North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Commercial growers have used pressure testers for years.  The device looks like a tube, but has a spring loaded device with a gauge in it.  You apply it to a pear and see how much pressure it takes to punch into the pear.  When it reaches a certain pressure, the pear is mature enough to pick, to be ripened after harvest.  Temperate Zone Pomology by M.N. Westwood explains it.
-Lon Rombough 
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com  Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Aug 17, 2006, at 8:24 AM, Mark or Helen Angermayer wrote:

Glenda's post reminded me that I don't really know how to tell when to pick
European pears.  I've read to wait until the seeds turn brown, but that
seems to be too late, the pears are already starting to get a woody core.
Last  year I picked Richardson pears (not a real high quality pear) Sept.
10th and they were still pretty hard, but woody, when ripened.  I picked Red
Bartlett on Aug 30th.  The seeds were still cream colored and the flesh very
hard, but they ripened beautifully (very good).  This year I'm thinking the
Red Bartletts are about ready to pick because Spring started a little
earlier , but I'm really just guessing at all this.  Does anyone have a
method a bit more objective?

Mark Angermayer
Zone 5 Kansas



Glenda wrote:


> This is a really dumb question, but how do I tell when my seedless
> canadice grapes are ripe?  They have started to turn color, and are
> getting sweet.  But I like tart fruit, and might well enjoy them
> before they are fully ripe.  They are seedless, so I can't evaluat
> the maturity of the seeds.  I planted the vine "blind", having never
> tasted the grape.
>
> I am going away for a week soon, and want to pick as many as
> reasonable to discourage pests (birds, squirrels, etc.) from learning
> about them.  But I'd rather not pick all of them under-ripe, either.
>
> Thanks,
> Ginda
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