennyC" wrote in message
...



http://tinyurl.com/yaresx (Google - 154.000 recipes!)
Enjoy :~)

Nice, thanks, bookmarked!

Mary

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
Mary Fisher wrote:
"michael adams" wrote in message
...
"Des Higgins" wrote in message
. ie...

You could always try storing some in a brown paper bag with
a ripening banana in a warm room, and see if the ethylene does
the trick. Ethylene is heavier than air, and so position the
banana(s) on top. Change (and eat) the banana(s) every few days
and check the pears.

I can't see the point of hurrying ripening of any fruit - it will happen
in its own time, naturally!

Mary


Pears are ready to pick when you cup them in your had and lift the pear to
the horizontal, if it breaks away from the tree it is ready for picking.
Seems simple but it works for me.

Yes but if the wind brings them off untimely ... as it often does at this
time of year :-(

Mary