Harvest time for tomatoes then should ideally occur when..." - Page 7

efisakov · August 10, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissS

After a few years of trying to find a luscious tree ripened pear, I have finally given up. For the last 10 years I will only eat pears that are picked green and left to ripen indoors. Tree ripened pears are a mushy rotten mess fit only for the yellow jackets. The deer won't even bother to eat them......

I agree with gorbelly, it has to be variety/breeding effect. Old varieties have different pattern of ripening, just like tomatoes. Some tomatoes "fall" off the vines so it is easy to collect them with machines. The determinate tomatoes are easily collected in short period of time. I can continue with breeding reasons. Now days most of the produce picked green, so the varieties are such for pears as well.
The orchards are growing what is available. You would have to go out of your way to find OLD variety, none commercial.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gorbelly

I don't think it's a conspiracy. It's probably a matter of different assumptions. If I understand correctly, pears ripened off the tree ripen evenly all over, whereas those on the tree start ripening from the inside out. This might be great if the tree is in your back yard and you eat them seconds after picking them off the tree. It's probably bad if you have to ship and sell those pears, and it's probably gross if you have to eat one that's been getting mushy in the center for days and days after being shipped and sitting in a market. Also, variety/breeding may have an effect. It usually does with crops.

Shrinkrap · August 11, 2016

Here is what Stark says about picking the pears from the tree they sell for the home growere.

http://www.starkbros.com/growing-gui...ady-to-harvest

"While most types of fruit reach their peak on the branch or vine, pears need to be picked before ripening. If left on the tree, pears ripen from the inside out and, by the time they seem to be at the ripe stage, they are beyond it — usually mushy with a mealy texture beneath the skin.

To avoid such results, you must pick pears when they are mature but not yet fully ripened. Figuring out the answer to “when are pears ripe?” can be difficult. When in season, a mature pear will still be firm to the touch, so feel won’t be a strong indicator. You can’t really go by sight either; a mature pear could be a variation of colors, like green, yellow, or even blush, depending on the variety.

The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch.

Once harvested, most pears will require about a week to ripen at room temperature (about 65-72ºF). If you store the fruit in a paper bag, you can speed up this process so that it will ripen in just a few days. You may also choose to store your harvested pears with an apple or banana — fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process. (Beware, ethylene gas may cause your pears to break down faster than anticipated, starting from the inside out, so it may be better to be patient and let the pears ripen on their own at room temperature.)

Pear season is coming! In a typical year, it starts in August for those of us in zones 5 and 6. If you are growing your own, make sure you are prepared!

The information above applies to European Pears. Asian Pears tend to ripen just fine on the tree. To learn more about ripening and other differences between these two kinds of pears, check out our article..."

Shrinkrap · August 11, 2016

And from a "you pick " place

"The fruit can be ripened on the tree, but for better quality, they are best picked early and allowed to ripen indoors. Most pears ripen from the inside out, and if left on the tree to ripen, many varieties will become brown at the core and rotten the middle. This is especially common in most fall pears.

Pears have a characteristically gritty texture caused by cells in the meat called stone cells. Although modern varieties have fewer of these stone cells, all varieties still contain them. Picking the pears before they have matured and holding them under cool controlled conditions prevents the formation of too many stone cells, and results in a less gritty pear!
Pears are delicate even when they're hard and green, so they're always picked by hand. A few guidelines to use in determining whether pears are ready to be picked include:

Attached to the tree: Pears are best picked when the fruit separates easily from the twigs. If it is hard to pull off the tree, it isn't ready!
Texture: A pear ready to be picked should have a feeling of springiness to its flesh. Close your hand around one and squeeze. If it feels absolutely rock hard, it's still not ready. You should be able to detect a slight feeling of give, but not too much.
Drops: when healthy fruits begin to drop, the others on the tree are ready;
Color: there is a change in fruit color from green to yellow; and the stem separates easily from the branch. To pick pears, grasp the fruit firmly and twist or roll it to make the stem separate from the tree.
Asian pears, unlike European pears, should be allowed to ripen on the tree. They need no after-ripening storage period. Asian pears are ready for harvest when they come away easily from the spur or branch when they are lifted and twisted slightly. Also when green skin color starts to change to yellow, they're ripe. .Use the taste test; they're ready when they taste good. Asian pears should be crisp and crunchy when eaten.

