A Pear Ripens After You Pick It, Not Before
A pear is a sweet fruit narrower at the stem. It is one of the few fruits that must ripen off the tree.
A pear is a sweet fruit, narrow at the stem and rounded at the base. European pears are among the few fruits that ripen badly on the tree: left hanging, the flesh turns gritty and brown at the core, so growers pick them firm and let them soften in storage. This is why a shop pear is often rock hard and then, a day or two later, perfect for about an hour. *Pear* comes from Latin *pirum*, and *pear-shaped*, meaning gone wrong, is British slang of uncertain origin.
- A sweet fruit. *A ripe pear.*
- The tree. *A pear tree.*
- Perry — pear cider. *Perry.*
- Pear-shaped — gone wrong. *It went pear-shaped.*
- Latin — *pirum*. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pear | A pear. |
| Plural | pears | Pears. |
| Related | perry | Perry. |
| Compound | pear-shaped | Pear-shaped. |
| Latin | pirum | A pear. |
- The pear was perfectly ripe.Fruit.
- Pick them firm and store them.Growing.
- It all went pear-shaped.Slang.
Fruits that ripen after picking
- Pear — must ripen off the tree to avoid a gritty core
- Banana, avocado, mango — all ripen after harvest
- These are called climacteric fruits
- Ethylene gas drives the process, which is why a banana ripens its neighbours
- Grapes, citrus and berries do not ripen further once picked
Old English *pere*, from Latin *pirum*, a pear.
Why are pears sold hard?
Because European pears ripen badly on the tree. They are picked firm and soften in storage, giving a short window of perfect ripeness.
What is perry?
An alcoholic drink made from fermented pear juice, the pear equivalent of cider.