pear handling manualsection of the pear. standard color plates are compared with ripening fruit to...

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Pear Handling Manual


This manual was developed by the Pear BureauNorthwest to support organizations involvedin ripening or displaying ripe initiated pearsfrom Oregon and Washington.

Pears, like any other produce item, are shapedby each season’s characteristics. The guidelinesset forth in this manual should always beimplemented in conjunction with thedynamics of the pears. Some of these dynamicsbeing the variety, the age of the product fromharvest, quality, condition and otherphysiological factors.

The ultimate goal is to consistently producepears at a desired stage of ripeness that willmotivate consistent volume movement.

The Pear Bureau has the most comprehensivesupport for pear ripening, merchandising andpromotion in the industry. If you would like tolearn more about our program, visit us atwww.usapears.com/trade or feel free tocontact you Pear Bureau regional manager.

Contents:

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1

Growing Regions .................................... 3History ................................................. 4

Varieties ............................................... 5Availability ........................................... 8Harvest ................................................. 10Packing................................................. 13Sizing & Grading .................................... 14

Warehouse ProceduresReceiving & Handling.............................. 19Room Loading & Ripening Procedures ........ 21Pear Ripening Considerations ................... 22Pear Pressures - By Variety ....................... 23Ripening Overview.................................. 24Equipment Needed.................................. 25Pear Ripening Procedures ........................ 26

Retail ProceduresRetail Holding and Display ....................... 30Nutrition Facts ....................................... 34

W A S H I N G T O N

• Seattle

O R E G O N

Portland •

N

S

W E

Wenatchee

Yakima

Medford

Mid-Columbia

Northwest Pear Growing Regions

Within the vast and diverse geography of the United States,the Pacific Northwestern states of Oregon and Washington,produce the majority of North America’s fresh pears. Onlyfour areas in these states have the ideal mix of climate,fertile volcanic soil and abundant water, producing someof the world’s finest pears.

Today, the vast majority of Northwest pears can easily beidentified under the label of USA Pears coming from oneof these growing areas:

Wenatchee - The city of Wenatchee, located in the NorthCentral Washington growing region, is named for ChiefWenatchee, once head of the powerful Yakima tribe. Thename “Wenatchee” is a Native American word believed tomean “boiling waters,” a fitting description of theturbulent rapids of the Wenatchee River that tumblesthrough the surrounding canyons.

Yakima - According to Indian legend, the word Yakimameans “Black Bear.” Each year the plentiful water and rich,light, fertile soil of the beautiful Yakima Valley bringsthousands of acres of Northwest Pear trees into bloom.

Mid-Columbia - The Columbia River flows through theColumbia Gorge as it passes through the heart of the Mid-Columbia region. This rich pear-growing region begins justNorth of White Salmon, Washington and stretches Souththrough Hood River, Oregon to the slopes of Mt. Hood.

Medford - Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley is as rich in lush,Northwest Pear orchards as the surrounding area is rich inhistory. The area around Medford and the neighboring townof Jacksonville, a designated National Historic Landmark,serves as a time capsule dating from Oregon’s earlypioneering days.

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4

MODERN VARIETIESThe common pear (Pyrus communis), native to regions insoutheastern Europe and western Asia, is an ancestor oftoday’s popular varieties. Anjou, Bosc, and Comice were firstcultivated in France and Belgium for their delicate flavor andtexture, and their long storage life. It was this cultivation thatdeveloped the prized “melt in your mouth” texture thatearned them the nickname “butter fruit.”

Bartlett Pears (known outside North America as the “Williams”pear) was originally discovered in 1765 in England.

These are industrystandard names forthe parts of a pear.

EARLY HISTORYThe first mention ofpears was as a medicalingredient found on aclay tablet in Sumer inancient Mesopotamia,around 2,750 B.C. Thehistory of domesticatedpears is probably evenolder. In 10 B.C., Homerreferred to pears as the “gift of the gods,” and one of thefruits present in the Garden of Alcinous. For centuries,historical records have made note of pears gracing thetables of monarchies throughout Persia, China and Rome.As civilization spread, thousands of varieties came to becultivated throughout Europe.