Read more at http://pickyourown.org/pearpickingti...uvOqzvc1Zuf.99
Read more at http://pickyourown.org/pearpickingtips.htm#FccVm3XdpuLHfgaq.99"

Shrinkrap · August 11, 2016

And from The University of Idaho

http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pd...8/CIS0898.html

"There are two major groups of pears: the soft-fleshed European pears (Pyrus communis) and the crisp-fleshed Asian pears (Pyrus pyrifolia). European pears are best when ripened off the tree. They consist of summer pears and winter pears. Summer pears such as Bartlett can be ripened after harvest without storage. Winter pears such as D'Anjou and Comice need a month or more of cold storage before ripening to highest quality. Asian pears, also known as Nashi or Oriental pears, Chinese pears, salad pears and apple pears, differ from European pears in remaining firm, crisp and juicy when ripened on the tree.

Most pears are eaten fresh (dessert pears), but they are excellent canned. Pears are also enjoyed dried or pickled and in purees, jams, jellies, pear wine (Perry) and brandy.

Varieties

The best reason to raise your own pears is to get exactly the varieties you want. Of some 3,000 existing pear varieties, 20 are grown commercially and more than 40 are available to the home gardener. Some 90 percent of the commercial pears come from just three varieties: Bartlett, D'Anjou and Bosc. The Asian varieties of pears are currently gaining commercial popularity in this country.

Many varieties of pear mature from mid-August into mid-October. The following varieties, listed in order of harvest maturity, are some of the many varieties worthy of consideration for the home garden:

European pears

Clapps Favorite originated from a seedling that occurred by chance and was found in Massachusetts in 1850. It is the earliest pear of good quality.

Bartlett descends from a seedling found in England around 1750. Excellent fresh, it is also considered the best variety for canning.

Seckel originated from a wild seedling found near Philadelphia around 1800. A small gourmet pear with a high sugar content and pleasant flavor, it is served pickled and as a dessert.

D'Anjou, also called Beurre D'Anjou, was introduced to the United States from France in 1844. It is a high-quality winter dessert pear.

Bosc, also called Beurre Bosc, comes from a chance seedling found in Belgium in 1807. A fine-flavored dessert variety, it has russetted skin.

Comice originated near Angiers, France, around 1840. This variety is grown in the Medford, Oregon, area as a specialty gift-box pear. It is one of the finest for eating and drying but is not recommended for canning."

efisakov · August 11, 2016

I grew up in Crimea, Ukraine (than it was Ukraine republic). There were many orchards with pear trees, peaches, apples, cherries, and prunes.
...And there were old pear trees planted by kind people along small river and some other places near the village where my grandma leaved. She told me that people planted them for anyone to pick when passing by, they were planted before the second world war. These pears were the once I was talking about, not the once at the orchard. The old varieties that are lost, probably. Unless someone decided to revive them again. These trees were tall, no lower branches left to climb. We kids just looked for few that recently fell off the tree or used long stick to force it to fall. They were tree ripe and delicious. They tasted like honey. I have no doubt that commercial growers would NOT want to grow tall trees like that.

NarnianGarden · August 11, 2016

Ah Ella! I can imagine, I have visited Ukraine (years ago)...

Here in our climate, growing any other fruit trees than apples is a stretch ... I do see cherry trees here and there, but more often than not, a young cherry and plum tree is likely to die during the wintertime..
Although many nurseries are now offering new, cold-tolerant varieties of cherries and pears...
Might not taste the same it does in warmer southern regions..!

Some berry trees and bushes do tolerate and even love our climate, though. Aronia chokeberry (currently known as Sorbaronia mitchurinii) is a wonderfully resilient species that produces healthy and juicy, although tart dark berries that are excellent for jelly-making.
They are popular as fence plants, very lush and green in the summer, changing into nice shades of red and violet in the late fall.

Another one to consider (I love it) is Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon, a domesticated version of the wild variety. The taste is somewhat tart with the bitter almond flavor (cyanide precursor...), which makes it an excellent candidate for pies.

Sorry, this got a bit far from tomatoes, but Ella got me started with her fruit tree memories..

