Topic: Can you keep pears like apples?

[cropping]

Hi everybody,

After picking apples, I can keep them for storage for many months. I thought I could do the same with pears, but after a few weeks they turn soft and are clearly off. So you can't keep pears for a long time?

Cheers

[Deb P]

Pears usually only start to ripen off the tree and I’m just eating ones I picked about six weeks ago! You can slow down the ripening by storing them in cool dry conditions but Ive never successfully stored them. My Nan used to bottle hers once ripe but I’v never tried that just eaten as many as possible while they were still ok!

[JanG]

There are some varieties which are selected for longer storing, like Winter Nellis. Probably you wouldn't be able to keep even these past January.
I find it helps to prolong the season by picking them in three or four different stages and ideally keeping some of each stage at room temperature and the rest in a fridge or somewhere cool.
Pears differ from apples in that they tend to go mushy from the centre out so to look at they often seem fine. But even when a bit mushy the taste can be acceptable, unlike apples which taste pretty awful once they bruise or develop rotten patches. 

[ACE]

Bung them in the rumtoft, makes a great drink for the winter months and fantastic trifles from the fruit.

[IanDH]

We both bottle and dehydrate pears for use over winter.

Bottling is good as you can add flavours.  We use both ginger and vanilla pods.  Just by chance I can confirm that Lidl have vanilla pods on sale this week.  Great value. Put a pod in a kilner jar of sugar for vanilla sugar... but that is the start of another conversation.  Bottled pear with ginger and vanilla + home made ice cream mmm...

[Tulipa]

You can also cook in a red wine syrup and freeze, that's my favourite way of storing...

[cropping]

All right, thanks a lot everybody for your input. There are definitely some great ideas for preserving pears. Thanks!