Using harvest maturity and accumulated cold units predicts postharvest chilling requirement for ripening capacity and buttery-juicy melting texture duration in European pears

European pears are enjoyed by consumers when the fruits have ripened to a buttery-juicy melting texture (BJMT) with full development of flavor. However, pears are resistant to ripening at harvest and generally require exposure to ethylene gas or to chilling temperatures in order to develop the capacity to soften. Pre-harvest factors such as harvest maturity and ambient temperature impacting the chilling requirement for ripening capacity (CRRC) and BJMT duration are still not known. In this study, results showed that more mature pears had a shorter CRRC. Furthermore, pears harvested at 84.65 N displayed a longer BJMT duration than early- or late-harvest fruit. Accumulated cold units (ACU, ACU hours < 10°C (50°F) during 42 days prior to harvest) accumulated with increasing orchards’ elevation. Fruit with an ACU >200 had the lowest CRRC and shortest BJMT duration. For the different harvest maturities and ACU, CRRC was positively correlated with the BJMT duration. Forty fruit samples were collected from 10 orchards in Wenatchee (W), Hood River (HR), and Medford (M), in which harvest maturity and ACU were strongly correlated with CRRC across regions. However, on a specific site, ACU was strongly correlated with CRRC in HR and M, but not in W. Using these equations, we successively predicted the CRRC and BJMT duration of ‘Bartlett’ pears in Qinghai Province. In conclusion, harvest maturity and ACU could be used to predict CRRC and BJMT duration across regions and countries.