It actually varies by variety. Some stay hard, even when ripe. I never let mine fall off the tree. It's more or less knowing how each variety ripens. It's something you learn with time. I never let mine fully ripen on the tree, but in the refrigerator. There's nothing better than a ripe and juicy cold pear.

Thanks,,well I never know when exactly? I have 3 different trees. They are hard as rocks yet. I am in S-Iowa. You ripen in the frig? Never heard of that. Books say a cool place. Guess frig is cool.

Lone,

A general rule, E. pears should be picked when they are about ripe and store in a fridge for a week or two. Then take them out and let them sit on a counter for a few days for consumption.

You can google a ripening pear chart and compare to your area/zone. The colder the zone, the later it ripens.

Some people say if you push against a stem and it gives a little, it's about ripe.

Again, most Euro pears needs to go through a cold stage to complete its ripening process. If left to ripe on a tree, some E. pears will rot from inside out.

Asian pears can be eaten right from a tree.

Hope this help.

Lone ranger:

I grow Summercrisp and Bartlett in SE WI. My Summercrisp are done as picked the last this week. Best were those picked last week as this variety is not good when ripe but best eaten when crisp and sweet at the green-ripe stage.

My Bartlett I pick normally around September 11th. Again when firm but lite green/yellow skin color not grass green. I put them in a bushel basket in the garage and within 5 days they are ready for canning. Some I put in the refrigerator and store for a month, taking out some each week to ripen in a bowl on the kitchen table. If my bartletts hang too long on the tree, I find many can be rotten around the core yet the skin is yellow and the pear looks great when picked.

Most pears seem to be best when ripened off the tree. Some such as Comice,bosc ect are picked very hard in October and allowed to slow ripen for a month or more in cold storage. I have had local grown Comice this way and they are great.

The only pear I found from experience that seems to ripen fine on the tree (no rot around the core) is seckel.

Thanks,,I picked one tree already. I have found,let the animals and birds tellyou. The birdswere really attacking the pears. I put them into refrigeration. Never tried that before. Take them out in a wk and see if they ripen nice.