Good to Know A research report from David Sugar, Oregon State University; Elizabeth Mitcham, University of California, Davis; and Eugene Kupferman, Washington State University, Wenatchee Pears harvested when mature will typically ripen to a buttery-juicy texture only when they have been exposed after harvest to conditions that will induce ripening capacity, followed by actual ripening at room temperature. Traditionally, conditioning to develop ripening capacity has been accomplished through cold storage, so this process has been known as “satisfying the chill requirement.” Since the temperature in long-term storage is typically 30 to 31°F, each pear variety has been associated with a […]