When using pears in short cake, either fresh or canned pears may be used and should be chilled before use.
The body of a green pear is hard or very firm. They are good for baking, cooking, stewing, canning, etc. , but not ready for eating fresh or using in salads. The color of a ripe pear usually turns from green to yellow. The body of a ripe pear is tender and yielding. When ripe, pears are best chilled before serving.