Pear conditioning for profits

Conditioned pears are described by Pear Bureau Northwest as pears that have been brought to the “just starting to ripen” state. Conditioning refers to the application of ethylene, a natural plant hormone produced by fruit as it ripens. To begin this process for pears, the commodity is placed in a ripening room, warmed to room temperature, and treated with ethylene. Once the desired firmness is reached, the temperature is rapidly brought down to 32°F. Other factors that must be managed include the time of ethylene application, pulp temperature, humidity, and CO2 levels. In 2012, the Pear Bureau Northwest commissioned a test through Nielson/Perishables group which showed that stores carrying conditioned pears increased their sales 19.5% more than the control stores who were not carrying conditioned pears. That is the reason why, there are currently 49 retailers in the US and Canada who carry conditioned pears. Pear Bureau Northwest estimates that nearly 30% of the conventional green Anjou pears on retail shelves in the United States and Canada have been conditioned with ethylene. However, only about 3% of the conventional red Anjou and 2% of the conventional Bartlett crop are being ethylene conditioned. CATALYTIC GENERATORS’ ethylene generators and Ethy-Gen® II Ripening Concentrate form a system that, when used as directed, produces concentrations ideal for conditioning a variety of pears.