New here. Wondering why my pears don't get sweet.

[Cheburashka]

I live in Eastern Washington. We have a large pear tree that's been grafted to bear Bosc, Anjou and Bartlett. It's around six years old and it gets full sun all day long. It sets lots of fruit and appears to be very healthy, but the fruit never gets sweet. We've tried everything, even down to letting the pears sit on the tree until they drop of their own accord. They're always of a good size and healthy-looking, but the standard treatment of the fruit (chill for a few weeks then put in a dark place) yields tasteless hard fruit.

Any ideas regarding what's wrong?

thanks

 

[The Mama Chicken]

from Texas

I let my pears ripen in the house. I don't think they ever get sweet while they're on the tree. I just pick them when they change color (they're Kieffer pears) and then bring them inside and set them on a shelf or on top of the fridge until they get soft and start to smell sweet.

 

[897tgigvib]

Yep, what Mama Chicken says.

Don't let the Pears ripen on the tree. I know, sounds counterintuitive, but that is how my mother taught us.

Mom got the pears and put them in a grocery bag, not plastic, the brown old fashioned grocery bag kind. She then set them on top of the fridge for a week or 2 or 3 up to as long as they lasted. I like pears when they are almost too soft! (Who needs teeth for them?) Mmmm! Sugary sweet that way.

I know. There will be some folks who will say pick them ripe and do this or that. I once had a boss who insisted Pears were best picked ripe, and she liked them that way. bleeyech to barely acceptable that way to me.

Pick when they look good, or as mamachicken says, after they color up.
Set 10 in large brown bag, close bag.
Set bag on fridge, top of cupboard works.
Wait a week, try one.
2 weeks should be good.
6 weeks, perfect, for me!

 

[momofdrew]

yeah my grandparents had 4 pear trees and Pa always picked them before they were ripe and stored them in his cellar he used bushel baskets and wrapped each in tissue paper...as kids we got to eat the drops but had to look out for the worm...but they weren't as sweet as the ones from the cellar...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Asian pears will ripen on the tree, but the others don't. Store them and when they feel a little soft around the stem when you gently push with your thumbnail, it is time to test them.

I like them soft too, but some people don't. When I think they are about ready, my wife wants to toss them as overripe. That does not happen. I like pears.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

We have 3 pear trees in our yard that are considered a hard canning pear. They just don't get sweet or soft. Only way to eat them is to grind them up for "pear relish" or can them in simple syrup. You can also dry them, but good luck cutting the rocks in uniform thickness, lol.

 

[rebbetzin]

Just wanted to say "Hi! and Welcome! I don't have any fruit trees, well take that back...

I have one apricot and three Pomegranate trees. My apricot tree has yet to set fruit, it got a whole 6 flowers this spring!
But, it is only four years old. One of the Pomegranate tres has some nice fruit developing. The other two are too young yet.
I don't think pears will grow here very well.

 

[897tgigvib]

to The Easy Garden Chebrushka

 

[Cheburashka]

I understand about letting them ripen in the house. Thing is, if you leave them on the tree too long, they get grittier rather than less sweet. The sugar content shouldn't change, and with these I'm never getting that sugar content. I've picked them at different stages and they always come out the same. I guess it's possible that they're canning pears, but since they're well-known varieties which are usually very sweet, I'm not sure why mine end up different from the ones I see in stores or on other people's trees.

Maybe Eastern WA doesn't have a good environment for pears.