Barbee · August 11, 2016

So i will throw this out here for consideration. Many tomato varieties taste better at different stages of ripeness. So those of you who prefer your tomatoes ripened on the vine might not be letting them get ripe enough when you pick at breaker stage. I always pick at breaker stage so i can slow down how fast they ripen and choose the stage of ripeness i want to eat the rascal.

gorbelly · August 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbee

So i will throw this out here for consideration. Many tomato varieties taste better at different stages of ripeness. So those of you who prefer your tomatoes ripened on the vine might not be letting them get ripe enough when you pick at breaker stage. I always pick at breaker stage so i can slow down how fast they ripen and choose the stage of ripeness i want to eat the rascal.

People who pick at breaker stage here do it to control ripening indoors. They don't eat them at breaker stage.

gorbelly · August 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by bower

This is a classic case of "first of season" tomato.

Rest assured, you should get some delicious CP and silky smooth. Mealiness happens on times to fruit that set in less than satisfied conditions.

Almost every year I am less than wowed by the first tomatoes. I sometimes blame myself for eating unripe.

But many times they just aren't up to scratch. Never judge by the first taste.

Had my second one. It was very, very good. I picked it one day early, as it was a loaded truss, and I was worried about the compression of all the fruits pressing on one another splitting it if I let it get perfectly ripe on the vine. Ate it the next day--extremely good. Not the best CP I've had, as it's still an early fruit (all my tomatoes are ripening very late this summer), and it's been through two jags of near-daily thunderstorms recently. It doesn't have the super intense flavor of a perfect CP, but it's still very, very good.

Compared to the CP I ripened indoors that fell off the vine at mature green with just the barest hint of blush at the blossom end, there's absolutely no contest. The one I ripened from mature green was practically a spitter. The one right after it that got 90% ripe on the vine was delicious.

Shrinkrap · August 12, 2016

Why would a green tomato fall off the vine? Could something have been wrong with it?

gorbelly · August 12, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shrinkrap

Why would a green tomato fall off the vine? Could something have been wrong with it?

It was knocked off the vine by what I think was a groundhog or squirrel going for the half-ripened fruit next to it.

gorbelly · August 12, 2016

In other news, I picked my first Franchi red pear. It had ripened fully on the vine. Despite being a first fruit with a very minor touch of BER, it was hands down the best tomato my garden has produced yet this year. This is a very good variety. I'll pick a couple on the early side and ripen indoors and see how they compare. Unlike oblate beefsteaks, they have no problems with splitting and cracking and can ripen to perfection on the plant without worries about weather.

Since my pilfered CP incident, I've been wrapping ripening tomatoes in gauze (I have a bunch of extra gauze lying around that is too old to use for wound care). So far, it's been letting me ripen most of my tomatoes completely or at least to 90% on the vine. This isn't a burden for me with my measly 10 in-ground plants but obviously it's not really an option for people who grow lots of plants.

EDIT: I also don't have a stinkbug problem this year. I understand from others who have tried things like organza bags that they can actually make stink bug problems worse by providing shelter to stinkbug nymphs.

Hellmanns · August 13, 2016

For me, this is vine ripe perfection! I'll break it down.
1. August fruit.
2. Large fruit for variety description.
3. Plants are peaking in production.
4. Fruit was nearest the main plant stem on the truss.
5. Fruit absolutely couldn't take anything more from the plant.
6. Healthy plant foliage.

bower · August 13, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmanns

For me, this is vine ripe perfection! I'll break it down.
1. August fruit.
2. Large fruit for variety description.
3. Plants are peaking in production.
4. Fruit was nearest the main plant stem on the truss.
5. Fruit absolutely couldn't take anything more from the plant.
6. Healthy plant foliage.

Hellmans you made me laugh. I remember going into someone's garden where the fruit were hanging on a stone dead plant covered in mold, waiting to ripen.

Vine ripe is a foolish concept when the vine is even actually dead!

And fausty!

Being we get a lot of mold here at the end of season, my policy is to prune it out ruthlessly and take the fruit off to ripen as a rescue mission.
In fact, fruit that had a lot of spores fall on them tend to develop a coarse, matte textured skin - even if they don't actually get rotten and wasted. They may ripen and be tasty inside, but the skin is entirely gross.

