Hi Goudreau, Sorry I cannot tell you when they are ready for picking, but I can sure tell you that they look very good and quite appetizing....

>>RE: pears http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/fruit/msg101057145319.html?2 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lucky_p z6 W.KY (My Page) on Fri, Oct 13, 06 at 13:03 From a friend of mine who's spent his life growing fruits and fruit trees, and used to operate one of the foremost fruit nurseries in the eastern US: "Most all European pears (exception is the new Green Jade), require post-picking chill to properly mature. Or, when fruit exhibit slight color changes, begin to test pressure (using your thumb) near the stem. When there is a slight "give", pick all the fruit, store at or near 35 degrees for 7 or more days. Then you can remove them as needed, allow them to sit at room temps for 2-4 days which allows them to ripen to peak flavor. Years ago, I got a letter from an older NAFEX fellow who told me that European types were very difficult to ripen due to varietal quirks or requirements in post harvest handling. He said "If you live long enough to learn how to properly ripen 10 varieties, you'll be lucky". I'm still working on it!!!"Hope this helps- M

I started picking my pears mid June. By mid July the squirrels were having haydays (weeks) with em. I picked my last pear late July, and it was a bit grainy. Next year I will try to have all my pears picked by July 15th. Pears ripen well on the kitchen counter. If left to ripen on the tree they loose the soft/smooth texture and get grainy. The first couple I picked were hard and tasted more like apples than pears. These softened after about a week. Maybe my variety ripens earlier than gator's. It is almost certainly a different variety from yours (8b vs 5). Just start picking when they get sweet, and get crackin' when they start to blush.

donna, Here's an archived note I've saved for years on ripening pears from one of my mentors who operated one of the premier fruit tree nurseries & orchards in the eastern US for nearly 30 years: "Most all European pears (exception is the new Green Jade), require post picking chill to properly mature. Or, when fruit exhibit slight color changes, begin to test pressure (using your thumb) near the stem. When there is a slight "give", pick all the fruit, store at or near 35 degrees for 7 or more days. Then you can remove them as needed, allow them to sit at room temps for 2-4 days which allows them to ripen to peak flavor. Years ago, I got a letter from an older NAFEX fellow who told me that European types were very difficult to ripen due to varietal quirks or requirements in post harvest handling. He said "E*, if you live long enough to learn how to properly ripen 10 varieties, you'll be lucky". I'm still working on it!!! Additionally, here's a couple of posts from an ongoing current discussion on pear ripening on the NAFEX e-list: JF(in MN) wrote: Following someone's post about picking pears before they get tree ripened and putting them in cold storage, I picked my Ure Pears when they first began changing color. Apparently I missed some and they fell off the tree two weeks later. Wishing to learn how tree-ripening affected stone cell production, I bit into several finding they are the best tasting pears I have ever eaten. There was an acceptable, tiny bit of grit in the peel but the flesh was wonderful. Henceforth I'll let them ripen on the tree. KM(in MI) replied: Interesting topic. I have several pear trees and note some are simply marvelous when tree ripened. I pull some at the conventional point and tree ripen some to get the best of both worlds. Harvest Queen is about the finest tasting pear I have had when tree ripe...simply amazing. When given conventional treatment it is still a darn good pear. I have yet to get one that rotted from the inside out when tree ripened. Harrow Sweet is also excellent tree ripe. However some do rot from the inside out. I can't figure out why that happens as it is definitely hit or miss. Figure a 15% loss if you tree ripen. Potomac is a mixed bag, it tends to rot from the inside out about 30% of the time - but and check this out, it can and will ferment in the skin. So if you want to get plastered this might be a candidate. Magness and Warren both ripen on the tree with limited rot, but I cannot say there is much of an improvement in taste over conventional methods. Atlantic Queen....this is awesome tree ripe. I think this is all I tried the tree ripening thing on. Your mileage may vary - as mine here in the hot humid South is at least partially different from jean's in the PNW - but, what the heck, try some both ways!