Harvested at maturity, fresh pears, when left to ripen on the tree, become gritty, or mealy, and lose their flavor. At Premium Fruit, we harvest and ship every single one of our pear varieties in an unripe condition. This unripe state allows the pears to arrive at their destination in top condition.

Included in each box is a ripening bag with simple, easy to follow instructions, so you to can enjoy sweet and juicy pears. Below is an overview of the 3 Steps;

1. Place Pears in the Ripening Bag provided in each Premium Fruit box. Close the top of the bag and place on your kitchen counter.

2. Leave in bag 3-5 Days on the kitchen counter. Pears become ripe from the inside out, growing sweeter and juicier as starch reserves convert to sweet sugar.

3. After 3-5 days, Check the Neck for Ripeness. Simply press the stem end of the pear with your thumb, like pictured below. If the pear yields to gentle thumb pressure, the pear is ready to eat! If not, then place it back inside the Ripening Bag and check again in two days. Repeat this procedure until the neck of the pear yields to gentle thumb pressure.

Shelf life of your ripened pears is normally 3-4 days, while unripe pears when kept in cool temperatures, will have weeks of shelf life.

Information and photos contributed by USA Pears.