ShoulderStem

CoreFlesh

CalyxSkin

Seed

5

IN NORTH AMERICAPears arrived in the newworld with the British andother Europeans during thecolonial period. Modernpears grow throughout theworld, but no other areamatches the ideal growingconditions of the United States’ Pacific Northwestern. Herea perfect combination of soil, climate, and abundant waterproduce plump, full-flavored, juicy pears enjoyed theworld over.

NORTHWEST VARIETIESOf the many varieties of pears in the world today, theNorthwest produces eight major varieties and a range ofsmall production varieties. The major varieties are dividedinto two availability periods; the summer/fall varieties(Green and Red Bartlett), which are available beginningin early August. Winter varieties (all other major varieties)are available in late August or early September.

GREEN ANDRED BARTLETTBartlett (known as Williams inSouth America and Europe) aregrown in many temperateregions throughout the world.Their sweet flavor is ideal forfresh eating, desserts andsalads. They are also a popularcanning variety. This classicbell shaped variety changesfrom green to yellow as theyripen. Green Bartlett arecommonly available fromAugust through January.

Red Bartlett are commonlyavailable August throughDecember.

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GREEN AND RED ANJOUGreen Anjou are nearly egg-shapedin appearance and range from lightgreen to yellow-green. Their skinshows little or no change in colorduring ripening. Anjou are veryjuicy and have a sweet, mellowflavor. They are a favorite foreating out of hand and for salads.Green Anjou are available fromSeptember through June.

Red Anjou have the samecharacteristics as Green Anjou andhold their maroon or dark red colorand are also available fromSeptember through June.

BOSCTheir symmetrical body with longtapering neck and cinnamon brownrusset color easily identifies Bosc.When ripe, the flesh is crunchy, yettender and sweet. The Bosc’s firmerflesh make it ideal for baking,broiling, poaching and eatingfresh. Bosc are available fromSeptember through April.

COMICEComice have a full, rounded shapewith a short neck and stem. Thisjuicy and sweet pear tends to begreenish-yellow in color, sometimeswith a reddish blush. Comice areusually at their best during thewinter holiday season, often beingfound in gift boxes and fruitbaskets. They are available fromSeptember through March.

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FORELLEThe Forelle is a medium tosmall, bell shaped variety.As ripening occurs, it gainsa golden yellow skin withbrilliant red blush andpronounced freckles, or“lenticles”. The flesh issweet and juicy. The Forelleis available from Octoberthrough March.

SECKELThe Seckel is the smallest ofthe Northwest Pear varieties.The shape is elliptical witheither a coloring of darkmaroon, or olive green withmaroon blush. The sweetaromatic and spicy flavorrate them among the bestdessert pears. Seckels areavailable from Septemberthrough March.

RED VARIETIESSeveral varieties of red pearsare available, each with aslightly different shade andflavor. All are attractive andeye-catching. Red winterpears are available from Augustthrough May.


AVAILABILITYToday, USA Pears are commonly available 11 months out ofthe year (August to June). Below is an average availabilityperiod for the major Northwest pear varieties:

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Calendar ofAvailability

GreenBartlett

RedBartlett

Red Anjou

Anjou

RedVarieties

Bosc

Comice

Seckel

Forelle

Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

HARVESTSince pears are one of the few fruits that do not ripensuccessfully on the tree, they are harvested when theyreach full maturity but before they are ripe. A series oftests are performed to determine the harvest maturity ofpears. These tests examine the firmness of the flesh, thecolor and the sugar content present in the fruit.

For example, firmnessis determined by apressure gauge whichmeasures the poundsof pressure it takes fora rounded plunger topenetrate a peeledsection of the pear.Standard color platesare compared withripening fruit todetermine proper color.A sample of juice istested to check thesugars present. Thesetests help ensure that the pears will have maximumstorage life and fine eating quality.

When the pears have been judged to be mature, theharvest begins. Pears are picked by hand and placed intoorchard bins designed to avoid bruising.

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11

To grow the best pears, constant attentionneeds to be maintained throughout the growing cycle.

Pears are testedfor maturity.Growers testfirmness of flesh,color and sugarcontent of fruit todetermine thebest time toharvest.

When Northwest Pears reach maturity, they are carefullypicked by hand. Then they are placed in specially designedbins to avoid bruising.

