How to Store Nashi Pears | Nashipear.com.au

The fridge crisper is the main answer. A firm nashi pear stored in the crisper drawer, loose or in a perforated bag, will hold quality for two to three weeks. At room temperature, expect three to seven days before the flesh starts to soften and lose its crisp texture.

Nashi do not ripen further off the tree. The job of storage is to slow deterioration, not to develop the fruit.

In the fridge

The crisper drawer is the right place. The cold and slightly higher humidity keep the flesh crisp and stop the skin shrivelling.

Store loose, or in a perforated produce bag.
Keep away from onions, garlic, strong cheese, and other aromatics. Nashi absorb odours through the skin.
Do not stack heavily. The flesh bruises easily, and a single dropped or pressed fruit can soften the rest in a few days.
Expect two to three weeks for firm fruit. Less if the fruit was already a few days off the tree when you bought it.

Do not seal nashi in an airtight plastic bag. Trapped moisture promotes mould at the stem end.

At room temperature

If you plan to eat the fruit within a few days, a fruit bowl on the bench is fine. Keep them out of direct sun and away from a hot stovetop or warm window. Expect three to seven days. After that the flesh starts to lose its snap.

Do not put nashi next to bananas, avocados, or ripe stone fruit. These give off ethylene, which speeds up softening.

Should you wash before storing?

No. Wash just before eating. A wet skin in the crisper encourages mould. The same applies in a bowl on the bench.

Preparing nashi for use

Treat a nashi like a crisp apple, not a buttery European pear.

Peel. Optional. The skin holds the russet pattern and is edible. Some people find it slightly tannic, particularly on Hosui and Shinko. Peel if serving sliced to children or in a delicate salad.
Core. Use an apple corer, or quarter the fruit and trim the core from each piece.
Slice. Firm wedges for fruit platters, batons for cheese boards, fine slices for salads, small dice for slaws.

Nashi pair well with sharp cheeses (blue, aged cheddar), prosciutto, walnuts, rocket, fennel, and ginger. The crisp texture holds up in salads in a way European pears do not.

Storing prepared nashi

Cut nashi browns slowly compared to apple but it does brown. A light squeeze of lemon juice over the cut surfaces slows it down. Store cut fruit in a sealed container in the fridge and eat within 24 hours for best texture.

For lunchboxes, pack whole or cut and tossed with lemon. The fruit will hold for the day at room temperature.

Freezing

Freezing is not recommended for fresh eating use. The cell walls rupture in the freezer and the thawed fruit is mushy.

For cooking, freezing is fine. Slice firm fruit, lay the slices in a single layer on a tray, freeze until solid, then transfer to a sealed bag or container. Use direct from frozen in cakes, crumbles, chutneys, and stewed fruit. Frozen nashi keeps for three to six months.

How long do nashi last?

A rough guide for firm Australian-grown fruit bought in season:

Fruit bowl at room temperature: three to seven days.
Fridge crisper, loose or in a perforated bag: two to three weeks.
Cut and stored in a sealed container in the fridge: about 24 hours.
Frozen slices for cooking: three to six months.

Cold-stored fruit bought in June or July will have a shorter shelf life at home than fruit bought fresh in April.

Signs a nashi has gone over

The flesh yields easily under thumb pressure.
The skin is wrinkled or sunken.
Brown spots have formed on the surface or around the stem.
A fermented or alcoholic smell.

A nashi that is just past its peak is still fine for cooking. Stew it down with a little sugar and a stick of cinnamon, or fold the dice through a chutney with ginger and chilli.