Melon pear - when are the fruits finally ripe?

Melon pear - when are the fruits finally ripe?

Match the perfect time

When harvesting the melon pear, only fruits that have reached the optimum degree of ripeness should be picked. Then they taste particularly aromatic and have the right amount of sweetness.

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Once the optimal degree of ripeness has been reached, you should also pick a melon fruit promptly because it quickly loses quality. Their flesh becomes soft and it can even start to rot on the plant.

Warmth as a factor in fruit set

But when does the melon pear even bear fruit? It is not enough for a plant to open many flower buds. It must also come to the fruit set. The pepino, as the melon pear is also called, can pollinate itself. But fruits only develop from it if the temperature at this time remains constantly above 18 ° C for many nights.

Late harvest time is typical for the melon pear

After flowering in spring and successful pollination, it takes many weeks before the first edible fruits hang on the bush. At some point in late summer the time has come. Depending on the current weather, a little earlier and a little later. It is therefore important to follow the signs of maturity.

Tips

We recommend that you prune out all flowerless side shoots at an early stage so that the energy saved can benefit fruit development. You can get bigger fruits if you shorten the long flower stems.

This is how you recognize a ripe Pepino

A “finished” fruit takes around 90 days to grow. Depending on the variety, it can be up to 20 cm long and weigh 300 grams. But you shouldn't go after these traits alone. Here are the reliable maturity traits:

  • the pepino gives off a sweet scent
  • the color has changed
  • the fruit yields slightly to pressure

Trying is better than studying! If the pulp tastes of pear and honeydew melon, the degree of ripeness is ideal.

Allow to ripen in winter quarters

If the care is right, but the weather is not, the ripening of some fruits can be delayed. Since the melon pear is not hardy, it has to hibernate in the house early in autumn. What to do with the unripe fruit that is still attached?

Leave the fruit on the plant. These can also ripen in bright winter quarters at 5-10 ° C. If this is not possible due to lack of space, you can harvest the unripe fruit and let it ripen at room temperature within a few days. It is faster if a few apples are deposited near you.

Use and storage of ripe fruits

Even a single melon pear can produce a lot of fruit in good years. They taste delicious on their own, but also in sweet and salty dishes. Fruits that cannot be consumed soon can keep for another 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.