The Best Way To Store Pears For Ultimate Freshness
Pears are a delicious and healthy fruit, but they can be tricky to store properly to maintain their freshness. Storing pears correctly not only extends their shelf life but also ensures they maintain their crispness and flavor.
The first thing to consider when storing pears is their ripeness. Pears are unique in that they ripen best off the tree, so if you've bought pears that are still firm, you may need to let them ripen at room temperature before refrigerating them.
To ripen pears, place them in a paper bag at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. The bag helps trap ethylene gas, a natural gas that speeds up the ripening process.
Once the pears are ripe, it's important to move them to the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process and keep them fresh for a longer period. Pears can last up to five to seven days in the fridge once ripe, but they may start to lose flavor and texture over time.
To store them in the refrigerator, place them in the crisper drawer, which is designed to maintain humidity levels that are ideal for fruits like pears.
If you want to store pears for an extended period, you can freeze them. However, freezing pears changes their texture, so they’re best used in cooking or baking after being frozen.
Drain the slices and arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze them individually before transferring them to an airtight container or freezer bag for long-term storage.
For those who prefer to store pears in a pantry, it's important to remember that pears should be stored in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources.