As ubiquitous as they are come fall, pears remain a bit of an enigma. Why are they so hard when you buy them? Why do they seemingly take forever to ripen? Why do they finally ripen exactly when you ...

Asian pears are ready to eat when purchased; European pears ripen after harvest. Check European pears for color changes, sweet aroma and soft flesh near the stem to spot ripeness. To speed ripening, ...

It's been a couple of weeks since I had my last farmers market peach, and the transition always feels like a bit of a bummer. But my disappointment is lessened knowing pear season is ramping up. While ...

Time and patience and the right conditions for ripening will get you the tastiest pears. With pears, timing is everything. The most widely planted and consumed pear in America is the Bartlett. You’ll ...

Thomas Jefferson planted 17 varieties of pears in his lush orchards at Monticello, and all of those fruits paled in comparison to the ones he had tasted in Europe. According to "The Great Book of ...