You might be able to make a little Perri (sp?) this year. Good stuff.
Nope, those are wasps. Good for hunting pest bugs in the garden but they're generally A-holes.
Ripening Home Grown Pears
Pears must be harvested before they are ripe. (When simply lifting the pear to a horizontal position causes it to break free from the branch, it is ready to harvest.)
Store-bought pears have been chilled down to 30ºF for several days (for Bartlett types). This chilling allows them to then ripen perfectly at room temperature in about 5 to 7 days. So, if you pick your own pears at the perfect time, you will need to chill them in the fridge for a few days (colder the better). Then they are ready to ripen in a paper bag on the counter for a week or so.
Test the pear for ripeness by pressing at the point where the stem meets the fruit. "When the flesh beneath your thumb yields evenly to gentle pressure, it is time to eat your pear. If you have to push more than slightly, it is not ready yet."
Eating a perfectly ripened pear is a juicy, messy activity. Pears are not supposed to be crisp.
Bob
Are you planning to eat that one, or make a distinctive Jack-O-Lantern?
Bob
Please send me a few of its seeds!
That would be my "winter" squash for 2018.
Bob
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