Perfect Pears
Anna Delany, adapted from www.Fruits&VeggiesMatter.gov
The ancient Greek poet Homer called them "Gifts from the Gods" and when you bite into a pear, you realize that’s a pretty fitting description.
When ripe and ready to eat, the pear has a honeyed flavor as well as a beckoning perfume. Pears are incredibly sweet and juicy with a soft, satisfying texture.
Read on to learn more about pears.
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Varieties
| Variety | Availability | Description |
|---|---|---|
Green Anjou |
Available October through June |
Firm and green, even when ripe, this large, thin-skinned yellowish-green pear is best eaten fresh. When slightly under-ripe, it can be baked or poached, but once it ripens, its sweet, mellow flavor and abundant juice make it an excellent choice for salads and snacks. |
Red Anjou  |
Available October through May |
With much the same flavor, use and texture as the green Anjou, red Anjous (generally dark, maroon red in color) show little to no change in color as they ripen. Red Anjous are recognizable for their near egg-shaped appearance. |
Yellow Bartlett  |
Available August through December |
One of the most common and popular pears, this large, bell-shaped all-purpose pear has a yellow skin sometimes blushed with pale red. It is very sweet, juicy and aromatic. Perfect for salads and eating fresh, and excellent for canning or cooking. It holds its shape and flavor in baking and cooking. |
Red Bartlett |
Available August through December |
This pear is firm, with a bright red skin, and is very sweet and juicy when ripe. The red Bartlett is a bit smaller than yellow Bartletts, but has the same flavor, texture, and use. They make an excellent choice as a color accent in a fresh-fruit dessert or salad. |
Bosc  |
Available August through April | The Bosc has a firm, dense, yet tender flesh with brown skin that hides a deliciously sweet and spicy flavor. Its dense flesh makes it ideal for baking and cooking. Its mild, not-too-sweet flavor is great for microwave recipes, salads, and snacks. The color doesn't change as it ripens. |
Comice |
Available August through March |
The comice is hard and green, and rounder than a Bartlett, but similar in flavor and texture. This is one of the largest, sweetest and juiciest varieties and is best used fresh in salads, served as an elegant dessert pear, or as an excellent accompaniment with cheese. |
Forelle  |
Available September through February |
The forelle islightly larger than a Seckel, with freckled skin and a red blush. What they lack in size, Forelle pears make up for with a sweet flavor and beautiful appearance. They're an excellent snack or lunch-box pear. |
Seckel |
Available August through February |
Seckel are tiny pears with ultra-sweet flavor – so sweet in fact, they are called "sugar pears." Maroon and olive green in color, with no color change when ripened, they are an excellent choice for children's snacks, pickling, or as a garnish. |
Why they're good for you
Fiber. Fresh pears are full of dietary fiber, much of it in the form of Pectin. A pear weighing 166 grams provides 4 grams of dietary fiber. Fiber contains no calories, and is a necessary element of a healthy diet, helping to sustain blood sugar levels, prevent constipation and promote regular bowel movements.
Potassium. Fresh pears are also a good source of potassium, having 210 mg in a medium size pear. Potassium is necessary for carbohydrate and protein metabolism, as well as maintaining heartbeat, muscle contraction and nerve transmission. Because potassium is lost easily through dehydration or perspiration brought on by active lifestyles or strenuous exercise, it needs to be replenished frequently – a pear is a good choice!
Vitamin C. Fresh pears also have high levels of Vitamin C. One medium size pear provides 7 mg, or 10 percent of the RDA for vitamin C.
Selection and storage
How to buy
- Avoid pears with bruises or cuts and dark brown colors.
- Purchase pears while slightly green because they ripen better and faster off the tree.
- Look for pears with a smooth unblemished skin; ripe ones will yield slightly to gentle pressure at the stem end.
- If you plan to bake pears, select those that are fairly firm.
How to store
If pears are unripe, place them in a paper bag at room temperature for two to three days or store them in a ventilated fruit bowl in a cool, dark place, and refrigerate as soon as they ripen. Ripe pears should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag up to three days. They continue to ripen after harvest.
Preparation and eating
Always wash all fresh fruits and vegetables before serving. Pears can be used in cooking and baking in similar ways to apples.
Pear ideas
- Take a pear for lunch, either fresh, dried or in a flip top can
- Use baked or broiled pears with a sauce as a light tasty dessert
- Use pear slices dipped in lemon as a garnish to jazz up foods.
- Sliced thin wedges served with chunks of cheese, smoked turkey and seedless grapes on a skewer make a healthy appetizer or side dish
- Toss chopped pears into a chicken, tuna, green, fruit or cottage cheese salad
- When roasting vegetables, add pear slices to the vegetable mix
- Try using pear slices on your next grilled chicken sandwich
- Use pears where you would use apples in cooking and baking
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Last updated: April 12th, 2007
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