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After cooling, the pearstravel through a gentlewatercourse to aninspection locationwhere the fruit will besegregated by sized andgrade. Each pear isexamined and judged onstandard criteriaestablished by theUnited StatesDepartment ofAgriculture.

Freshly harvestedpears are stored inbins for 3 to 5 weeksto cool and slow theripening process sopears arrive at theirdestination fresh andready to ripen.

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PACKINGWhen bins of harvested pears are brought from the fieldsto the packinghouses, they are immediately placed intocold storage to slow the ripening process. Winter pearsneed to be precooled to ensure proper ripening. Thisprocess can take 3 to 5 weeks.

Once they reach a core temperature of 30-31˚F (-1˚C), thefruit is brought to size and grading lines by water transportto avoid bruising. Here pears are examined for defects andsorted into various grades.

Grading is based on standard criteria including fruit shapeand size of any flaws. Although the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture has set grading guidelines, mostpackinghouses use more stringent standards to remaincompetitive.

USDA/State and packinghouse personnel are on-site tograde the fruit before it leaves the packing facilities.


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14

USDA WINTER PEAR GRADES

U.S. NO. 11. Puncture: none2. Scab: none3. Smooth net-like russeting: 1/3 surface4. Frost russet: 3/4 inch5. Rough russet showing frogging: 1/2 inch6. Limbrub, cracked, soft more than slightly

depressed: none7. Black limbrubs: 3/8 inch8. Dark brown limbrubs: 1/2 inch9. Slightly rough light limbrub: 3/4 inch10. Smooth light colored limbrub: 1 inch11. Hail or similar depressions or scars: 3/8 inch12. Cork Spot: one 3/8 inch, or flesh materially affected13. Blister mite: superficial: 3/8 inch14. Healed stings: 215. Psylla: thin 1/4 of surface, moderate 3/4 inch, heavy

1/2 inch

CA

Size VarietyGrade Packing House Code

A stamped labelappears on all boxesof Northwest Pears.

Inspection Stamp

CA Storage Indicator

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U.S. NO. 2 (Fancy)1. Scab: 1/2 inch2. Hail: 3/4 inch3. Smooth net-like russeting: 2/3 of surface4. Frost type russeting: 15% of surface5. Excessively rough russeting, frogging: 3/4 inch6. Light limbrub: 1/10 of surface7. Slightly cracked limbrub: 3/4 inch8. Blister mite: 3/4 inch9. Healed stings: 310. Cork Spot: Aggregate 3/4 inch or flesh

seriously affected11. Psylla: thin 1/2 of surface, moderate 1-1/4

inch, heavy 3/4 inch12. Sunburn: brown color or flattened.

SIZINGPear size is based on the number of pears that fit in astandardized box designed to hold 4/5 bushel of pears, orapproximately 44 lbs. (20 kgs). Sizes generally run fromthe large 70 count to the small 150 count. That means that70 large pears or 150 small pears will fit into a standard 4/5 bushel box.

Before being placed in a box, pears are individuallywrapped by hand or placed on fitted trays, then carefullypacked into plastic lined cartons and placed in cold storageto maximize freshness. The boxes are stamped with size,variety, grade and other packing information. Somepackinghouses go through a process called “pre-sizing.”During this process, pears are graded and sized, replaced intheir bins in cold storage, then packed as a particular sizeis needed.

For longer storage life, some fruit is moved to controlledatmosphere (CA) chambers.


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Highlysophisticatedfacilities andinstrumentationensure exacttemperature,humidity andair mix.

Controlled atmosphere chambers enable shippers tostore fruit at optimum temperature, humidity and aircomposition to maintain high quality for extendedperiods of time.

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WAREHOUSE PROCEDURES

The following section outlines theset of considerations and practices toconsistently produce the desired stage ofpear ripeness.

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Pear boxes should beremoved immediately fromthe loading dock. Store in acold area to inhibit ripeningor a warmer/ambient areain preparation for pre-ripening.


Stack pear boxes nomore than 5 or 6 layershigh to keep fromcrushing the bottomboxes damaging thefruit. Never drop or tossboxes. Damage may notbe immediatelyapparent, but will showup as the fruit ripens.

