How to Store Pears
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How to store pears depends on picking them at the right stage. Oregon State University Extension says pears should be harvested while still hard, because most varieties do not ripen well on the tree. Once picked, they keep best cool and humid, and they ripen after a period of cold. This guide sets out the cold-storage figures from the opened pages, the washing and packing advice, and the steps for bringing pears to eating ripeness.
Quick answer
- Pick pears when they are mature but still hard. Most varieties do not ripen well on the tree, according to Oregon State.
- Do not wash pears before storing them, and keep bruised or damaged fruit out of storage.
- Store them at 30 to 32°F and about 90 percent humidity, in ventilated boxes or unsealed or perforated plastic bags. Oregon State allows up to 40°F.
- Bring pears to room temperature, 60 to 70°F, for three to 10 days, then check the neck. A ripe pear yields to gentle pressure there.
Pick firm, not soft
Oregon State University Extension’s publication on picking and storing apples and pears gives the core timing rule: “Harvest your pears when they are still hard.” It adds that “Pick both types when mature but not ripe.” The same publication explains why: “Unlike apples, most pear varieties do not ripen to good quality while still on the tree.” The Oregon State Ask Extension answer repeats the point in plain terms: “Pears ripened on the tree generally have little or no storage life.”
The publication also describes a test for maturity. “Mature pears usually detach easily when tilted to the horizontal position from their vertical hanging position.” That gives you a way to check a tree before harvest without relying on color or softness alone. Firmness and sweetness are the sign the publication uses: pears that are “hard but sweet” are ready to pick.
Harvest timing also affects how long pears keep afterward. The Ask Extension answer says that “the longer the time between picking and storing, the shorter the storage life.” Move the fruit into storage soon after it is picked.
Handle gently and skip the wash
Bruising is the main early risk. The Ask Extension answer says to “Handle pears carefully while harvesting and putting them in storage,” because “Pears bruise easily, and bruised fruit does not store well.” The publication adds that “Do not store bruised apples or pears or fruit with insect and disease damage.” It also warns that “The presence of spoiled fruit can cause healthy fruit to ripen and rot more quickly.”
On washing, the Oregon State publication is direct: “Don’t wash apples and pears before storing them.” Its reason is that “The excess moisture from washing will hasten fruit decay.” The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A takes a different line for fruit. It says “For fruit it is important to rinse each piece and dry it.” The two pages do not agree on whether a pear should be rinsed before it goes into the fridge. The guide reports both and does not choose one.
The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A also says that “Fruits that have bruises or are very soft should be eaten right away and not stored.” That is the practical rule for fruit that has already been damaged. Eat those pears first, and do not hold them for the cold period.
Boxes, bags and air flow
Oregon State gives the packing rule in a short list. “Store apples and pears in clean wooden or cardboard boxes.” “Use boxes that are ventilated to allow air circulation.” “You can place fruit in unsealed or perforated plastic bags.” The same publication says not to line the boxes with paper or to individually wrap the fruit.
The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A gives a different method for fruit. It says to “layer them in clean newspaper to reduce fruit-to-fruit infection” and to keep the pieces away from the walls. It also says “To prevent mold, load the fruit into the fridge in a way that allows good air circulation.” The newspaper advice conflicts with the Oregon State packing rule, so readers who have both pages should follow the guidance that fits their own storage setup.
If you grow more pears than you can eat, the guide to making a compost pile covers the other route for fruit that will not keep. The starting a compost bin guide covers the set-up for the same use.
Temperature: the cold band and the fridge
Oregon State gives the target directly: “Temperature should range between 30°F and 32°F.” It then allows a little more room: “although fruit may be stored at temperatures up to 40°F.” The publication also warns that “Apples and pears spoil faster at temperatures above 45°F.” Those three numbers mark the working range for storage: the cold target, the upper edge for storage, and the point where spoilage speeds up.
For home storage, the Oregon State publication recommends the refrigerator. “It is easiest to control and monitor temperature in a refrigerator.” It also allows an alternative when a refrigerator is not an option: “But an unheated garage, cold basement or root cellar may work if you can maintain temperatures between 30°F and 45°F.” The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A puts fruit in a cold band of “32-35 degrees F” for deciduous fruit, which includes pear. The Ask Extension answer adds that pears should go in “a cool, humid location such as a refrigerator.”
Humidity matters too. The publication says to “Store pears and apples at 90% relative humidity,” and it notes that the target is not always easy to reach in every space. A bag that is unsealed or perforated helps keep moisture while letting excess escape, which is why the publication recommends that option.
How long pears keep, by variety
The Oregon State publication gives a storage-life table for each variety at two temperatures. The figures are approximate, and the table lists them in days.
| Variety | Days at 30 to 32°F | Days at 40 to 42°F |
|---|---|---|
| Bartlett | 30 to 45 | 15 to 20 |
| Bosc | 50 to 70 | 30 to 40 |
| D’Anjou | 120 to 140 | 70 to 80 |
| Comice | 79 to 90 | 45 to 55 |
| Winter Nelis | 160 to 180 | 90 to 100 |
The table is the only list of storage times for pear varieties in the opened pages, and its figures differ from the other numbers in this guide. It measures how long fruit keeps in storage. It does not measure the cold period a pear needs before it ripens, which is a separate figure covered below.
