When to harvest summer, autumn and winter pears for storage

Pear

Pears begin ripening in the second half of summer and continue until mid-autumn. The plant produces tasty, juicy fruit. For serving directly to the table, they are picked ripe. However, this is not suitable for long-term storage, as the fruit spoils quickly. Fruit picked too early hardens over time, and its flavor deteriorates. To keep pears fresh and tasty until winter, the harvest is based on the variety, ripening time, and regional weather conditions.

Stages of maturity

The fruit ripening period lasts several weeks. During this time, the fruits go through several stages of ripeness. Pears can be harvested at any stage. The final destination depends on the fruit's intended use. For processing, pears are picked from the tree at the technical ripeness stage. For long-term storage or immediate consumption, pears are left hanging on the tree longer.

Technical

This stage of ripeness occurs earlier than others. Pome fruits release the most juice at this time, making them ideal for processing. When canned or cooked, the fruits do not fall apart, retaining their shape completely. Pear seeds are just beginning to darken at the stage of technical ripeness. The taste of the picked fruit is somewhat bland. Pears are harvested at this time for making juice, preserves, wine, marmalade, and other preserves.

Botanical or removable

Seven to ten days after technical maturity, the fruit's mass gain is complete. They accumulate numerous minerals, vitamins, sugar, starch, and pectin. By this time, a cork has formed between the stalk and the branch. This allows the fruit to be easily separated from the shoot. The seeds become dark and fully ripe. Fruits harvested at the stage of botanical maturity fully ripen during further storage. They remain fresh and tasty for a long time.

Consumer

At this stage, the fruits become especially tasty and aromatic. Their skin color and flesh density at consumer maturity fully correspond to the varietal characteristics. Pears accumulate the greatest amount of nutrients. At this stage, the fruits are picked for immediate consumption. These fruits can be stored for no more than 20 days. After that, they begin to spoil.

Complete or physiological

By this time, the accumulation of nutrients has completely ceased and their decomposition begins. Pears lose their starchy components, and their juice volume decreases. The pulp turns mush, and its flavor deteriorates. Such fruits are not suitable for eating. They are only suitable for harvesting fully ripened seeds.

Definition of maturity

To extend the shelf life of pears, as well as to ensure fresh consumption, the fruit is picked from the branches at the stage of botanical ripeness. A method for accurately determining fruit ripeness under different climatic conditions has not yet been discovered. Such a method is only necessary for commercial fruit growing. Incorrectly determining the harvest time for storage or processing greatly increases losses.

Several methods have been developed to determine the stage of botanical maturity:

by the color of the seeds;
study of the amount of starch using iodine at different stages of ripeness;
by the color of the fruit using a special scale, separate for each variety;
by the difference in concentration of dry and soluble components in the pulp separately for different varieties;
by calculating the sum of temperatures required for the ripening of fruits of individual varieties;
using a penetrometer, which measures the strength of the pulp;
taking into account statistical data regarding harvesting in previous years.

Most of these methods don't allow for precise harvest timing and are applicable in practice only with numerous caveats. Private farmers harvest based on their own intuition and experience. They know the soil composition of their gardens and the weather conditions. After years of observation, an experienced gardener can determine the best month to harvest for storage and processing.

The most effective ways to determine the degree of harvest maturity of fruits in private farms:

The fruits are easily torn from the branch. If the fruit is firmly attached, it's too early to harvest.
Volunteer pears have appeared on the ground. The pears must not be damaged by pests or diseases. The harvest begins when healthy fruit from the current year's crop appears on the ground.
Iodine solution testing. The fruit is cut and iodine diluted with water at a concentration of 1:15 is applied to the cut surface. Light-colored flesh indicates ripeness. If it has darkened, the pears are left to ripen further.
The skin near the stem and the fruit become lighter in color at the harvesting stage. If the fruit is overripe, a purple tint appears, and the flesh turns a rich yellow.
Ripe pears develop dents when pressed with your fingers. Overripe pears have skin that splits.
Ripe pears have dark brown seeds.

Note!

The ripeness of summer and early fall varieties is determined by the taste of the fruit. If the taste matches the variety's description, harvesting begins.

Factors Affecting Crop Ripening Time

Ripeness determination methods don't allow for accurate determination of the appropriate harvest time for fruit, as ripening time depends on external factors. For example, American scientists have developed methods for determining ripening time based on the combined temperature and flowering time. These methods are suitable for California, where there are no sudden temperature fluctuations and the climate is always moderate. These methods are unsuitable for Russia, as they can lead to an error of up to several weeks.

Fruit of the same variety ripen at different rates if they are grafted onto different rootstocks. The following factors influence the ripening of pears growing in the same area at different times:

too low or high air temperature in summer;
late warming in spring;
damage to trees by frost in winter;
chemical composition of the soil;
the amount of sunlight a tree receives;
the degree of soil moisture as a result of precipitation or irrigation;
the location of fruits inside the crown or on the periphery;
the amount of nutrients in the soil;
loading branches with fruits;
infestation of fruit trees with parasites and diseases.

Harvesting Rules

When harvesting, fruit is not knocked off the trees, preventing it from hitting the ground. Special tools are used to simplify the work. Fruits hanging on the lower branches are picked first. Then, gradually move up. Using a twisting motion, the stem is torn from the branch and the pear is removed. To protect the waxy coating on the skin, which prevents rot and infection, cloth gloves are worn before harvesting.

When harvesting, fruits with damaged skin, diseased, or misshapen fruit are placed in a separate pile, not with healthy ones. Pears selected for storage are placed in woven baskets lined with burlap. Wide wooden or plastic crates or boxes are also suitable.

During the winter pear harvest season, night frosts can occur in some regions. If frost forms on the skin, do not pick the fruit until it warms up. Otherwise, the risk of damage from extreme temperature fluctuations increases. Such pears only last a few weeks. Fruits from the top tier are picked with a special tool. A fruit picker can be purchased at a gardening store. A simple one can be made from old plastic bottles.

Important!

Pears are picked before lunch. If this is not possible and harvesting takes place in the afternoon, the fruit, warmed by the sun during the day, is first cooled in a cool room. Only then are they stored. If the fruit needs to be transferred from one container to another, they are carefully poured, not moved by hand.

Harvest timing

When picking pears, consider the potential harvesting period. For summer and autumn varieties, this period ranges from 5 days to 1 week. Winter varieties are harvested within 9 to 14 days. The quickly falling fruits are picked first to prevent them from falling to the ground. If pears are picked at the wrong time, their flavor deteriorates and their shelf life is reduced. In some cases, there is a risk of damage to the tree.

Harvesting too early can pose the following risks:

deterioration of shelf life;
insufficient amount of nutrients and weak fruit aroma;
the skin turns brown;
smaller size of pears;
absence of color characteristic of the variety even during long-term storage;
lack of waxy coating on late varieties, loss of moisture and rapid wilting.

If the harvest deadline is missed, another danger arises:

damage to fruits from impacts with the ground after falling;
the crop tolerates transportation worse;
floury pulp of some varieties;
When stored, overripe pears are more likely to suffer from diseases;
the risk of damage to late varieties by frost increases;
reduction in the amount of useful components in overripe fruits;
the pulp becomes very soft and damaged during removal from the branch and storage;
late harvesting impairs the formation of fruit buds;
Weakened trees do not have time to prepare for winter, remain weakened, and tolerate frost worse.

Harvesting for processing

Early autumn and summer varieties are suitable for preserving. The fruit is picked from the branches at the stage of technical ripeness, when it contains the most juice. Overripe pears fall apart during canning. If used for making wine or juice, they release little liquid. Unripe fruits have tasteless, hard flesh with no aroma. Pears at technical ripeness combine all the advantages: they are juicy, moderately aromatic, and delicious.

Note!

For some varieties, the phases of technical maturity and botanical maturity coincide.

Harvesting according to ripening time

Pear varieties are divided into winter, summer, and autumn varieties based on ripening time. They are harvested in different months. Their shelf life also varies. Some varieties are suitable only for processing, while others are eaten fresh. The shelf life depends on the conditions.

Time to harvest summer varieties

The stages of botanical and consumer maturity coincide for varieties ripening in the second half of summer. However, in commercial cultivation, the harvest is picked several days in advance to allow the fruit to ripen during transport. Early varieties ripen in several stages. In private gardens, the harvest is made after the varietal characteristics have been achieved.

Summer varieties don't keep well. Even under favorable conditions, they remain fresh and tasty for no more than two weeks. Only a few varieties keep well for up to a month. They are usually used for processing, picked at the stage of technical ripeness. Summer varieties are harvested within two weeks.

Time to harvest autumn varieties

The harvest period for mid-season varieties is the second half of August and September. They are divided into early autumn varieties, which resemble summer varieties in quality, and late autumn varieties, which are more similar to winter varieties.

Early varieties are harvested at the threshold of botanical and consumer ripeness. For some, these thresholds are the same, while for others, they differ by a few days. The fruits are eaten immediately or stored for 60 days. If the harvest is harvested at the technical ripeness stage, it is processed.

Late autumn varieties are harvested before botanical maturity. They ripen at home for 15-30 days. They can then be stored fresh for another 3 months. These varieties are rarely used for canning or cooking, as they retain their freshness well into mid-winter.

Harvesting winter varieties

Winter varieties are harvested at the stage of botanical ripeness. The ideal time is late September and early October. To avoid losing shelf life, the fruit is picked before the first autumn frosts. Consumer ripeness occurs within 20 to 30 days of storage. During this time, the fruit ripens, becoming delicious and aromatic.

Note!

Winter fruits are not used for processing. These varieties can be stored for up to six months and have the longest harvest period.

Harvest time by region

In the Moscow region and central Russia, pears are grown that can withstand temperatures down to -30°C. Summer varieties, ripening in early August, are most common here. Autumn varieties are harvested in late summer. They store much longer than their early-ripening counterparts. Winter varieties are harvested in September. These fruits store best and remain fresh until the New Year.