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RECEIVING & HANDLINGNorthwest Pears must be handled carefully as they arerelatively fragile and temperature sensitive. Boxes shouldbe removed from trailer and placed under the desiredholding condition. This can be in cold storage to slowpotential “breaking” or advancements of the ripeningprocess. Or, in a warm area to increase the pear’srespiration and in preparation to initiate ripening.

The recommended holding storage temperature is 34-36˚F(1-2˚C) with a 90-95% relative humidity. Regardless ofwhere pears are stored, keep the boxes off wet floors toavoid box breakdown. If restacking boxes occurs, stackpear boxes no more than 5 or 6 high to avoid crushing thefruit in the bottom boxes.

Generally speaking:

• Pears kept at a constant 34-36˚F (1-2˚C) will havemonths of shelf life.

• Firm fruit held at a constant 50-59˚F (10-15˚C) shouldlast 4 to 8 weeks.

• Pears held at 68˚F (20˚C) or higher will generally ripen in3 to 5 days. To avoid damaging pears keep pulptemperatures below 75˚F (20˚C).

Another important part of holding pears after harvest anduntil they are placed on the retail display is placing themunder recommended humidity conditions. For pears, therecommended humidity is 90-95% RH (relative humidity).By providing this humidity, the process by which pearsnaturally give off their moisture will be greatly reduced. Inturn, this minimizes the stress on the fruit, allowing it tomore effectively protect itself against the evolution ofbruising and other damage or breakdown.

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The key to having pears at the desired condition for retaildisplay is based on holding temperatures over the life ofthe pears once they are harvested; the relative humiditythe pears are exposed to throughout their post-harvestlife; and their expose to ethylene.

Ethylene is a naturally occurring hormone generated bymany fruits including pears, apples, bananas andtomatoes. Since ethylene triggers a fruit’s ripeningprocess, make sure to avoid long-term storage next to highethylene producing fruits if pear ripening is not desired.


After ripening has been initiated, inspect pears daily todetermine their ripening progression. Check the neck forripeness: pear ripening can be recognized when they yield(show softening) to gentle pressure at the stem end. Toslow the ripening process keep pears under coolertemperatures. Conversely, keep pears at warmertemperatures to maintain or speedup ripening.

Pears ripen from the inside out, so it is important to testfor ripeness near the stem end (the neck). By the time apear is soft in the middle, it may be overripe so make sureto check the neck for ripeness.

Pears ripen from theinside out and fromthe top to bottom.Check the neck todetermine ripeness➔➔

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ROOM LOADINGAND RIPENING PROCEDURESOnce the fruit pulp temperature has reached the roomair temperature range of 60-70˚F (16-21˚C), introduceethylene. Like Bananas, check pear core temperature andfirmness daily. It is best to check the temperature invarious parts of the room to ensure there are no “hotspots” in the room. Air circulation is important; an evenflow throughout the room will help the fruit ripen evenly.

When loading a conventional room, stack and load thefruit to ensure maximum air flow in and around the boxes.The stacking pattern should facilitate airflow around andthrough the boxes to be most effective in removing heatand carbon dioxide produced by the ripening pears and toensure uniform distribution of ethylene. Airflow all aroundeach box is necessary to cool the fruit in the middle of thebox, stack and pallet. It is also best to leave 1 1/2 feetbetween the walls and pallets and at least 6 inchesbetween pallets.

If a forced air-conditioning system is used and the boxeshave proper venting for introducing air through the box,pallets can be handled through the ripening room withoutspecial stacking patterns.

It is also important to keep access open to the back of theroom in order to take daily firmness and temperaturereadings. If there are no fans installed in the room to movethe air, portable fans can be used. Verification of theethylene concentration is important, especially during thefirst few introductions.

Vent the ripening room every 24 hours by opening thedoor. This venting will occur when you are checking thepulp temperature in the room. Venting will rid the room ofcarbon dioxide, which slows ripening. Otherwise avoidentering ripening rooms when ethylene is beingintroduced. Opening the door will prematurely lower theparts per million (ppm) of ethylene concentration. It maybe helpful to hang a sign on the room to alert people tothe fact that ethylene is being used inside.

