There is a big difference between store bought pears and off the tree pears.
"Pears picked when slightly immature will ripen with better quality than pears that are over mature when picked. To tell if a pear is mature, a general rule of thumb is that, while still on the tree, most mature, ready to ripen pears will usually detach when "tilted" to a horizontal position from their usual vertical hanging position. Bosc pears always are difficult to separate from the spur.
"Unlike apples, which are ready to eat from the day they are picked, pears must go through a series of changes before they can deliver their full splendor," explained Sugar. "Pears do not ripen on the tree to our liking. If allowed to tree-ripen, pears typically ripen from the inside out, so that the center is mushy by the time the outside flesh is ready."
"Commercial pears are harvested when they are 'mature,' he continued. "In pear language, that means they are picked when they have reached the point where they will ripen to good quality, sometimes with a little help, but definitely OFF the tree.
"So the frequently heard notion that pears are picked when they are still hard and green as a convenience for enduring the long truck ride to market misses the point," Sugar quipped.
Once commercial pears are picked, growers cool them down to about 30 degrees F. They don't freeze at this temperature, because the fruit sugar acts like an antifreeze.
"The colder the pears are, the longer they'll stay in good condition," said Sugar. "In fact, they actually need to be cooled in order to ripen properly."
Bartlett pears need to be cooled only for a day or two, and winter pears such as Anjou, Bosc and Comice require 2 to 6 weeks for optimal effect, he said."
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/story.php?S_No=1003&storyType=garden
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/pears.html
Any idea what variety of pear I have??
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