Pears harvested when mature will typically ripen to a buttery-juicy texture only when they have been exposed after harvest to conditions that will induce ripening capacity, followed by actual ripening at room temperature. Traditionally, conditioning to develop ripening capacity has been accomplished through cold storage, so this process has been known as "satisfying the chill requirement." Since the temperature in long-term storage is typically 30 to 31°F, each pear variety has been associated witha minimum number of days that they should be held in storage at that temperature before being marketed with full ripening capacity. For fruit harvested at the earliest maturity, Harriett and Bosc will typically need cold storage for approximately 14 days, Cornice 30 days, and d'Anjou at least 60 days. Actual times can vary somewhat from year to year.
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