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PEAR RIPENING CONSIDERATIONSFor early season fruit, 48 hours of ethylene introductionmay be necessary to achieve the desired firmness. For laterseason fruit and fruit that has been stored for two or moremonths, 24 hours will normally be sufficient. It isimportant to check firmness daily. Firmness may drop 1 lb.force per day on average. Keep in mind transit time untilfruit is on the shelves when determining optimumfirmness.

Pears in the 3 to 5 lb. force firmness range are oftenconsidered best for eating out of hand. However this canvary according to individual tastes and circumstances.


Bartlett

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Once fruit has reached the desired firmness, remove thefruit from the conditioning room and rapidly bring pulptemperatures down to 32˚F (0˚C) to slow ripening. Beaware that conditioned fruit will ripen faster and needgentle handling especially as the firmness decreases.Always handle pears gently.

For fruit that is destined to be sold or consumed quickly,keeping pears at a core temperature of 60-70˚F (16-21˚C)will quickly bring them to optimum eating quality, i.e. 3 to5 lb. force. Pears held at 68˚F (20˚C) after ethylenetreatment can ripen in 3 to 5 days. Pears will continue toripen once triggered. It is important to lower pulptemperatures and keep fruit refrigerated to slow theripening process.

PEAR PRESSURES – BY VARIETYIf you choose to ripen different pear varieties thefollowing pounds pressure guideline can be utilized as ageneral reference:

INITIATE RIPENING IF OVER:Bartlett Anjou Bosc Comice Seckel Forelle

13lbs. 12lbs. 12lbs. 12lbs. 12lbs. 12lbs.

DO NOT NEED TO RIPEN UNDER:Bartlett Anjou Bosc Comice Seckel Forelle

12lbs. 10lbs. 10lbs. 10lbs. 10lbs. 10lbs.

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RIPENING OVERVIEWPears ripen from the inside out. During the ripeningprocess, pears grow sweeter and juicier as starch reservesconvert to sugar and pectins are solubilized. To determinehow the pears have progressed there are two tests forripeness: When a winter pear yields to thumb pressure atthe stem end, the inside is ripe. Pears that are soft aroundthe middle are overripe. A fruit penetrometer indicateswhen most varieties are considered to be fully ripe,yielding to 3 to 4 pounds-force. Depending on fruittemperature, a reading of 8 to 9 pounds-force generallyindicates that pears will be ripe in approximately 3 to 5days.

Ripening can be initiated at any place along thedistribution chain before being placed on retail displays.Pears need moderately warm, moist areas to ripen properly.As a general rule, pears should have pulp temperatures of60-70˚F (16-21˚C) with a 90-95% relative humidity. Bananaor tomato ripening rooms are ideal to use in ripeningpears. However, make sure that pear pulp temperaturesstay below 75˚F (24˚C) to maintain proper ripening speedand prevent “cooking” or damaging the fruit throughexcessive heat.

All fruit ripening is time/temperature related. Therefore,the higher the pulp temperature (around 70˚F [21˚C]) onceripening has been initiated the quicker pears will tend toripen. On the other hand, the lower the pulp temperature(around 60˚F [16˚C]) the slower the fruit will tend to ripen.

Note: Pears, like any living item, change over time. Thespeed at which pears will ripen is also dependent onmaturity at harvest, the time between harvest andethylene treatment, and other physiological conditions.Each load of pears that are ripened should be inspected atleast once daily to determine their ripening progression.

When pears reach their desired stage of ripeness, theripening process can be slowed by holding pears at around32-45˚F (0-7˚C). The lower the temperature the slower thepears will tend to ripen. Inspect pears daily.

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It is important to note that most pears will not show anyvisible sign of ripening. However, Bartlett do change colorfrom green to yellow as they ripen, while winter pearsgenerally don’t change color.

Fruit firmness checker

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• Ripening Room• Air tight• Heating and cooling capabilities• Good airflow• Capacity to maintain 90-95% relative humidity

• Fruit firmness tester (penetrometer) with 5/16 inch(8mm) tip

• Knife• Pulp thermometer• Ethylene• Ethylene introduction device (flowmeter)

Ripening Log

* Fruit penetrometers are available commercially. Follow themanufacturer’s guidelines for proper equipment calibrationand usage.

