It’s a simple catchphrase, but it does its job, as the best of catchy phrases should. Check the neck: these three words are the key to sweet and juicy USA Pears. If you’re one of those people, like my roommate, who has always felt, oh, ambivalent about eating (not to mention enjoying) fresh pears, you’ll want to pay attention now.

You’ve probably felt that way because the pears you’ve had in the past have been lackluster. Unripe. Overripe. Languishing in a fruit cocktail mix on your grade school lunch line. But that can all change now! You, too, can enjoy juicy, delicious pears that are sweet as candy! You’ll just need to check the neck. It’s simple: hold a pear in the palm of your hand and press near the stem with your thumb. If the skin there gives a little to gentle pressure, it’s ripe. If not, no worries. Just leave it out on the counter or in your fruit bowl at room temperature and keep checking the neck every day until it feels sufficiently soft. Then, enjoy!

I recently converted my roommate into a pear lover with this simple trick. I mean, I know I can be intimidating in my championing of fresh pears, but her conversion was easy. It didn’t take begging, or magical incantations, or the world’s finest pears flown in from a secret arboretum. It just took one pear, one phrase (you can guess this), and lots of napkins. (It was really juicy.) She was impressed. I wanted to take her picture for proof, but she wouldn’t let me—she had pear juice dripping down her arm.

So, the next time you’re faced with a potentially delicious pear, do it a favor. Make sure it’s ripe, and enjoy!