You can enjoy the taste of fresh pears not only during their ripening, but also in winter. It is enough to learn how to store them correctly. It is here that the owners of personal plots and just lovers of these juicy fruits are usually faced by failure. Unlike apples, pears have a different consistency of pulp and, if stored improperly, can become completely tasteless or even rot. Absolutely everything should be taken into account - their variety, temperature and humidity in the room, degree of maturity and other factors. In our article we will talk about how to store pears at home. But first, let us dwell on creating favorable conditions for this.
Storage recommendations
Pears, in comparison with apples, are a rather capricious product. Due to improper storage for a short period, they can turn into completely tasteless fruits. An important factor in this is the correct choice of variety. So that the harvested crop does not lose taste as long as possible, only winter varieties of pears should be grown and harvested . They tear them still immature, which reduces the likelihood of damage to the fruit and their rot.
Here are a few recommendations on how to properly store pears:
- the harvesting process should be as accurate as possible, avoiding damage to the fruit, since these places will become foci of rot and damage in the future;
- in the process of storage, pears are surely moved and inspected (rotten and too ripe fruits are eliminated);
- if the crop is stored in boxes, it is necessary to provide air access to it, therefore it is recommended to use a cotton cloth as a lid;
- humidity should not be too low, otherwise the pears will dry out and become tasteless;
- when harvesting, it is important to preserve the stalk, which will increase the shelf life of the fruit;
- the more light comes into the pears, the faster they become ripe.
If the fruits are not planned to be eaten fresh and they need to be stored in order to be used later for the preparation of various desserts, it is recommended to freeze pears. To do this, they are peeled and peeled, sprayed with lemon juice so that they do not darken, and put in special bags. In this form, pears can be stored for up to 6 months.
Temperature conditions
The optimum temperature for storage of pears is considered to be from 0 to 1 ° above zero. At home, you can organize the process in the refrigerator, on the balcony or in the pantry, in the basement or cellar. Humidity should be at the level of 80-90%. But before choosing a method of storing pears for the winter, you should understand what varieties you have available. The timing will directly depend on this:
- Summer pear varieties, harvested in late July and early August, are stored for no more than 3 weeks. Tear them should be about 7-10 days before complete ripening.
- A medium-sized pear crop is harvested around the end of September. If the correct conditions are provided, it can be stored for 1-3 months. The fruits are ripened from the trees unripe.
- Winter varieties are harvested in early October. They have a dark green peel and hard flesh. Such varieties are specially grown for storage. Before the period of their full ripening, it usually takes up to 3 months before the flesh inside becomes juicy and soft. Such pears can be stored for up to 7 months without loss of presentation and taste.
Pear storage technology in the basement and cellar
In dark, cool rooms, the harvested crop can be without spoilage or loss of taste for a sufficiently long period of time. At the same time, compliance with favorable conditions for how to store pears is mandatory.
First of all, it is necessary to prepare wooden boxes. They are installed on shelves or stands made of wood at a distance of 15-20 cm from the floor. As for the basement or cellar itself, the room must be surely processed from fungi and mold. The easiest way is to whitewash the walls with a solution of lime.
Before you put the pears in a box, you should wrap each paper or lay it between the fruits. Another way is to fill the pears with sawdust. It is recommended to use a cotton piece of fabric as a lid for the drawer.
Is it possible to save pears from spoilage in the apartment?
The harvest of unripe fruits collected on the site can be placed in apartment conditions. For this, a pantry or an insulated balcony is suitable. The main thing is that the temperature on it is not too low so that the fruits do not freeze.
Now you need to figure out how to store pears on the balcony. For this, wooden boxes are used. Pears are directly wrapped in paper, covered with wood shavings or dry sand. If you want to speed up the ripening process, put at least one ripe fruit in the box.
Features of storing pears in the refrigerator
Since far from all apartments have balconies and storage rooms, many people have to rely only on the refrigerator when deciding on the location of the harvested crop. How to store pears in this case?
The optimal temperature in the refrigerator should be from 1 to 4 degrees above zero. The pears themselves are packed in plastic bags of 1 kg each. In such containers, it is necessary to make small openings for air access. Fruits are recommended to be inspected every day for damage and rot.
How to store pears so that they ripen?
Fruits from fruit trees are removed in the stage of technical maturity, when they are just beginning to turn yellow. In this form, while ensuring the correct storage conditions, they can lie until the very spring. However, sometimes it is required to allow the fruits to ripen faster so that they can be eaten not after 3-5 months, but right now. Therefore, the question arises of how to store pears so that they ripen quickly.
First of all, they need to be placed in a room at a temperature of 18-20 degrees above zero. In this form, they are left for a period of one to five days, but at the same time, their condition is checked every day. In addition, pears can be put in one paper bag with apples and bananas. Substances that secrete these fruits will help accelerate the ripening of pears.
How to store dried pears?
In this form, the fruits manage to maintain a complete set of vitamins and minerals. But it is important to be able to not only properly dry the pears, but also correctly store the billets. To do this, it is recommended to use a sealed container to limit the ingress of air to the product.
For storage of dried pears, tin or glass jars with tight lids or special bags with reliable zip locks are suitable. The storage location should be selected dry and darkened, protected from direct sunlight.