anton wrote in message
...

mark wrote in message ...
I have masses of commice pears this year. I've picked a few, but they're
rock hard, and if left in the fruit bowl they just go 'spongy' not ripe .
any suggestions?


I'm still experimenting with pear ripening, but this works for
most of them:
1. Pick from tree when lifting them a bit breaks the pear from the tree.
2. Store in cool conditions: I either wrap in newspaper or lay them in
trays
with newspaper top and bottom, and keep them in an unheated shed.
3. Inspect every few days- if one goes rotten, remove it quickly.
4. When the pear flushes with a different colour (normally a yellow
background) bring into the house and eat. If a pear is
**nearly** ripe, bringing it into the house for a couple of days normally
ripens it, but if hasn't nearly ripened in the cool then
keeping it in the warm will do no good.


--
Anton




thanks......I'll leave them on the tree longer then try your method
(previous year left them too long , came back from hols and found them on
the floor !)

mark