The only place a good, ripe pear should be soft is the top, near the stem. Elsewhere, your pear should be nice and firm — softness there means overripe and mealy flesh.
Give it a little toss in your hand: you’re looking for a pear that feels heavy for its size.
Look for unbroken skin, and don't worry too much about brown patches — pears bruise exceptionally easily, so blemishes are very hard to avoid.
Pears love the cold, so store in the fridge. You'll be truly shocked how long a pear can last in there without suffering very much in quality.
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|