Quality, Maturity, and Storage of Asian Pears Grown in Central Washington

Abstract

Asian pear (Pyrus serotina Rehder) growers must know the appropriate harvest conditions and storage potential for their crop. To determine appropriate harvest indices and storage potential of eight Asian pear cultivars, fruit grown in the Columbia basin of central Washington were harvested weekly for 10 wk. Fruit characteristics (diameter, firmness, starch content, soluble solids content, and titratable acidity) were measured at harvest, at harvest plus 2 wk at room temperature, after 3 mo of cold storage at 31 °F, and after cold storage plus 2 wk at room temperature. 'Shinseiki' was among the first to mature and 'Niitaka' was among the last. 'Chojuro' and 'Hosui' developed the highest soluble solids at harvest and 'Shinko' was lowest [...]