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A tomato orbananaripening roomis ideal forripening pears.

PEAR RIPENING PROCEDURESRipening fruit is a combination of an art and science.This section will discuss pear ripening procedures stepby step. However, as discussed earlier, pears are alive.Depending on a range of factors they may react totemperature and ethylene treatment differently. It istherefore vital that each load of pears be ripened by a baseset of factors such as its flesh firmness at the initiation ofripening and the storage time and temperature sinceharvest.

Inspect each load of pears in preparation for gassing. Thenmake sure to follow through with achieving the level ofripening desired by inspecting ethylene-treated pears atleast on a daily basis.


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Maturity, fruit firmness, fruit and room temperatures andethylene concentration are all important when ripeningpears. The less time in cold storage after harvest and thehigher the firmness require a longer duration of time forripening fruit. Likewise, late season fruit will need ashorter period of time for conditioning. Below is a quicklist of ripening steps:

• Warm pears approximately 12 hours before initiating thegassing cycle so that by gassing they have apulp temperature between 60-70˚F (16-21˚C).

• Take pressure samples using the penetrometer beforeloading pears into the conditioning room and record theinformation on the room’s ripening logs.

• For each room, keep track of the fruit firmness, roomtemperature and pulp temperature after each visit tothe room. A ripening log is located at the back of the bookthat can be enlarged and reproduced on a copy-machine.

• Make sure to use the correct pressure tip (see equipmentneeded above) and record as accurate a reading aspossible since you will be using these measurements tocompare against the pears pressure after gassing.

• Gas with ethylene for at least 24 uninterupted hours ata minimum concentration 100 ppm (part per million).

• Vent rooms for 20 to 30 minutes after each 24-hourgassing period to remove carbon dioxide and allow afresh supply of oxygen into the room. Pears are aliveand are taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide.A fresh supply of oxygen allows pears to carry onmetabolic processes while carbon dioxide inhibitmetabolic processes or retard the ripening process.

• At the end of the gassing period check the pear’spressure again to see if the pounds of resistance haschanged (is less than before gassing). If no change isnoticed pears can be regassed again for another 24hours. Note: Ethylene triggers the ripening process, soyou cannot over gas fruit.

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• If regassing occurs, follow the same venting at the endof the gassing period and resample the pear for theirpressure level.

• Once pears have accepted the gas, they can be cooledagain as needed. For maximum holding, pears can becooled to 32˚F (0˚C). To have pears more quickly ripenpulp temperatures can be maintained at 45-60˚F (7-16˚C). The higher the temperature the more rapidly thepears will ripen. Just as important, is that the faster apear ripens the shorter its shelf life will be.

• For long-distance shipping pears should be cooled to32˚F (0˚C) before loading into the trailer for transit.

• In order to determine the speed of the ripening,firmness and pulp temperatures should be checked twicedaily approximately 12 hours apart. Firmness may drop1 lb. force per day on average. Do not allow pulptemperatures to exceed 75˚F (24˚C) as this can causebreakdown of the fruit.

RETAILER DESIREIt is important to consider time in transit and on thesupermarket shelf in order to determine the best firmnessfor each situation.

Example: A supermarket may want a lower firmness if fruithas less travel time and will be on the shelf sooner afterconditioning. Pears in the 3 to 5 lb. force firmness rangeare often considered best for eating out of hand. However,this can vary according to individual tastes. Lowerfirmness can make handling and shipping more difficult.Like all fruit and vegetables, pears are living, andbreathing. Consequently, pears will continue to ripen evenwhen refrigerated. However, the closer the fruit is kept to0˚C (32˚F) the slower it will ripen. It is important to bringthe temperature of the fruit rapidly back down afterconditioning.

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RELATIVE HUMIDITYMaintaining 90 to 95% relative humidity in theconditioning room will help minimize water loss andshrivel. This can be accomplished with the aid ofcommercial humidifiers, which can be installed in theroom. Another way is to soak the floor of the room whenthe fruit is placed inside. Be sure that boxes are notstacked on the floor if the latter procedure is used. It isimportant that corrugated boxes are strong enough towithstand 90 to 95% relative humidity without loss ofstructual integrity.