NarnianGarden · August 13, 2016

Just waiting for my first Kosovo ever to ripen... it was rescued and brought indoors at the first blush, saved from a cold rains and possible BER (there were some initial 'leathering' signs at the bottom and I did not like that at all..)
It looks all beautiful and juicy, and I did not want to let it rot on the vine - I have had that happen with ripening fruits during some cold spells ..

August 11, 2016	#92
Shrinkrap Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: N. California Posts: 701	Here is what Stark says about picking the pears from the tree they sell for the home growere. http://www.starkbros.com/growing-gui...ady-to-harvest "While most types of fruit reach their peak on the branch or vine, pears need to be picked before ripening. If left on the tree, pears ripen from the inside out and, by the time they seem to be at the ripe stage, they are beyond it — usually mushy with a mealy texture beneath the skin. To avoid such results, you must pick pears when they are mature but not yet fully ripened. Figuring out the answer to “when are pears ripe?” can be difficult. When in season, a mature pear will still be firm to the touch, so feel won’t be a strong indicator. You can’t really go by sight either; a mature pear could be a variation of colors, like green, yellow, or even blush, depending on the variety. The best way to tell if a pear is ready to harvest is by taking the fruit in your hand and tilting it horizontally. The mature fruit will easily come away from the branch at this angle (as opposed to its natural vertical hanging position). If it is not yet ready for picking, it will hold on to the branch. Once harvested, most pears will require about a week to ripen at room temperature (about 65-72ºF). If you store the fruit in a paper bag, you can speed up this process so that it will ripen in just a few days. You may also choose to store your harvested pears with an apple or banana — fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas, which accelerates the ripening process. (Beware, ethylene gas may cause your pears to break down faster than anticipated, starting from the inside out, so it may be better to be patient and let the pears ripen on their own at room temperature.) Pear season is coming! In a typical year, it starts in August for those of us in zones 5 and 6. If you are growing your own, make sure you are prepared! The information above applies to European Pears. Asian Pears tend to ripen just fine on the tree. To learn more about ripening and other differences between these two kinds of pears, check out our article..." Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 11, 2016 at 02:16 AM.

August 11, 2016	#94
Shrinkrap Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: N. California Posts: 701	And from The University of Idaho http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pd...8/CIS0898.html "There are two major groups of pears: the soft-fleshed European pears (Pyrus communis) and the crisp-fleshed Asian pears (Pyrus pyrifolia). European pears are best when ripened off the tree. They consist of summer pears and winter pears. Summer pears such as Bartlett can be ripened after harvest without storage. Winter pears such as D'Anjou and Comice need a month or more of cold storage before ripening to highest quality. Asian pears, also known as Nashi or Oriental pears, Chinese pears, salad pears and apple pears, differ from European pears in remaining firm, crisp and juicy when ripened on the tree. Most pears are eaten fresh (dessert pears), but they are excellent canned. Pears are also enjoyed dried or pickled and in purees, jams, jellies, pear wine (Perry) and brandy. Varieties The best reason to raise your own pears is to get exactly the varieties you want. Of some 3,000 existing pear varieties, 20 are grown commercially and more than 40 are available to the home gardener. Some 90 percent of the commercial pears come from just three varieties: Bartlett, D'Anjou and Bosc. The Asian varieties of pears are currently gaining commercial popularity in this country. Many varieties of pear mature from mid-August into mid-October. The following varieties, listed in order of harvest maturity, are some of the many varieties worthy of consideration for the home garden: European pears Clapps Favorite originated from a seedling that occurred by chance and was found in Massachusetts in 1850. It is the earliest pear of good quality. Bartlett descends from a seedling found in England around 1750. Excellent fresh, it is also considered the best variety for canning. Seckel originated from a wild seedling found near Philadelphia around 1800. A small gourmet pear with a high sugar content and pleasant flavor, it is served pickled and as a dessert. D'Anjou, also called Beurre D'Anjou, was introduced to the United States from France in 1844. It is a high-quality winter dessert pear. Bosc, also called Beurre Bosc, comes from a chance seedling found in Belgium in 1807. A fine-flavored dessert variety, it has russetted skin. Comice originated near Angiers, France, around 1840. This variety is grown in the Medford, Oregon, area as a specialty gift-box pear. It is one of the finest for eating and drying but is not recommended for canning." Last edited by Shrinkrap; August 11, 2016 at 02:23 AM.

