Bartlett Pears

OK… to be fair, this isn’t exactly on the Homestead, but yesterday I helped pick 4 bushels of Bartlett Pears from my parents’ tree.

For the past few days, we have been trying the pears to see if they easily detach from the tree when moved sideways from the stem. Yesterday morning, after a quick trip to the (somewhat disappointing) local farmer’s market, the pears snapped right off the tree, showing us that it was time to harvest.

From an article sent to me by a very good friend, we learned that the pears should be ripened in a specific way to optimize texture and taste. So… after picking all the pears we could reach, we will be chilling them for two days in the coldest part of the refrigerator, then letting them ripen for 5-7 days in Mom’s basement. After that, we’ll be canning, making jams and fruit leathers and eating them fresh.

Here’s a photo of almost the entire harvest (1/2 bushel was already in a neighbor’s basement):

Bartlett Pears