Are the pears you purchased so tough they resemble stones? Well, there is nothing wrong with your purchase. Most pears available in the US market are deliberately picked while still firm and are meant to mature only after they are plucked from the trees. Here's one secret that can speed up pear ripening at home. Place the pears in a sealed paper bag, and the gas released by the fruit will accumulate in the sealed area, pushing the fruit to ripen within seven to ten days instead of waiting indefinitely on your kitchen countertop, as suggested by the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. This home trick has a simple biological explanation.
The real reason store-bought pears are rock hard