August 11, 2016	#95
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	I grew up in Crimea, Ukraine (than it was Ukraine republic). There were many orchards with pear trees, peaches, apples, cherries, and prunes. ...And there were old pear trees planted by kind people along small river and some other places near the village where my grandma leaved. She told me that people planted them for anyone to pick when passing by, they were planted before the second world war. These pears were the once I was talking about, not the once at the orchard. The old varieties that are lost, probably. Unless someone decided to revive them again. These trees were tall, no lower branches left to climb. We kids just looked for few that recently fell off the tree or used long stick to force it to fall. They were tree ripe and delicious. They tasted like honey. I have no doubt that commercial growers would NOT want to grow tall trees like that. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”

August 11, 2016	#97
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	So i will throw this out here for consideration. Many tomato varieties taste better at different stages of ripeness. So those of you who prefer your tomatoes ripened on the vine might not be letting them get ripe enough when you pick at breaker stage. I always pick at breaker stage so i can slow down how fast they ripen and choose the stage of ripeness i want to eat the rascal. __________________ *Barbee*

August 11, 2016	#96
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Ah Ella! I can imagine, I have visited Ukraine (years ago)... Here in our climate, growing any other fruit trees than apples is a stretch ... I do see cherry trees here and there, but more often than not, a young cherry and plum tree is likely to die during the wintertime.. Although many nurseries are now offering new, cold-tolerant varieties of cherries and pears... Might not taste the same it does in warmer southern regions..! Some berry trees and bushes do tolerate and even love our climate, though. Aronia chokeberry (currently known as Sorbaronia mitchurinii) is a wonderfully resilient species that produces healthy and juicy, although tart dark berries that are excellent for jelly-making. They are popular as fence plants, very lush and green in the summer, changing into nice shades of red and violet in the late fall. Another one to consider (I love it) is Amelanchier alnifolia, the saskatoon, a domesticated version of the wild variety. The taste is somewhat tart with the bitter almond flavor (cyanide precursor...), which makes it an excellent candidate for pies. Sorry, this got a bit far from tomatoes, but Ella got me started with her fruit tree memories..

August 12, 2016	#100
Shrinkrap Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: N. California Posts: 701	Why would a green tomato fall off the vine? Could something have been wrong with it?

August 12, 2016	#102
gorbelly Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,069	In other news, I picked my first Franchi red pear. It had ripened fully on the vine. Despite being a first fruit with a very minor touch of BER, it was hands down the best tomato my garden has produced yet this year. This is a very good variety. I'll pick a couple on the early side and ripen indoors and see how they compare. Unlike oblate beefsteaks, they have no problems with splitting and cracking and can ripen to perfection on the plant without worries about weather. Since my pilfered CP incident, I've been wrapping ripening tomatoes in gauze (I have a bunch of extra gauze lying around that is too old to use for wound care). So far, it's been letting me ripen most of my tomatoes completely or at least to 90% on the vine. This isn't a burden for me with my measly 10 in-ground plants but obviously it's not really an option for people who grow lots of plants. EDIT: I also don't have a stinkbug problem this year. I understand from others who have tried things like organza bags that they can actually make stink bug problems worse by providing shelter to stinkbug nymphs.

August 13, 2016	#103
Hellmanns Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: kentucky Posts: 1,116	For me, this is vine ripe perfection! I'll break it down. 1. August fruit. 2. Large fruit for variety description. 3. Plants are peaking in production. 4. Fruit was nearest the main plant stem on the truss. 5. Fruit absolutely couldn't take anything more from the plant. 6. Healthy plant foliage.

August 13, 2016	#105
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	Just waiting for my first Kosovo ever to ripen... it was rescued and brought indoors at the first blush, saved from a cold rains and possible BER (there were some initial 'leathering' signs at the bottom and I did not like that at all..) It looks all beautiful and juicy, and I did not want to let it rot on the vine - I have had that happen with ripening fruits during some cold spells ..