ETHYLENE APPLICATIONEthylene gas should be introduced into an airtight room,as the concentration of ethylene ppm needs to remainhigh enough to trigger the conditioning process. At adistribution center, a banana or tomato ripening room isideal. Most important is the fact that the room should notleak and have a good air distribution system. If the roomleaks, it will be difficult to reach and maintain the properlevel of ethylene concentration.

The ethylene concentration required for conditioning pearsis 100 ppm. To determine the cubic feet of a room,multiply Height x Width x Depth. Once you determine thevolume of the room you will be using, follow the directionsof the company from which you buy the ethylene in orderto determine the quantity of gas to use. Note: Ethylene gasis explosive in concentrations between 2.8% (28,000 ppm)and 28.6% (286,000 ppm). However, the amount ofethylene needed for ripening pears is only 100 ppm. Youwould need 280 times this amount for any chance ofexplosion. Consult the manufacturer of the system youintend to use for instruction on proper safety procedures.


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RETAIL HANDLING AND DISPLAYRetail handling and display of pears is the final step indisplaying premium quality fruit that drive impulse sales.Follow the steps below to guarantee a winning display.

Customers can ripen pears at home by placing them in apaper bag. The bag acts like a mini-ripening room,providing ideal humidity and temperature, bringing themto perfect eating ripeness in no time!

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Handling And Storage• Northwest Pears must be handled carefully, as they are

relatively fragile and temperature sensitive.

• Always inspect fruit upon arrival.

• Ideal cold storage temperature 34˚-36˚ F (1˚-2˚ C) withrelative humidity of 90-95%.

• When storing pears, keep boxes off the wet floors toavoid box breakdown and mold.

• Stack pear boxes no more than 5 or 6 layers high toavoid crushing bottom boxes.

• Rotate on a first in, first out basis.

• Inspect pears daily to judge their degree of ripeness.Keep pears cooler to slow ripening,warmer to speed ripening.


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Check The Neck For Ripeness

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Display And Merchandising

• Create a pear display to increase pear sales and profitsfor your produce department.

• Do not remove pears from boxes until ready to display.

• Handle pears gently, as they bruise easily no matterwhat the stage of ripeness.

• Rotate displays frequently, placing the new fruit on thebottom of your display and older fruit on the top.

• Use as many pear varieties as are available. Attractivecolor variations and selections will appeal toshoppers. Two or more sizes offer customers choiceand can increase volume purchases.

• Cross-merchandise with cheese, nuts, wine or saladdressings to prompt customer use with innovative ideas.

• Incorporate seasonal themes, for Halloween,Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Dayor other holidays, on your displays.

• Offer information leaflets and nutritional data for yourcustomers, at the display.

• Increase sales with samplings. Customers buy differentvarieties if they can sample them.

• Mass displays suggest a festive occasion and willincrease impulse sales.

• Display pears on non refrigerated displays in order tofacilitate their premium eating quality.

• Pears are one of the highest impulse fruits in theproduce department, so display them prominently andprovide a generous amount of space allocation.

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Nutrition Information

USA

Calories.............................................. 100Total Dietary Fiber ............................... 4 gVitamin C ........................................... 7 mgPotassium .......................................... 208 mgSodium .............................................. 0Cholesterol ......................................... 0Fat .................................................... 0

(166 gr medium sized pear)

Canada

Calories.............................................. 100Total Dietary Fiber ............................... 4 gVitamin C ........................................... 7 mgPotassium .......................................... 208mgSodium .............................................. 0Cholesterol ......................................... 0Fat .................................................... 0

(166 gr medium sized pear)

Pear Conditioning Log

Date Loaded Ethylene Introduction

For Shipment (date & time)

Unloaded (date & time) No. Boxes

Phot

o Co

py P

ear C

ondi

tion

ing

Log

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

pm

am

Air Tempin room

PulpTempRange

PsiForce

ThermostatSetting Comments

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PEAR BUREAU NORTHWEST4382 SE International Way, Suite A

Milwaukie, OR 97222-4635USA

Phone: (503) 652-9720/Fax: (503) 652-9721E-mail: [email protected]/trade

© Pear Bureau Northwest 2004 / All rights reserved.

®

pear handling manualsection of the pear. standard color plates are compared with ripening fruit to...

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