The cold period before ripening
Winter varieties need a cold period before they will ripen well, and the sources give different measures of it. The Oregon State preserving page says that “Winter pears such as Anjou, Comice and Bosc will need a period of cool storage (35-40 o F.) to ripen correctly,” and it gives day counts: “Anjou, 45-60 days; Bosc, 45 days; Comice, 30 days.” The publication adds that “‘Comice’ pears need to be held in cold storage for at least four weeks before ripening,” and that “‘D’Anjou’ pears need more time.”
Holding a pear too long has its own cost. The publication says that “Pears held beyond their normal storage life will not ripen after removal from storage.” Keep a record of the date you put the fruit in storage, so you can take it out in time for the ripening step.
Ripen on the counter, then check the neck
When the cold period is over, move the fruit to warmer air. The Oregon State publication says to “Remove the fruit from cold storage and place it at room temperature (60°F –70°F) for three to 10 days.” The preserving page gives the same range for a cool ripening place: “Picked pears should be ripened in a cool place (60-70 o F).” The preserving page advises you to “inspect them daily,” because not all pears ripen at the same time.
The test for ripeness is the neck. The Oregon State publication says that the best way to determine ripeness is to “check the neck.” The publication describes the method: “Apply light pressure to the stem end (the neck) of the pear with your thumb.” “A ripe pear will yield to the gentle pressure.”
Once a pear is ripe, the cold can hold it. The publication says that “You can slow down the ripening process and save your ripe pear for up to five days by placing it in the refrigerator.” That gives you a short window to eat ripe fruit, not a long hold.
Freezing and other extremes
Freezing is a separate risk. The publication says that “Apples and pears freeze at 29°F,” and it adds that “You can sometimes salvage partially frozen pears, but freezing ruins apples.” Keep the storage space above that point. The sources give no rule for how much freezing a pear can take before it is no longer usable, so this guide does not supply one.
Common storage mistakes
- Washing pears before they go into storage, which Oregon State says speeds decay.
- Storing bruised or damaged fruit, which Oregon State says will spoil in storage and can make healthy fruit rot faster.
- Storing above 45°F, where Oregon State says apples and pears spoil faster.
- Letting storage fall to freezing, since pears freeze at 29°F.
- Picking after the fruit has softened on the tree, since the publication says most varieties do not ripen well there.
- Holding pears past their normal storage life and expecting them to ripen after removal.
How we chose
This guide ranks no products and recommends none. It selected pages by four rules: an extension or university source, a successful curl fetch on 2026-10-23, a passage on harvest, storage, ripening or handling that applies to pears, and quoted sentences that appear word for word in the fetched text. Pages that returned 403, 404, 405, 429 or no response were not counted.
Four pages met the rules, and three of them are from one university. The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A is dated 2017. The guide notes both facts rather than adjusting for them, and it relies only on the pages opened here.
What we could not verify
Several points could not be checked against an opened source, so this guide does not present them as fact.
- Long-storage skin changes such as superficial scald. None of the opened pages describes them.
- Whether a sealed bag holds ethylene in a way that speeds ripening or decay. The opened publication allows unsealed or perforated bags and does not explain the effect of sealing.
- Storage advice for pear varieties outside the table, including Asian pears.
- How cold a fridge drawer must be to count as the cold band. No opened source gives a fridge-drawer temperature for pears.
What the sources do not say
The opened pages do not say why the storage-life table and the preserving-page day counts measure different things. They also disagree on rinsing and packing. The Oregon State publication says not to wash before storage and not to line boxes with paper, while the UC Cooperative Extension Q&A says to rinse and dry fruit and to layer it in newspaper. The guide shows both and leaves the choice to the reader’s setup.
Frequently asked questions
How long do pears keep in the refrigerator?
The Oregon State table gives the times at 40 to 42°F: Bartlett 15 to 20 days, Bosc 30 to 40 days, D’Anjou 70 to 80 days, Comice 45 to 55 days and Winter Nelis 90 to 100 days. Ripe pears keep for “up to five days” in the refrigerator, according to the same publication.
Should pears be washed before storage?
Oregon State says no: “Don’t wash apples and pears before storing them.” The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A says “For fruit it is important to rinse each piece and dry it.” Follow the publication that matches your setup, and wash the pear right before you eat it either way.
Can pears be stored in plastic bags?
Oregon State says “You can place fruit in unsealed or perforated plastic bags.” It also advises ventilated boxes, and it warns against lining the box with paper or wrapping each fruit individually. The UC Cooperative Extension Q&A suggests newspaper layers for fruit, which the Oregon State publication does not support. Use an open or perforated bag and avoid sealing the fruit inside.
How can you tell when a pear is ripe?
Check the neck. The Oregon State publication says to “Apply light pressure to the stem end (the neck) of the pear with your thumb,” and that “A ripe pear will yield to the gentle pressure.” The Oregon State publication calls this the best way to tell ripeness.
Why will my pear not ripen?
One cause the publication names is that the fruit has been held past its normal storage life. It says that “Pears held beyond their normal storage life will not ripen after removal from storage.” The same publication says that fruit that ripened on the tree may also have little storage life, so check the harvest stage next season.
Sources
- https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/fs147.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
- https://extension.oregonstate.edu/ask-extension/featured/when-are-pears-ready-be-picked (opened 2026-10-23)
- https://extension.oregonstate.edu/food/preservation/preserving-pears (opened 2026-10-23)
- https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2017-08/267742.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
